Who we are

Richard Monette’s career spans over 35 years as an innovator, educator, and leader in the sectors of sports performance, corporate development, and education. A certified teacher in four provinces, he developed the first sport psychology curriculum approved for high school credits in Alberta. Richard is part of the leadership team at B2ten, a privately funded organization that supports Olympic Canadian athletes in achieving success on the world stage. Richard is also a sport psychology consultant to Olympic and professional athletes and consults with corporations and business leaders on the benefits of being purposeful. Richard obtained a bachelor of science and a bachelor of education from the University of Québec and a master of arts in education from the University of Calgary. Married with two children, Richard lives in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies in Cochrane, Alberta, where he pursues a very active lifestyle.

Angelina Mighty Osborne is a dynamic leader with a profound commitment to social impact and community empowerment. She has over 12 years of dedicated experience in the non-profit sector working with organizations to conduct research, identify gaps in services or programs, and develop strategic plans to address organizational needs. Social justice and equity has been the driving force behind her mission to provide resources and opportunities for those who have been historically underserved. Leveraging her expertise in psychology and her extensive experience in the field she believes in addressing root causes and dismantling barriers to access as well as creating lasting impact for generations to come while seeking to create a more just and equitable society for all.

Hilary Bartlett is a frontline ECE whose dedication to children quickly expanded to include advocating for early childhood educators. In 2022 Hilary became the Project Manager for the Early Childhood Educators Human Resources Council (ECEHRC), a not for profit organization dedicated to increasing recruitment and improving retention of qualified ECEs by addressing identified human resource issues based in Newfoundland and Labrador. Hilary was drawn to Active for Life’s commitment to empowering ECEs in the ActivePlay in childcare project.

Michael has been working with Active for Life since 2012. Over this past decade, he has used what he has learned about physical literacy, fundamental movement skills, and multisport to help shape his kids into what are turning into very athletic young teens. When not working on production and tech for AfL, Michael has found a lot of value in sports, completing an Ironman in 2015 and getting his first black belt in shotokan karate in 2022. He hopes many other parents and early childhood educators feel inspired by the work of Active for Life and Active Play and the impact physical literacy has on the overall development of children.

Dingo enjoys developing unique visual design solutions that further business strategies through memorable brand experiences in both print and digital media. From logo design to building an online presence, he helps his clients achieve their communication goals. He has been involved with the creation of user-centred interfaces, websites, and software. His expertise in creating conceptually driven visual design has helped clients reach their target audience and increase brand equity. He has had the opportunity to work with such notable brands as Big Rock Brewery, McDonald’s, Mountain Equipment Co-op, Native Shoes, TELUS, MTS, Cossette Communications, Rogers, Elections BC, Future Shop, and UTStarcom.

Lizbeth has been the outreach coordinator for Active for Life since its inception in 2012. Liz assists in the creation of print resources and promotional items and coordinates selected resources for clients. She has supported and successfully guided many organizations to promote physical literacy and active living in their networks. Recently and proudly, she has coordinated the translation of popular AFL resources into 12 international languages plus English and French. Liz’s background includes advertising and sport and event marketing, as well as working as vice-president of development for the Banff Television Festival and interim executive director of the Banff Childcare Centre. In her spare time, you can find her at the Pilates studio, walking or hiking with her husband and dog, Charly, and spending as much time as she can with her two children and friends.

Educational Advisor for the AQCPE since 2016, I support managers and pedagogical leaders in change management and in guiding their educational teams.

“Children, their development, their achievements: this is what drives me. Aware of the lasting and positive impact that free and active play, nature-based education, and risk-taking can have on young children’s development, I am committed every day to helping CPEs implement these pedagogical approaches for the greatest benefit of the children.”

Katie believes in growing strong leaders in early learning, supporting them to develop their practice, and bring more energy and joy into their work with children. With over 20 years of experience working in child care centres across Alberta and British Columbia, Katie brings a deep understanding of child development, program planning, and educator support to her work at Learn Through Active Play. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Education, and has spent much of her career designing and delivering professional development for early childhood educators. She is passionate about helping educators feel confident and supported as they create active, engaging, and playful learning environments.

Sylvana Côté is a trained psychologist, a full professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Montreal and a Researcher at Ste-Justine’s Hospital. She holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair on the prevention of psychosocial maladjustment in children and youth. She heads the Observatory for Children’s Education and Health as well as the Research Group on Children’s psychosocial Maladjustment and two multidisciplinary groups of researchers studying the biopsychosocial development of children, from conception to maturity.

Brenda Ferguson is the CEO of Today’s Family Early Learning and Child Care, a not-for-profit, charitable organization that serves over 7,500 families across five municipalities in southern Ontario. She leads a dedicated team of more than 300 educators, support staff, and licensed home child care providers committed to nurturing the development and well-being of children and families.

Brenda is an advocate for the transformative power of play as a foundation for learning. She believes that every child—regardless of ability, background, or circumstance—deserves the joy, freedom, and growth that come through active play. Her leadership is grounded in the principle that play is not a luxury, but a necessity for healthy development, shaping children’s physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being.

Her deep commitment to early learning and the arts has inspired a lifelong dedication to initiatives that elevate community vitality. Brenda contributes actively to numerous governance and sector-wide initiatives, including:

• Chair, Board of Directors, Home Child Care Association of Ontario
• Former President, Board of Directors, Culture for Kids in the Arts (now Arts for All)
• Former Vice Chair, Centre[3] for Artistic and Social Practice
• Member, Quality Early Learning Network
• Co-Chair, Consolidated Municipal Service Managers (CMSM), City of Hamilton

Brenda has pursued formal governance and leadership development through the United Way Halton & Hamilton, Bay Area Leadership, McMaster University’s Governance Training Program, and the Social Enterprise Academy in Scotland.

With a background in the arts and education, Brenda brings a uniquely creative lens to early learning. Her work is inspired by the belief that play is where imagination, inquiry, and joy collide—and where every child begins their journey as a lifelong learner.

Gail Hunter has been a Professor of Early Childhood Education at George Brown College for 33 years. Her areas of specialization are curricula for child-centred, inclusive play-based early learning environments, relationship development, working with families, anti-racism, and anti-bias education.