Suzanne Rochon-Burnett

Suzanne Rochon-Burnett

Media and Communications (2004)

Ms. Rochon Burnett is a Métis broadcaster and businesswoman who started her career as a journalist in Quebec. Recognizing the need for more formal education, she enrolled at McGill University. For the next 20 years, she continued her work in broadcasting and journalism. In 1974, she moved to the Niagara Peninsula, where she developed a radio program entitled Chanson à la Française. This one-hour show grew to two hours and was later distributed to 22 AM and FM radio stations across Ontario. A strong proponent of Aboriginal aspirations, she fosters business, the arts and broadcasting in Aboriginal communities. She is the owner and operator of a country radio station in Welland, Ontario and owns a consulting company that deals with Native arts. Despite her many business responsibilities, she always finds time for other groups and organizations. She has sat on the boards of TVOntario, the Ontario Arts Council, the Crafts Council of Ontario, the Canadian Native Arts Foundation (the precursor of the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation), and the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business. She is a recipient of the Governor General’s Medal, the Order of Ontario and the Order of Canada. She recently established a scholarship for Aboriginal students in Communications at Brock University. Fiercely proud of her heritage, Ms. Rochon Burnett has shown that an individual who is inspired can wake up every day and follow and achieve their dreams.