Jennifer Franks

Jennifer works in the Indigenous Affairs Office at the City of Toronto and is the Lead for the City’s Indigenous Place Making strategy. She is Plains Cree, Irish and Norwegian and grew up primarily in Alberta and British Columbia, where her family on both sides have hunted, trapped, farmed and lived on the land for generations. Jennifer has a Master’s degree from the University of British Columbia in Community and Regional Planning, where her research and thesis focused primarily on contested public space in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, namely the tension between the area’s large Indigenous population and their use of park space and encroaching gentrification.

Since living in Toronto, she has worked in the NGO sector (Canadian Urban Institute), the provincial government (Municipal Affairs and Housing) and now the City of Toronto. She is excited to be working with Indigenous partners, community members, community organizations and City colleagues to advance Indigenous Place-Making and to enhance the visibility of Indigenous cultural traditions, language and community in the City of Toronto.