(Ottawa, ON) April 3, 2023 – The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) is grateful to the support and generosity of spirit demonstrated by Designer Brands Canada. Thanks to their donation, the LHF will continue to produce education materials and exhibitions that speak to the rich histories and lives of Indigenous Peoples in Canada, as well as the abuses and impacts Indigenous Peoples and communities have faced as a result of the Residential School System.

Designer Brands Canada is part of Designer Brands Inc., one of the largest retailers for footwear and accessories in North America. Designer Brands Canada currently operates several retail concepts, including The Shoe Company, Shoe Warehouse, and DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse, with nearly 150 store locations across Canada.

“We are grateful for the partnership with the Legacy of Hope Foundation and the opportunity to support their important work to educate and create awareness about Canada’s Residential School System and the intergenerational impact it has on the Indigenous communities,” said Mary Turner, President, Designer Brands Canadian Operations.

“We are so thankful for the kindness and generosity demonstrated by Designer Brands Canada for this donation. When Canadians come together to right the wrongs of our country’s past, it brings us that much closer to Reconciliation and brighter futures for all,” said Teresa Edwards, Executive Director and In-House Legal Counsel at the LHF.

The LHF is a national, Indigenous-led, charitable organization that has been working to promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada for over 21 years. The LHF’s goal is to educate and raise awareness about the history and existing intergenerational impacts of the Residential and Day School Systems and subsequent Sixties Scoop on Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) Survivors, their descendants, and their communities to promote hope and healing in Canada. The LHF works to encourage people to address discrimination and injustice in order to contribute to the equity, dignity, and respectful treatment of Indigenous Peoples and to foster Reconciliation.

The LHF has more than 25 educational exhibitions that promote awareness of Indigenous history that are free to borrow and is working on making exhibitions available online. LHF also has curriculum for K-12 and for adults, along with Activity Guides, Workshops and Training, and Podcasts all aimed at educating Canadians about Indigenous history and the shared history of Residential and Day Schools, the Sixties Scoop, etc. The LHF works to develop empathy and understanding so as to eliminate racism against Indigenous Peoples.