In February the interns met with Gillian Hanson from the 2012-2013 OLIP cohort! Gillian holds a BA in Political Studies with a minor in Sociology from the University of Manitoba and is currently working as a Senior Communications Advisor at Infrastructure Canada, a position she has held since 2022. Gillian has extensive experience working within the Canadian federal government, with previous roles including Director of Communications for Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, Senior Advisor to the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, and Issues Advisor to the Prime Minister.
Throughout our fascinating meeting with Gillian, we discussed her OLIP experience. As an intern, she worked in the offices of MPP Steve Clark and Helena Jaczek. Gillian shared with us that her greatest takeaway from OLIP was “learning how to pivot quickly.” She explained that in her year the Legislature underwent a prorogation and a leadership race, two events which ultimately changed the composition of the program. Given the snap election which just occurred this past February, Gillian’s experience was one that we could all resonate with. Gillian shared that making the most of such unexpected opportunities helps to build skills that will be valuable in work and in life. We all greatly appreciated Gillian’s advice to “soak up this experience and connect with alumni.” She reflected that the alumni network can be found “everywhere and have a ton of cool experiences to learn from.” This is certainly an observation we have found to be true in meeting with so many impressive alumni across a wide range of sectors.
We also had the opportunity to learn about Gillian’s interesting work on the media relations team for the upcoming G7 Leader’s Summit, which will be held in Kananaskis Alberta this year. We discussed the many opportunities available within the public service, and how the experiences gained through OLIP can be transferable to various positions in the public sector. Gillian also graciously shared her insights surrounding the importance of prioritizing mental health and bouncing back from burnout.
Gillian provided multiple excellent book recommendations that we are excited to share! According to Gillian, both Stolen Focus: Why you can’t pay attention and how to think deeply again by Johann Hari and Built to Move by Kelly Starrett were reads that have helped to refocus her day-to-day. She also recommended any work by author Adam Shoalts, who explores Canada’s wilderness and anything by Katherena Vermette, who writes powerfully about the experiences of Indigenous women. While it’s been some time since Gillian has lived in Toronto, she contributed some Ottawa-based coffee shop recommendations to our growing list. Gillian recommends both Little Victories and Happy Goat for all those living or visiting the Ottawa area.
The interns are grateful to Gillian for offering such valuable personal and professional advice. Gillian’s optimism around post-OLIP possibilities was inspiring, as she assured “the next job you have after OLIP isn’t necessarily your forever job; it’s a starting off point for a fascinating career.” Thank you, Gillian – we look forward to staying in touch through the OLIP alumni network!