The Defining Moments Canada Team
Neil Orford
President & Co-Founder
Neil is a retired History Teacher, from Dufferin County, Ontario. A winner of both the Governor General’s and Ontario Premier’s Award for History Teaching, his Digital Historian Project© won the 2015 Government of Canada History Award. He has been featured on CBC’s “The National”, TVO’s “The Agenda”, and in numerous articles across Canada. He has written for major Canadian publications and is a regular presenter at Conferences and workshops. He has worked extensively with the Juno Beach Centre and has led a Summer Institute for History teachers in Normandy. Neil is the owner and president of Defining Moments Canada, Ltd.
Jenifer Terry
Executive Director
Jen Terry (née Sguigna) graduated from Western University with an MA in Public History in 2013, after completing an Honours BA in History and English Literature. She is a creative and driven leader, who is passionate about heritage and education. Most recently, she worked for the Juno Beach Centre Association, leading their Canadian programming and playing a key role in the development of special anniversary projects and their Canadian education reputation.
Anna England
Projects Manager & Digital Curator
Anna England is a graduate of the Master of Museum Studies program from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Information and holds an MA in History and a BA in History, minoring in French. Anna has worked as a Research Assistant for Dr. Tim Cook at the Canadian War Museum and as Curatorial Assistant at the Royal Canadian Military Institute. She has also worked with the MultiCultural History Society of Ontario and Sunnybrook Veterans Centre.
Louis Lebel
Digital Content Manager
Louis Lebel has worked in the field of public history and storytelling ever since working as a guide at the Diefenbunker, Canada’s Cold War Museum during high school. He has since worked in interpretation at the Juno Beach Centre, The Haunted Walk of Ottawa, the Vimy National Memorial in France, and Canada’s Parliament, along with other sites of note. Equipped with degrees in Political Science and History, Louis’ focus is finding and sharing stories with the public at large, and he is thrilled to be able to do so with the Defining Moments Canada team.
Amanda Merpaw
Education Manager
Amanda Merpaw (she/elle) is a Franco-Ontarian writer, editor, and educator. She is originally from Ottawa and is currently based in Toronto, Treaty 13, Dish With One Spoon Territory. Amanda has taught history, geography, and English in Ontario classrooms for nearly a decade, and has worked as an educational coach in justice-based practices and pedagogies. She is also an artist-educator and producer creating and supporting a range of performance projects and installations, including documentary theatre.
Janelle von Kleist-Bernard
Digital Marketing & Communications Manager
Janelle von Kleist-Bernard graduated cum laude from the Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa, obtaining a Bachelor of Commerce with a specialization in Marketing. She has acquired years of marketing and communications experience throughout her work at Scotiabank, the CRA, Corus Entertainment, and G Adventures. She is passionate about supporting nonprofits, which has lead to the launch of her own fundraising platform for nonprofits in the spring of 2022. A proud member of the team at Defining Moments Canada, she is excited to increase awareness for their incredible projects.
Brent Crane
StoryMaps Coordinator and Education Consultant
Brent Crane graduated from Nipissing University’s Concurrent Education Program with a BA Honours Specialization in Mathematics and a Minor in History in 2021. Brent’s passion for interdisciplinary education, particularly within his teachable subjects led him to work on educational resources for the Defining Moments Team. He hopes to create enthusiasm for Canadian history in learners across the nation.
Vincent Sabourin
Videographer
Vincent is an emerging freelance videographer who has recently graduated from the Television-Broadcasting program at Algonquin College. Having previously worked as a tour guide for many years, his goal is to combine the storytelling aspects of both professions and tell honest and exciting stories in video form.
Linn Øyen Farley
Website Designer/Developer
Linn Øyen Farley is a Toronto-based web designer and developer with a theatre production degree. She builds websites for arts and culture organizations, small businesses, and self-professed “non-technical people” that empower them to manage their own online presence. She strongly believes in demystifying technology and making things that are accessible for everyone.
Education Contributors
Dr. Madeleine Mant
Education Consultant
Dr. Madeleine Mant is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Toronto Mississauga. Her biocultural research program examines health inequities in marginalized and institutionalized human groups through an interdisciplinary integration of bioanthropological and archival datasets. Her work investigates and amplifies previously unheard voices, demonstrating the powerful legacy of historical health in shaping health consequences and experiences today.
Brent Crane
StoryMaps Coordinator and Education Consultant
Brent Crane graduated from Nipissing University’s Concurrent Education Program with a BA Honours Specialization in Mathematics and a Minor in History in 2021. Brent’s passion for interdisciplinary education, particularly within his teachable subjects led him to work on educational resources for the Defining Moments Team. He hopes to create enthusiasm for Canadian history in learners across the nation.
Scott Smalley
Education Consultant
Scott Smalley is a researcher and OCT certified classroom teacher with the Thames Valley District School Board. He has a B.A. in History and French Studies at Huron University and a B.Ed at Western University (2023). Scott previously worked on Defining Moments Canada’s Insulin 100 project as a researcher and curator of the Sir Frederick Banting exhibit (2020). At Huron University he has worked as a Research Fellow under Dr. Tom Peace, and as a Research Assistant under Dr. Amy Bell. He was awarded the Huron Community History Centre’s Prize for Public History (2020), and the Gary Owens Prize in British History (2022).
Translators
Geneviève Desaulniers
Translator
Equally passionate about linguistics, science-fiction, and curry recipes, Genny is an avid researcher and traveller. She enjoys unearthing details, anecdotes, and tasty bits and weaving them into her translation and writing work, thus creating vivid narratives to enthrall readers. She is the proud mom of two young booklovers, and enjoys fueling their imagination with myths, legends, and history.
Anne-Chantal Fontaine
Translator
Certified by OTTIAQ in 2010, Anne-Chantal holds a master’s degree in French Studies from the University of Sherbrooke (1996) and has nearly 25 years of experience in translation. She has acquired a diverse clientele almost everywhere in Canada (Quebec, Ontario, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Manitoba). In addition to the privilege of contributing to the promotion of the French language, Anne-Chantal translates for museums and organizations that, like Defining Moments Canada, cultivate the duty of remembrance and raise awareness about important chapters of history, some of which are dark and little known, particularly concerning Indigenous Peoples and veterans.
Marie-Catherine Gagné
Translator
Seasoned translator, Marie-Catherine has over 25 years of experience, working in many fields. She has been a translator for the federal government for over 15 years, but also for several humanitarian non profit organizations. Marie-Catherine enjoys literature, cats and great food.