HIP (Honouring Indigenous Peoples) and its executive director John Currie were honoured with the 2025 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award by Rotary District 7070. The award was presented at a meeting of the Rotary Club of Pickering, where Currie is a member and past president.
Presenting the DEI Award, District Governor Virginia O’Reilly highlighted the important work of HIP’s Youth to Youth (Y2Y) program, which prepares the next generation of leaders in Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, through knowledge sharing, and educational and awareness initiatives.
“Our club is thrilled to see that John’s work through HIP, connecting Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth, is receiving the well-deserved recognition from our District. Congratulations to him and the Y2Y team that’s making inroads in such a crucial area in the Canadian landscape,” said Pickering Rotary president Don Alton.
Currie, thanking District 7070 for the award, detailed how the youth program, which aims to foster reconciliation, environmental stewardship, and cultural understanding, has grown to be a national movement in a short time.
The DEI Award is part of the Imagine Rotary Year end awards, and is presented to the club or Rotarians who made the greatest contribution to the advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion.