Todd Ross

Todd Ross is a Two-Spirit Michif veteran and a dedicated advocate for Indigenous rights, 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion and community wellness. Todd brings decades of experience in government, public affairs and community leadership to his work.

Todd served in the Canadian navy and was discharged following an extensive investigation as part of the LGBT Purge. In 2016, he was a lead plaintiff in a successful class action lawsuit on behalf of former 2SLGBTQ federal civil servants. The LGBT Purge class action was ratified by the Federal Court in 2019, becoming the largest settlement of historical harms to LGBT people in the world. He now serves as the co-chair of the LGBT Purge Fund and as the co-chair of Rainbow Veterans of Canada.

He is a former senior advisor to Ontario’s deputy premier and minister of health and long-term care and a special advisor to the president of the Métis Nation of Ontario. His previous leadership roles include being the elected chair of the Toronto and York Region Métis Council, the chair of the City of Toronto Atmospheric Fund, a founding member and treasurer of Rainbow Railroad, vice-chair of Anishnawbe Health Toronto, chair of the Wellesley Central Residences, vice-chair of St. Jude Community Homes and as a member of several other boards.

He holds a bachelor of arts in political science from York University and is currently pursuing a master of interdisciplinary studies in political science and sociology, with a thesis focused on self-determination of Indigenous Peoples in the Saint John area. He co-ordinates the Menahqesk Wellness Circle, a community-based initiative to address the unmet needs of urban Indigenous people in the Saint John region. He is also a co-principal investigator with the Our Health Counts New Brunswick research project, which engages with urban Indigenous communities in Saint John and Fredericton to better understand and respond to wellness needs.

Todd continues to serve in the community as co-president of Charlotte County Pride, chair of the Charlotte County Museum and as a commissioner on the Roosevelt Campobello International Park. He is a recipient of the Canada Pride Citation, the King Charles III Coronation Medal, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal (New Brunswick) and an Outstanding Contribution Award from the UNB Saint John Student Representative Council.

He lives in St. Andrews, New Brunswick with his partner Kirk, who is also Michif.