2025 LLLC Annual Meeting of Members

The Agenda for the Annual Meetin of Members includes:
Resolutions to appoint the public accountant and direct the accountant to conduct a review of the upcoming financial year

Please click on the linked attachments for the Financial Statements and Annual Report.

If you have any difficulty accessing these links please contact office@lllc.ca. If you require a paper copy, please contact the office@lllc.ca before Friday, September 12, 2024 and one will be mailed to you.

Please submit any questions you have regarding our Financial Statements to natalie.gohl@lllc.ca by Friday, September 12, 2024, if possible, so that we may properly prepare to answer your questions at the AMM.

Please submit any questions you have regarding the Board of Director Nominees by Wednesday, September 10, 2025. The nominees will have one week to respond and the responses will be sent to members on September 18, 2025. Submit questions to office@LLLC.ca

Please note, we will be using Google forms to vote during the meeting. Members must use their LLLC email addresses to vote. ONLY LLLC email addresses will be permitted to access these forms for voting. If you require an absentee ballot, please reach out to the National Office via office@LLLc.ca.

Sunday, September 21 

  • Newfoundland (NDT): 3:30 p.m.

  • Atlantic (AT): 3:00 p.m.

  • Eastern (ET): 2:00 p.m.

  • Central (CT): 1:00 p.m.

  • Saskatchewan most areas year-round (CST): 12:00 p.m.

  • Mountain (MT): 12:00 p.m.

  • Pacific and Yukon (PT): 11:00 a.m.

Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/wzz-fmnn-phw
Or dial: ‪(CA) +1 778-732-7641‬ PIN: ‪807 027 142‬#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/wzz-fmnn-phw?pin=8479876926671

Agenda

  1. Call the Annual Meeting of Members to order and Declaration of Quorum
  2. Welcome and Introductions
  3. Announcements
  4. Presentation of the Annual Report
    (See Appendix A - LLLC Annual Report 2024-2025)
  5. Verification of the Minutes of the 2024 LLLC Annual Meeting of Members, September 21, 2024
    (See Appendix B - Draft Minutes 2024 LLLC AMM, September 21, 2024)
  6. Presentation of the Financial Statements and the Report of the Public Accountant
    (See Appendix C - Financial Statements and Report of the Public Accountant)
  7. Appointment of Public Accountant by the Members
  8. Direct the Public Accountant to Conduct a Review Engagement for 2025-2026 year
  9. Election of Directors to the LLLC Board
    (See Appendix D - Director Candidate Profiles)
  10. Conclusion of the Meeting

AGENDA ITEMS

Agenda Item 5: Verification of the Minutes of 2022 Annual Meeting of Members (AMM)

See Appendix B - Draft Minutes 2024 LLLC AMM, September 21, 2024

The Members will be asked to vote by Ordinary Resolution to verify the minutes of the last Annual Meeting of Members on September 21, 2024 as presented in Appendix B.

“Members verify the minutes of the last Annual Meeting of Members as presented in Appendix B.”

Agenda Item 6: Presentation of the Financial Statements and the Report of the Public Accountant 

See Appendix C - Financial Statements and Report of the Public Accountant 

The Board will present to the Members the financial statements and report of the public accountant. 

Agenda Item 7: Appointing Public Accountant

The Members will be asked to vote by Ordinary Resolution to appoint the public accountant. The Board recommends that the Members vote to appoint the public accountant.

“Members approve the appointment of the public accountant, MAC LLP in Waterloo, Ontario.” 

Agenda Item 8: Directing the Public Accountant to Conduct a Review Engagement

The Members will be asked to vote by Special Resolution on the following special business, that the Board direct the public accountant to conduct a review engagement for the 2025-2026 financial year. 

“The Board will direct the public accountant to conduct a review engagement for the 2025-2026 financial year.”

LLLC is required by subsection 189(1) of the Canada Not-for-profit Corporation Act (CNCA) to have the public accountant conduct an audit engagement for the 2025-2026 fiscal year unless the Members pass a Special Resolution to have the public accountant conduct a review engagement and if the Corporation has gross annual revenues for its last completed financial year that are equal to or less than $250,000 [CNCA subsection 189(2)].

