Laura Dunn

Laura (she/her) is a community organizer with Courage Montreal. Laura works in non-profit communications and has worked for Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, one of the National Indigenous Organizations, and Pitquhirniqut Ilihautiniq (Kitikmeot Heritage Society). Laura currently works as a content strategist at the McConnell Foundation. She completed a Master’s degree in Art History and Communication Studies at McGill University with the Graduate Option in Gender and Women’s Studies, where she focused on resurgence of Inuit economic logics on social media in the face of colonial capitalism. Supervised by Doctor Carrie Rentschler, her thesis explored visions of community created through local food sharing networks on Facebook groups in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut.

Contact: laurajbd@gmail.com 

Projects 

Networks of resilience: online sharing and visions of community in Cambridge Bay, NU explored the role Facebook groups played in members relationships with the land, community and the territorial and federal governments.  

Transport en commune gratuit/Free public transit Montréal is an ongoing campaign for free public transit in Montréal led by Friends of Public Services, Courage Montreal and À nous les quartiers, guided by a vision of an equitable zero-carbon future that is accessible to everyone. Tactics include living room discussions, demonstrations, petitions and town halls. 

Publications 

Laura Dunn. (2016) Networks of resilience: online sharing and visions of community in Cambridge Bay, NU. McGill University (Unpublished master’s thesis). Montreal, Quebec.

Dunn, L., & Gross, P. (2016). Food-Sharing Practices Online in the Facebook Group Cambridge Bay News. Études Inuit Studies, 40(2), 225-243.

Dunn, L. (2019). All in moderation? Examining the role of group administrators in the Facebook group Cambridge Bay News. Études Inuit Studies. Montreal. 

Activity 

Courage Montreal - the local chapter of Courage Coalition, a coalition of the independent left. Within Courage Montreal, Laura coordinates the electoral committee, which focuses on building a grassroots campaign and recruiting a strong socialist candidate to represent the interests of Montreal citizens and challenge the NDP establishment. Courage Montreal meets every two weeks. Contact - laurajbd@gmail.com 

Anti-Speculation Group - born out of the À nous les quartiers community this group formed in order to explore tactics to resist and strengthen the alternatives to market based real estate, such as community land trusts and co-operative housing.