(Ottawa, ON) April 3, 2023 – The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) is grateful to the support and generosity of spirit demonstrated by Kunitz Shoes. Thanks to their donation of $2,746, 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.

The Kunitz family has been serving up “really good shoes” since 1981. Owners Dwane and Darlene Kunitz individually sized and fitted shoes for children, this first idea of service and selection is what carried Kunitz Shoes through the decades and why it remains an outstanding shop today. By 1991, Kunitz Shoes had a core of regular customers and increased their inventory to include adult shoes. By 2000, the Kunitz Shoes philosophy of quality and service was ingrained and by 2011 the Kunitz family opened their second location. In 2022, the Kunitz family launched a new Ecommerce website, expanded the newly opened West Edmonton location, and launched their own brand of footwear.

“As a family and as business owners, the Kunitz Family is working towards finding our place in Reconciliation. We respect that each person will experience Reconciliation in their own way, and for our part we have chosen to move towards action where possible, including our recent working on Indigenous-led footwear design projects,” said  Morgan Kunitz, owner of Kunitz Shoes. 

“We are so happy and grateful to have the Kunitz family make these generous donations and to continue working with LHF to foster Reconciliation in Canada. We need Canadians to partner with us and this family is an amazing example of ongoing support and commitment to addressing discrimination. We could not be more thrilled with their involvement, 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.