The Board has approved the 2024-2025 financial statements and the report of the public accountant and recommends that the Members vote to direct the public accountant to perform a review engagement instead of an audit engagement for the 2025-2026 financial year. The Board agrees with the public accountant that the financial statements reflect the financial position of LLLC, thus there is little to be gained from having an audit engagement for the 2025-2026 financial year. It should also be noted that an audit engagement would cost considerably more than a review engagement.

Agenda Item 9: Election of Directors to the LLLC Board of Directors

The Nominations Committee received three (3) nominations for the Board of Directors. We will be holding an election for three (3) seats. The other seats will remain unfilled. The LLLC by-laws allow the Board to appoint people to unfilled positions if suitable candidates become available between now and the following AMM. (See Amended and Restated By-laws of La Leche League Canada, 4.7 Appointment of Directors.) 

The following individuals are standing for election at the Annual Meeting of Members for the term stated after the name and the term will begin immediately following the close of the meeting. See Appendix C for information about the candidates.

Sam Leeson (Term ending after the AMM in 2028)
Gillian Gardner (Term ending after the AMM in 2026)
Suzanne Lim (Term ending after the AMM in 2027)

The method of voting at the meeting shall comply with the LLLC Election of Directors Policy (2021), namely:

At any meeting of Members at which an election of Directors is required, the Members entitled to vote at the meeting shall elect Directors by voting for candidates standing for election using the following method. In the first round of voting, the Members may vote for any number of candidates running for the number of Director positions fixed by the Directors, from none to the maximum, but they shall not vote for any candidate more than once. Up to and including the number of Director positions fixed by the Directors, the candidates receiving the most votes shall be declared elected as long as the candidates each received a majority of the votes entitled to be cast at the meeting. 

If no, or not all, Director positions are filled in the first round of voting, those who have received a majority of the votes, if any, are declared elected and there shall be a second round of voting to fill the remaining Director positions if eligible candidates remain. The remaining candidates, if any, are eligible for election except the candidate who received the fewest number of votes in the first round of voting. Up to the number of Director positions fixed by the Directors, the candidates receiving the most votes in the second round shall be declared elected as long as the candidates each received a majority of the votes entitled to be cast at the meeting. If no, or not all, Director positions are filled in the second round of voting, the process shall be repeated as for the second round of voting and elections shall continue in this manner until all seats are filled or until there are no more eligible candidates, whichever comes first. No Director shall be elected by acclamation.

All individuals eligible to participate in the meeting will have an opportunity to debate the special business and the other business that will be transacted at the meeting. To be resolved, each special resolution must pass by a majority of not less than two thirds of the votes cast and each ordinary resolution must pass by a majority of the votes cast. 

Members are encouraged to contact the Board regarding any aspect of this notice at board@lllc.ca.

Appendices

Appendix A - LLLC Annual Report 2023-2024
Appendix B - Minutes of the 2023 LLLC Annual Meeting of Members
Appendix C - Financial Statements and Report of the Public Accountant
Appendix D - Director Candidate Profile

Appendix D - Director Candidate Profile

Director Candidate Biographical Profile  - SAM LEESON
(current LLLC Leader)

I am the proud birthing parent to two amazing men (now 25 and 22) that I collectively fed from my body for 9 consecutive years. I am married to an amazing woman and am stepparent to a 17 year old. I have had the honour of working as a birth worker since 1998 and have been able to support thousands of families as they prepare for and transition into their new roles as parents. Additionally, I am the Office Manager of a health and wellness facility where caring for people and families is our priority.

Working alongside people and families in the 2SLGBTQIA+ is the most important core of all of the work that I do. It is important to me to do my part to ensure that anyone who wants to start or grow their family through parenting is given every opportunity to do so and the information with which to make the most educated decisions.

I was accredited for almost 10 years (from 2000 to late 2009). I first became accredited around 2000 with the Acton/Georgetown LLLC group.  I led there and then in Barrie & Orillia when I moved north in 2004. After a couple of years I moved back to the Georgetown area and resumed Leading in that community. I retired in 2009 when a major life event created difficulty for me in maintaining that commitment.

I felt proud when I was asked to take on the role of District Advisor just prior to my move to Barrie. After a couple of years I moved up to AACL. I was a team member in preparing for hosting the LLLC Area Conference with Dr. Jay Gordon as our keynote speaker in Milton in 2002 or 2003.

