July 2022

I am thrilled to be writing this message today as we celebrate twenty years and counting as a federally incorporated Family Enterprise. We have come a long way, through many ups and downs, twists and turns, family dramas, business upheavals but we have survived it all, and we thank the Almighty for His Grace and guidance through lots of adjustments, careful planning, building and managing relationships and keeping our focus on the long term goal of building generational legacies for business families and our communities.

The first contact between Dr. Orson Bourne and I was via phone from Vancouver to Ottawa. I had read in Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper an article in its business section describing the National Research Council of Canada’s (NRC) achievement of creating a process that could commercially scale production of highly conductive nanotubes and having a general understanding of the importance of this news and the potential arising environmental benefits, energy efficiency and industrial opportunities, I reached out and spoke with Dr. Benoit Simard and Dr. Orson Bourne.

Jesiwa B Fashions and its creator/curator, Phyllis Dadson Bourne have been an ideal cultural ambassador and partner for showcasing creative cultural expressions of the African Diaspora in the Canadian Arctic. The experience of working with Jesiwa B has shown us a company with extreme care and pride for African culture and its proclamation through fashion.