Faces of Fusion Refueled

SOLD OUT

Faces of Fusion is returning for the first time in four years –
but we’re refueling this signature event!

November 3rd, 2023 | 7 PM
Diamond Jubilee Terminal
Port Saint John

A social gathering with a purpose – Faces of Fusion Refueled is where professional networking and community celebration meet. This event is to recognize and acknowledge people moving the Saint John Region forward.

At each of our gatherings we see newcomers who are driving innovation, lifelong residents who are building their community, and senior leaders who are elevating the next generation. This deserves to be celebrated.

More than 50 nominations were submitted for the 2023 awards, and we are thrilled to announce the top three nominatees for each category. Congratulations, we look forward to celebrating your accomplishments on November 3rd.

2023

NOMINATIONS

Entrepreneurship / Business

Colin Cusack

Colin Cusack’s business Complex Union showcases its commitment to excellence and innovation in the automotive community. Roll Call is an annual car show with incredible attention to detail. In 2023, Roll Call had the largest crowd in its three-year history with 5,000 spectators, the majority from out of the city and province. More than 400 vehicle exhibitors were at TD Station, dozens of vendors were featured, local and international sponsors were involved. Most attendees came to Saint John for two nights, enjoyed local restaurants, and shopped uptown all weekend.

Colin Cusack is the man behind the business and believes in his community wholeheartedly. Through Complex Union he fosters a sense of community through the group’s volunteers and promotion of other local businesses. He routinely features and promotes local businesses on social media and truly believes in community over competition. Through Complex Union, Colin also chooses to foster local talent (photographers and videographers) and provide them with the opportunity to produce social media content that will be seen by thousands of people, helping to begin and encourage their careers as local creative entrepreneurs.

Colin is always looking for a way to elevate and innovate his business and he is proud to be from Saint John.

COLIN CUSACK
COMPLEX UNION

Queen Square Farmers Market

QSFM encourages inclusion through food and product vendors at the weekly market with an international reputation. They provide space for newcomers to the region looking to start a business and create a sense of belonging to the community, building connections, and generating income for their families.

QSFM promotes sustainability through local food/farmers, and handmade local products. There are on average 40 vendors that attend their market from Mother’s Day to Thanksgiving weekend annually.

QSFM has an arts and culture event called the Fine Craft Festival where they showcase local artists and fine-craft makers in the region. They use this event to help bring fine craft forward in the province. Including providing a space for musicians across a variety of genres to perform.

The market assists in growing local businesses by giving them a platform to sell, and they are strong supporters of other community activities. During the market season, they offer a booth space for free to allow community groups to promote their activities.

QUEEN SQUARE FARMERS MARKET

Erin Ellis

Erin has built a successful real estate business that gives back to the community she lives and works in. Over the past seven years, Erin has grown her one-person operation to a thriving, award winning enterprise for real estate with seven employees. She prides herself on a business model that supports up and coming realtors and fosters a culture of mentorship. She reduces the barriers for new realtors trying to break into the real estate space by covering professional fees and overhead while simultaneously providing one-on-one coaching. She also donates a portion of all sales from the Ellis Realty group to Boys and Girls club of Saint John. Finally, Erin also expanded her portfolio into the space of mentoring other female entrepreneurs. She currently hosts the Millennial Mom podcast, geared towards supporting those wishing to break into entrepreneurship who are juggling multiple responsibilities. Through this work, Erin has given multiple talks on the topic of leadership and entrepreneurship. Her business is an example of one that contributes to the economy, generates jobs and growth, and gives back both monitoring and through mentorship.

ERIN ELLIS
ELLIS REALTY TEAM

Environmental / Sustainability

Queen Square Farmers Market

QSFM promotes sustainability through local food/farmers, and handmade local products. There are on average 40 vendors that attend their market from Mother’s Day to Thanksgiving weekend annually.

QUEEN SQUARE FARMERS MARKET

Megan Scott

Megan Scott is the Manager of Sustainability and Business Operations at Commercial Properties and is on the board of Sustainable Saint John and the Vice President of BOMA NB/PEI. This organization provides education and training, advocacy, and networking opportunities for those in the commercial real-estate industry. She enjoys being a part of this group because of its leadership in environmental sustainability within the industry (though BOMA BEST) as well as the opportunities it provides to make connections and learn from others in her field.

Megan also spends her time with Sustainable Saint John. Sustainable Saint John promotes sustainable business practices within the Greater Saint John Region. They host webinars showcasing the work of businesses, non-profits and government so that the business sector can stay up to date on the innovative practices in our region. Megan enjoys learning about the different ways in which groups are doing their part to reduce environmental impacts and become more socially responsible and hopes that the organization contributes to the wider adoption of sustainability practices.

MEGAN SCOTT

Katelyn Price

Through her shop, Juniper, Katelyn actively promotes and educates customers on sustainable and environmentally conscious lifestyle habits. The wide variety of products she features, all of which support her shop’s important mandate, combined with the aesthetically beautiful space she has cultivated, have resulted in a successful business that appeals to a wide array of locals and tourists. A central component of her business model is a re-fillery where customers can refill sustainable containers rather than contributing to plastics waste, and all other unique products in the shop are ethically produced, locally produced, or both. In addition to supporting sustainable values through products, Katelyn and the shop also contribute to environmentally-focused endeavours through other means, including hosting an art exhibition and book launch based on climate concern and eco-anxiety presented by ACAP and Third Space Gallery. She also regularly contributes donations to causes that support awareness of environmental issues and sustainable community actions.

KATELYN PRICE
JUNIPER

Arts & Culture

First Nations Storytellers

First Nations Storytelling aims to foster an understanding of Indigenous Culture through storytelling. They are actively creating strong relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people within the Saint John Region, by educating participants at their in-person experiences and tours on the history of the Indigenous community.

