Welcome Sushil Saini to the Victoria Foundation

The Victoria Foundation would like to introduce you to our new staff member, Manager of Strategic Initiatives, Sushil Saini.

Sushil grew up in Cobourg Ontario on the traditional and treaty territory of the Michi Saagiig and Chippewa Nations. She arrived on Vancouver Island in 1993 while researching education and communication for social change as part of her Master’s in Environmental Studies from York University.

Moving to Tofino before the Clayoquot blockades of ’93, she did participatory research during the protests and beyond for the next year. Falling in love with the Island she remained in Tofino to write her thesis and opened an underground curry house to fund her work. After completing her degree, Sushil embraced cooking professionally for several years working in Victoria and Tofino. This work shifted her lifelong social justice focus to food security, bringing a diversity, equity, and eco-justice lens to her work with regional and national initiatives, including serving as the national program manager for the Red Fife Wheat Slow Food Presidium. During this time, she continued to write professionally for regional and international publications about food, culture, and justice.

As Sushil’s commitment to the charitable sector grew, she trained in organizational development, leadership, strategic communications, public engagement, and project and change management. She served as Executive Director for the Good Food Box and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, BC & Yukon, in addition to her charitable sector consulting. Her passion for communication and the empowerment of young people extends to teaching various genres of writing at the University of Victoria. Sushil lives on WSANEC traditional territory in Saanich with her family and can often be found gardening, cooking, and reading.