Leslie Carol Callum-Lounsbury

February 20, 1947 - May 27, 2018

June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada, which began in 2009 with the passing of a unanimous motion in the House of Commons. With the celebrations of Summer Solstice and National Indigenous Peoples Day fast approaching, we have much to celebrate and be thankful for.

Our Summer 2018 issue focuses on partnerships and also includes a special insert themed Made in Manitoba. SAY Magazine celebrates 16 years of partnerships with industry leaders like APTN (featured on the cover) and Vision Quest, which held its 22nd Annual Conference & Trade Show last month. In this issue we pay homage to the women, men, youth, organizations and businesses who work tirelessly, and who work together, to build the assets of our communities, to address challenges and to support positive change.

At this time we also celebrate the life of someone who spent much of her life working to develop meaningful long-term partnerships and to enhance the lives of Indigenous peoples across North America, spreading messages of HOPE and resilience with the promise of reaching the next generation of healers.

We are deeply saddened to share with you that our friend and the founder of SAY Magazine Leslie Lounsbury passed on to spirit world to be with Creator May 27, 2018. She will always be remembered as a pioneer for the work she has done in her life as an educator and as a publisher. She gave a voice to so many and celebrated the ‘good news’ stories of Indigenous people that otherwise may have never been heard.

She definitely left her mark on the people she touched and the world at large through community-based journalism in her work with SAY Magazine.

During this time, our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends. Leslie will greatly be missed.

“SAY was never about me or celebrities or making someone rich or famous; it was ALWAYS about giving someone who didn’t have a chance to be heard the opportunity to share their story.”

– Leslie Lounsbury