In 2004 I was approached by LLLI ED. During a time that there was a shift to move more and more of our LLL communication online. My role was to help in an administrative role on some of the LLLI pages to ensure the messages posted by Leaders (in conversations with other Leaders and not with the general public) reflected the principles of LLLI.

It was in 2005 that I attended the LLLI International conference in Washington, DC.

As you can see, my roles and responsibilities within LLLC grew and changed over time as my interest in offering to other expectant and birthing parents the kind of feeding information, care and support that I received when my children were babies. At the root of all I ever did under the LLLC umbrella came back to that. Offering peer-to-peer support to parents who needed it and who needed to know that they were not alone. That was the reason I attended my first meeting, when pregnant with my eldest child, and I still feel it is what draws expectant and newly birthed parents to this amazing organization.

Director Candidate Biographical Profile  - SUZANNE LIM
(retired LLLC Leader)

My name is Suzanne Lim. My pronouns are she/her. I live in Toronto. I am  the mother of 5 adult children and 4 amazing grandchildren. I am an active Birth and Postpartum Doula, running my own practice for over 20 years. I began my involvement with LLL when I was pregnant with my second child in 1988. The help and friendship that I received back then kept me involved in various ways over the next 3 decades; at the group and regional level. LLL has always been a reference point in all the organizational work that I have done. 

I was previously a Leader from 1990-1993 working as a Group Leader with first the Agincourt group and then the West Hill group. I then re-accredited in 2000 (I think) to 2009. I was ACLA in CSO and then CLA for Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut during the last 3-5 years of my LLL involvement.

I have served on several Boards over the years- 3x at my housing co-operative, one term at a women's shelter in Toronto and on my children's football league. I bring tons of board experience, understanding of the role of board members and the ordinary functioning of Boards. I have worked as a labour and birth Doula, Childbirth educator and postpartum Doula for the past 20 years and so have kept abreast (no pun intended!) of the ebbs and flows in the world of maternal health, parenting philosophies, the culture of breastfeeding, etc... I bring my perspectives as a woman of colour and as a single parent for many years, both of which add a lens of understanding, compassion to all work I do. This includes a strong commitment to anti-oppression work. 

Being a big believer in transparency and straightforward communication, I would encourage the Board to be just that. The Board sets the tone for the organization and I think communication starts there. When Leaders observe the Board being communicative and transparent, they will be more open to sharing and engaging. The sharing and engagement needs to come from the Board level. This builds a sense of trust wherein Leaders not only feel that we are fair and equitable but can SEE it. Do Leaders know the Board exists? In what ways does the Board engage with all levels of LLL work? Do Leaders know and understand the role of the Board and what its responsibilities are? 

My vision for LLLC's future is one that looks warm and welcoming to all families. An organization that meets you where you are in your journey, works with families to achieve health and happiness while maintaining its own integrity.  This is the LLL I would like to see. I would love to see a return of the community feel of LLL blended with a new respect and openness for difference. 

I would love to be a part of the DEI committee as I have personal lived experience there. I am also interested in the Bylaw and policy committee and the nominations committee.

Other skills-I thrive in group work bc I truly believe that everyone has something to offer and am quite good at incorporating everyone's ideas. My leadership style is grounded in my approach to group work- taking my responsibility as a Leader in any situation seriously AND consulting and considering the people that I am leading. Again- communication, compassion and transparency are keys to good leadership along with a good working knowledge of how marginalization works and can be dismantled.

Director Candidate Biographical Profile  - GILLIAN GARDNER 
(current LLLC Leader)

My connection with La Leche League Canada began before I can remember. I attended meetings as a baby alongside my mother, who often spoke of the warmth, understanding, and knowledgeable guidance she received. Years later, when I became a parent, I sought out my local Group and found the same welcoming space she had cherished. It became a vital source of encouragement and evidence-based support during my own early parenting journey.

Since becoming a Leader, I’ve had the privilege of supporting families in my local Group, facilitating prenatal breastfeeding classes prior to the launch of the new class format, and contributing to the BC Warmline. Professionally, I am a maternal health advocate and educator, currently serving as faculty in the Childbirth Educator and Prenatal Programs at Douglas College. My work, spanning academic, healthcare, and community settings, focuses on improving outcomes for birthing families through education, community connection, and access to compassionate care. These experiences have deepened my belief in the power of peer support, further education, and the way LLLC connects and uplifts families across the country. I would be honoured to be of service to LLLC’s Board of Directors.