2025 Community Awards Spotlight – Sue Evans

Sue Evans – Welcoming Community Champion 

This is the first year the Municipality has presented the Welcoming Community Champion honour since the category was created in 2024. 

This award recognizes those who lead initiatives that help shape Mississippi Mills into a welcoming community for newcomers and foster an understanding and sharing of other cultures. 

A patient and tireless volunteer, Sue Evans helped found two community organizations – The Centre for Creating Living and Mississippi Mills All My Relations.  

The Centre for Creative Living, founded in 2014-2015 at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, supports body, spirit and mind through creative activities, including photography, mixed media, yoga and meditation. As a volunteer since its inception, Sue has worn many hats; she has helped promote, schedule, and recruit mentors for the creative workshops.  

Called to act after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released its 94 Calls to Action, All My Relations was formed in 2015-2016 by a small group of residents, including Sue, who felt a local response was needed. Guided by Indigenous Elders, Sue and the group began educating themselves about residential schools, land claims and more.  

Over the years, Sue has continued in an active role, always learning and helping coordinate educational events, which introduced the community to Indigenous Elders and Wisdom Keepers, to learn history firsthand.  

A milestone for the group was the fundraising and completion of The Seven Gifts public art installation in Riverfront Park, unveiled in 2023. Using a collaborative method based on “two-eyed seeing,” an Indigenous carver and non-Indigenous sculptor worked together to realize this installation, paying tribute to the Seven Grandfather Teachings of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.  

Here’s some of what Sue’s nominators had to say about her: 

“In a world where there seems to be increasing tension between people of different races, cultures and backgrounds, and in a country where there has not always been a good relationship with the Indigenous people of this land, it is heartening to know that Sue and others like her are coming together to form groups like Mississippi Mills All My Relations. Under Sue’s leadership, our group has sought to build relationships, fostered better understanding between different groups of people and encouraged appreciation of cultural differences.” 

“Sue Evans has the greater community at heart in everything she does…Sue has been one of the most respected seed sowers for community building in Almonte and Mississippi Mills. Her leadership has resulted in the establishment, growth and flourishing of many inclusive creative endeavours in our community. Without her tireless commitment to taking an idea to its fullest conclusion, many projects would not have been completed…She doesn’t take no for an answer and her dedication to her welcoming ideas sets her apart as a leader in our community.” 

Thank you, Sue, for the positive impacts you continue to make on Mississippi Mills.