Algonquin College Speaker Series Presents . . .
The Algonquin College Speaker Series at the Pembroke Waterfront Campus has been attracting some of Canada’s most interesting speakers for more than 25 years. To register for any of our Speaker Series events please register online using the Eventbrite links below. This series is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s new Horizons for Seniors program.
Upcoming Events
The Apology – A Film Screening and Discussion
Monday, June 16, 2025 at 7 p.m. (In person and online through Zoom)
Tickets: $0-$20
As we approach National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, we invite you to a special screening of The Apology, the first in a two-part documentary series by Métis filmmaker Matt LeMay and Inuk filmmaker Crystal Martin of Indigenous Geographic.
The Apology offers an unprecedented and emotionally charged portrait of a pivotal moment in Canada’s journey toward truth and reconciliation. Granted exclusive access, LeMay and Martin were the only film crew in the world to follow the Indigenous delegation to the Vatican—a historic visit that led to Pope Francis’s apology for the Catholic Church’s role in the residential school system.
But the story does not end in Rome. The filmmakers continue their journey across Canada during the Pope’s visit, following Survivors, Elders, and Indigenous communities as they gather to witness the apology delivered on their own lands. Through intimate reflections and powerful public ceremonies, the film captures the full spectrum of emotion—grief, anger, hope, and resilience—that defines this chapter in our collective history.
This landmark documentary provides rare, behind-the-scenes access to history in the making. It shines a powerful light on the enduring strength and spirit of Indigenous Peoples in their pursuit of justice, healing, and reconciliation.
Join us for this impactful screening and stay for a facilitated discussion afterward, as we reflect on what it means to listen, learn, and walk forward together in the spirit of reconciliation.
This event is part of Local Immigration Partnership – Lanark & Renfrew’s Culture Connect.
Register for the Speaker Series event here.
Biographies
Matt LeMay, CO-FOUNDER & CEO, Indigenous Geographic
Matt is a Citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario and his root ancestors are the Clermont Dusome family that originally hails from the Red River region of Manitoba, later settling in Penetanguishene Ontario. Matt currently lives in the Ottawa Valley with his wife Jennifer and his daughters Ella and Noa.
Matt holds a Master’s Degree in Management Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Queen’s University and recently received the King Charles III Coronation Medal for his impactful work uplifting and celebrating Métis culture and heritage.
Crystal Martin, CO-FOUNDER & CAO, Indigenous Geographic
Crystal is an Inuk originally from Sanirajak, Nunavut. She is a creative professional with expertise in Inuit-specific project management. She brings a unique and artistic perspective shaped by her extensive experience across Inuit Nunangat. She is a storyteller, filmmaker, and soulful throat singer. Her creative endeavours extend beyond the traditional, enriching the narrative surrounding Indigenous issues and culture.
Her commitment to community needs is evident in policy and community development and her imaginative approach to addressing challenges and fostering positive change.
Director Statement
Co-Directors’ Statement – The Apology
“The Church’s path toward atonement for the generations lost has barely begun.”
The Apology is a deeply personal and urgent film. As Indigenous filmmakers, we carry the stories of our ancestors and the responsibility to shine a light on the truths that have long been denied or ignored. This film is born from the pain, resilience, and unwavering strength of Inuit and Métis Residential School Survivors who continue to fight for recognition and justice.
For too long, apologies have served as headlines without substance words offered without the accountability or meaningful change they promise. The Church’s path toward atonement has barely begun, and for many Survivors, the harm is not in the past it is ongoing.
Through The Apology, we follow the courageous journeys of Survivors who travel across Canada and Europe in search of answers, justice, and healing. Their voices are clear: reconciliation cannot exist without truth, and truth demands more than gestures it demands action.
This film is our way of honoring those who have spoken up and those who still carry the silence. It is a record of resistance, a challenge to the institutions that caused generational harm, and a space for Survivors to be seen, heard, and believed.
We are proud to share this story with the world not as a conclusion, but as a continuation of a much-needed conversation. The work of atonement is only just beginning.
Past Events
Watch our speaker series with Jamie Bramburger on the 1942 Almonte train wreck. Based on his book, Sudden Impact-The Almonte Train Wreck of 1942, Jamie presents the tragic stories of the crash which killed 38 people and injured more than 150 others when a troop train slammed into the back of a Local passenger train on December 27, 1942.
Watch our speaker series with investigative journalist Julian Sher on the Steven Truscott case. In 1959, Truscott was only 14 years old when he was charged and convicted in the murder of a 12-year old classmate, Lynne Harper, at the Clinton Air Force Base in Southern Ontario. He spent ten years behind bars and then lived under an assumed name until he was acquitted of the crime in 2007 when the Ontario Court of Appeal called his call a “miscarriage of justice.”