Dave Smith of FNS has a unique point of view on Indigenous culture from growing up outside the First Nations community due to the Sixties Scoop, a period in which a series of policies were passed in Canada that enabled authorities to take, or “scoop up,” Indigenous children from their families and communities for placement in foster homes, from which they would be adopted.

When he speaks about how he has evolved since beginning First Nations Storytellers, it is evident that he has gone through a transformative experience – an experience that is displayed through his work today.

FIRST NATIONS STORYTELLERS

Haven Music Hall

What do fifteen years of friendship, endless memorable nights filled with music, and a passion for the arts scene bring to life? For Abigail Smith and Sidney Foy, it was the basis for creating Haven Music Hall – a new venue space, bar, and café in the heart of the Saint John Region.

Haven Music Hall was born to fill a gap in the arts and culture scene in Saint John. Providing inclusive spaces for music lovers and performers to gather. The venue offers all ages shows, is a cafe as well as a bar, has volunteers in place to ensure people are comfortable in the space and allows up and coming musicians and bands a venue to get in front of audiences. It’s a unique offering that was built literally with blood, sweat, tears and a lot of passion.

HAVEN MUSIC HALL

United Colours of Fashion

Rufina Ajalie and Christine Eruokwu’s non-profit United Colours of Fashion empowers newcomers and BIPOC/visible minority groups through training, education, and entrepreneurship opportunities. It aims at addressing the economic, social, and cultural needs of participants who are drawn from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds. It also provides a platform for participants to express their talents and pursue their passion in the fashion industry by showcasing their designs alongside established fashion designers/retailers at the annual UCOF Fall Fashion Show.

Over the last few years, New Brunswick has witnessed an influx of immigrants from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds with varying skill sets including sewing and fashion designing. Many often arrive in Canada with high expectations of a better life for themselves and their families. However, due to some barriers, including language, the settlement process often extends beyond the anticipated timeframe. United Colours of Fashion (UCOF Canada) seeks to empower newcomers and visible minorities in overcoming identified barriers through fashion.

UNITED COLOURS OF FASHION

Saint John Champion

Queen Square Farmers Market

QSFM promotes sustainability through local food/farmers, and handmade local products. There are on average 40 vendors that attend their market from Mother’s Day to Thanksgiving weekend annually.

QUEEN SQUARE FARMERS MARKET

Alex Ash

As the Chair of the Board at Chroma, Alex proved to be a strong leader contributing to the community through their volunteering and activism. They have been one of the most important advocates for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Saint John. On numerous occasions, Alex has lead their own organization and other groups in the Atlantic and Canada towards collective action, even in the face of challenges such as the recent changes to Policy 713. One aspect of Alex that is greatly admired was their proactive approach, as they never hesitated to provide various resources, through Chroma, to rainbow individuals and collectives. Through their efforts, Alex has made significant contributions to making Saint John a safer, more inclusive, and trusted space for creating meaningful connections. This, in turn, has made the Saint John Region an outstanding place to live.

ALEX ASH

Derek Chaisson

Derek has volunteered on a variety of committees and boards in the Saint John Region but most notable, he is the Chair of Dominion Park Association and is responsible for the significant corporate, provincial, and municipal investments to improve the parks infrastructure. The park has already completed Phase 1 of their renovation which provides a canteen, washrooms, wheelchair accessibility, seating/gathering areas and more to the residents in Dominion/beyond. This wasn’t an easy task to accomplish and it’s because of Derek’s long-standing dedication and love for the Saint John community that it came to fruition. Derek is also a part of the Germain Street open committee which supports Make a Wish foundation and is involved in Saint John cycling.

DEREK CHAISSON

New Johner

Idris Gueye

“Idris is a recent addition to the Saint John community, moving to the region in 2022. In his capacity as the Project Director for the Skills for Success Carpentry Program at Black Lives Matter New Brunswick, he spearheads an innovative initiative providing BIPOC individuals with a distinctive pathway to carpentry careers through the Millwright Carpentry College. His approach to promoting wellness extends to integrating sports, social gatherings, group therapy, and financial education through collaboration with financial partners. Idris simultaneously serves as a steadfast advocate within the Saint John Francophone African Newcomers Group, actively promoting cultural diversity and seamless integration for francophone newcomers. Apart from his professional engagements, he effectively utilizes his artistic skills as a photographer and DJ for numerous local establishments and events, all while showcasing his unwavering commitment to various professional networks dedicated to bolstering employment prospects within the community.”

IDRIS GUEYE

Tania Valbuena

Tania moved to the Saint John Region in January 2022 – originally Colombia, in search of a new adventure and landed in Saint John after researching Canadian cities. The proximity to water, beautiful views, and nature made the Port City the perfect fit.

Tania is a formidable leader and a dedicated advocate for welcoming new residents to Saint John. She consistently engages and collaborates with them within our community. On a professional level, Tania serves as the Coordinator of the Skills Launch Program at the YMCA, where she empowers newcomers to secure employment and advance in their careers. She generously volunteers her time at the YMCA, teaching salsa classes. Tania promotes diversity and inclusion in the Saint John Region through her involvement in cultural activities.

TANIA VALBUENA

Jordan Owens

Jordan actively promotes Saint John to his social media and YouTube audience and has been cited as the reason that multiple people have moved to the area. His YouTube channel is a popular resource for people looking to move to New Brunswick, and especially Saint John. His videos focus on and celebrate the great things about living in the city and surrounding area. He is a new resident in the city, who has solidified himself as a popular personality around town.

JORDAN OWENS

Fusion Saint John is operated by a volunteer Board of Directors.
All operations, programming and events are made possible through sponsorship and fundraising activities.
Thank you to the generous partners!