VP Environment
Gracia Janes
Gracia Janes has been a dedicated member of the National Council of Women of Canada (NCWC) since 1978, serving multiple terms on the Board, primarily as Vice President of Environment. Between 1992 and 2011, she supervised three key NCWC projects focused on water and energy conservation, including the Federal Government’s Green Communities Partnership and two initiatives funded by the Walter & Duncan Gordon Foundation. Throughout her tenure, Gracia has actively raised awareness among members and government officials about critical environmental threats, participated in numerous government hearings and educational seminars, and presented briefs on issues such as the dangers of nuclear power throughout its lifecycle. She has also collaborated with environmentally engaged NCWC members across several provinces, including BC, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
In parallel, Gracia has held leadership roles with the Provincial Council of Women of Ontario (PCWO), serving as President, Vice President of Environment, and environmental advisor. Her advisory work notably included PCWO’s legal challenge, supported by the Ontario Power Authority, against nuclear power as part of Ontario’s incomplete Integrated Power Supply Plan. Locally, she has been a long-standing executive member of the Niagara District Council of Women, serving multiple terms as President and currently acting as Social Justice Convenor and Public Relations representative.
Beyond her work with women’s organizations, Gracia is Treasurer and Public Relations lead for the Preservation of Agricultural Lands Society, Canada’s oldest farmland preservation group. She is also an advisory member of the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network and President of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Conservancy, dedicated to protecting the natural and built heritage of this internationally recognized historic town.
Positions:
Elected 1981-1984 “Lincoln County Board of Education Trustee
Volunteer 1988 to 2018 Chair of the Social Assistance Reform Network of Niagara (SARN) and 2019 -2025 Advisory Committee to the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network
1993-1995 Key originator of the Province of Ontario Tender Fruit Land easement program .(cancelled by incoming government)
2003- 2025 member of the Regional Municipality of Niagara Agricultural Policy and Action Committee
Awards:
Ontario Medal for Citizenship (OMC); Canada 125 medal; Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal: Niagara Fruit Land preservation
St. Catharines (1982) and Niagara-on-the-Lake (2017)Volunteer Environmental Protection
YWCA Award for Women
NCWC Life Time Achievement
The Niagara Foundation 2019 “Living Land Mark award for Built and Natural Heritage protection.
Government of Ontario Committee Appointments:
1988-1992 Ontario Bruntland-based Sustainable Development Committee
1992-1996 Ontario Place Board Member