Rachel Bériault
Rachel Bériault has worked at the Department of Canadian Heritage for over 10 years and is currently a project manager with the Monuments and Public Art team. Thanks to her keen interest in commemorative monuments and the visual arts, she brings a unique perspective to the intersection of cultural heritage and artistic expression. With a degree from the University of Ottawa, Rachel has gained expertise in managing complex projects that aim to preserve and promote Canada’s rich history and artistic achievements through national monuments and public art in Canada’s National Capital Region.
Annette Wildgoose
Annette Wildgoose is President of the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa and a consultant specializing in leadership, management training, governance and event planning. A former senior advisor with the federal government, she served as Director of Legacy and Special Projects for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015. Annette has appeared in documentaries such as 39-45 en sol canadien, a French TV5 series, and Hear Their Voices; Écoutez nos Voix, a bilingual online course on the Holocaust and antisemitism developed by Carleton and Ottawa universities.
Ian Grabina
As part of the Capital Stewardship Branch at the NCC, Ian is tasked with protecting and enhancing the NCC’s built and natural environments in Ottawa’s downtown area, which includes pathways, parks, plazas, monuments, natural spaces and parkways. As project leader, Ian is currently involved in major projects, including Kìwekì Point Park and its pedestrian bridge, the revitalization of Confederation Boulevard, the rehabilitation of the Lady Grey Drive retaining wall and promenade, and many other initiatives across the core area of Canada’s Capital. Ian is a passionate advocate for sustainability, resiliency and equity in design. He can be found cycling year-round on NCC pathways across the National Capital Region.
Kelly McRae
Kelly McRae is a registered professional planner with 15 years’ experience working in public and private sector planning. She has led many large-scale planning projects involving diverse stakeholders and on sites of national significance. At the NCC, she works on key land-use initiatives and policy reviews for the organization. Her notable projects include the Capital Pathway Strategic Plan, the Official Residences Planning Framework, the National Interest Land Mass, and the Sir George-Étienne Cartier Park Plan. She holds a master’s degree in City Planning from the University of Manitoba with a specialization in Indigenous Planning. Kelly is committed to promoting reconciliation within the planning profession.
Garry Meus
Garry Meus is a Senior Landscape Architect with the NCC in Ottawa. In his role, he leads design initiatives in the Capital core area by redeveloping and revitalizing areas to reshape how residents and tourists alike take advantage of Canada’s capital. Drawing on his education and professional experience as an urban planner, landscape architect and urban designer, Garry has built a reputation for his ability to work collaboratively and achieve consensus on complex city-building projects.
Andrew Sacret
Andrew Sacret is currently the Chief of Planning and Design at the NCC. He and his team have completed several planning projects in the last few years, including updates to the Gatineau Park Master Plan and the Capital Pathway Strategic Plan, and the creation of new Capital Design Guidelines. Andrew previously worked as a campus planner at the University of Ottawa, as Director of Policy and Public Affairs at the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP), as a town planning advisor through Cuso International, and as a senior planner at FOTENN, an urban design and landscape architecture firm. Andrew has a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from Queen’s University.
Homa Jalili Safarian
Homa Jalili Safarian is a Planner with the NCC’s Planning and Design team. She has international experience in urban planning and design, specializing in urban centre revitalization, streetscaping, placemaking and tactical urbanism. During her studies at Queen’s University, her work in urban design received multiple awards, including the NCC Urban Design Challenge and the City of Ottawa Urban Design awards. Homa has also published several papers exploring mobility patterns during the pandemic, spatial dynamics in metropolitan regions, and the integration of urban planning theory. Currently, she is involved in key initiatives at the NCC, such as the planning strategy for monuments, memorials and public art, as well as the Core Area Sector Plan.
Jean-Philippe Lavallée
Jean-Philippe Lavallée is the Chief of Real Estate Transactions and Development at the NCC. He leads a team of dedicated real estate professionals with a mandate of negotiating all real estate agreements required to achieve the NCC’s mandate and vision or to help other levels of government and private individuals to help make the National Capital a better place to live and visit. As such, he is involved in a wide variety of projects, from the negotiations and discussions surrounding the redevelopment of LeBreton Flats to the acquisition of vacant lands for ecological conservation purposes, as well as city-building initiatives. Before joining the NCC, Jean-Philippe worked for close to a decade as a legal counsel specializing in real estate in the largest notary firm in Quebec. He is still an active member of the Chambre des notaires du Québec.
Dustin Valen
Dustin Valen is an architectural historian and design educator in the Department of Architectural Science at Toronto Metropolitan University. His research and teaching addresses the intersection of architecture, imperialism and the environment during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and spans several geographies, including Canada, Britain and the United States. Dustin has worked in architectural offices across Canada and in Australia and has overseen projects ranging from the design of exhibit environments for museums and cultural institutions to the design and fabrication of stage sets for independent theatre productions.