Gwen O'Reilly

Gwen O'Reilly

Gwen O'Reilly

• Accomplishments: Activism and Advocacy, Women’s and Minority Rights, Volunteerism, Food Security
• Major affiliations: Northwestern Ontario Women’s Centre, Good Food Box Project, Thunder Bay and District Coordinating Committee to End Women Abuse, Food Action Network NWO

“We discover a need and then figure out how we can address it, whether that’s by going after decision makers or inventing something of our own.” (Gwen O’Reilly, Forty Fabulous Feminists)

Gwen is a determined and compassionate leader in the women’s community of Thunder Bay and northwestern Ontario. Her focus is on creating meaningful change in the institutional response to violence against women, addressing the impacts of systemic racism and sexism, and emphasizing access to justice for all women.

Gwen was accepted into the HBSc Forestry program at Lakehead University in 1977, one of less than 10 women in a class of over 100. While at Lakehead, she helped start its first women’s centre. She continued on to the graduate program in Forest Ecology and Genetics, then spent six years as a Forestry Research Associate. “Fieldwork confirmed her love of the boreal forest. Forestry confirmed her understanding of sexism and homophobia.” (Lakehead University Convocation Program, 2019)

Gwen started her public education career giving workshops on homophobia. In the 1980s, she wrote articles for the Northern Woman Journal, was involved in organizing a lesbian support group, and volunteered as an on-air host on the local cable TV show, Thunder Gay Magazine.

She joined the board of the Northern Women’s Centre in 1984. That same year, she helped organize Interweave, the first provincial meeting of women’s centres. Gwen has served as the director of the Northwestern Ontario Women’s Centre (NOWC) since 1991. She has also been a long-time active member on the Thunder Bay and District Coordinating Committee to End Women Abuse, and remains connected to cross-provincial advocacy efforts against gender-based violence. In recent years, she helped lead the effort to have Thunder Bay City Council declare gender-based violence an epidemic.

Gwen O'Reilly speaking at City Council

In the late 1980s, Gwen became involved in organic farming. She attended farming conferences, and served on the editorial committee of Canadian Organic Growers and wrote many articles for their national magazine. Her interest in food production and her passion for justice led her to connect with the then Food Action Network, where she helped develop the Thunder Bay Food Charter along with other efforts, including the Good Food Box Program, aimed to create food security for all in Thunder Bay. She was a founding member of the Thunder Bay and Area Food Strategy and continues to serve as a board member on its newly incorporated version, the Food Action Network NWO. 

She sees the Thunder Bay Good Food Box Program, which she has administered since 2005, as one of her proudest accomplishments.

Gwen O'Reilly, Good Food Box program

In 2019, Gwen was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by Lakehead University and gave a keynote address at convocation. More recently, she was presented with King Charles III’s Coronation Medal, an honour created to recognize individuals who have demonstrated outstanding service and excellence within their communities. She credits the inspiring stories thousands of women have shared with her over the years as motivation for her work and the reason she remains hopeful.

References: 

Convocation Program, 2019, Lakehead University.

Forty Fabulous Feminists in Northwestern Ontario, 2013, published to celebrate NWOC’s 40 anniversary. Gwen O’Reilly, based on an interview with PhebeAnn Wolframe, pages 64-67.