Courageous author, thirsty entrepreneur and intrepid filmmaker among latest Sask. CBC Future 40 winner

Meet a third batch of 10 winners of2020's CBC Future 40.

Thisamazing group includes a courageous author, a thirsty entrepreneur, an intrepid filmmaker and many other incredible Saskatchewan peopleage 40 and younger.Each one of them is working to make our province a better place.

The finalists were chosen from a larger pool of nominees by a panel of judges composed of CBC Future40 alumni.

Each day fromDec. 2 to 6, we'll announce anothergroup offinalists.

• Check out the first group of 2020 CBC Future 40 winners here
• Check out the second group of 2020 CBC Future 40 winners here

Allof the nominations below were written by members of the public and have been edited for length and clarity.Additionally, CBC provided all finalists with the opportunity to respond to their CBC Future 40 win in a questionnaire. Select answers from theseappear below.

Apache Carrier

Category: Business, Entrepreneurship and Economy

Age: 29

CBC:How does it feel to know you're succeeding?

Apache Carrier:The feeling of being recognized in a category such as Future 40shows me that hard work doesn't go unnoticed, and gives me motivation to keep working hard and creating opportunities. Our youth is our future, and introducing tradesstarts at a young age.

Apache's nomination:Hi, my name is Apache. I'm looking to boost influence for young generations. I'm a First Nation developer. I own Apache Construction, Apache Homesand Apache Excavation.

I build houses from the ground up. I build RTM houses atmy Fort Qu'appelle siteon Treaty 4 Territory. My excavation company does all excavation, from building roadsto septicand water installs. We work on First Nations and off. I started my RTM site in hopes to employ and teach future trades.I'malso working onstarting a clothing brand.

My construction companies mainly work and employ on First Nations. We are currently on Cowessess, Starblanket, Peepeekisis, George Gordon, Pasqua, Muscowpetungand Piapot First Nations, while expanding and creating jobs during this pandemic.

Brittany Houk

Category: Social Activismand Volunteerism

Age: 34

CBC:Tell us the moment you realized your work was successful.

BrittanyHouk:I was unsure what to expect from the creation of YXE Men's Night. We had no idea if the community would be interested in supporting this vision. The amount of sponsorship and people willing to help out and donate was beyond what I could have imagined.

The day of the event, men were lined up out the door and down the street. The success came from the response of generosity of the community, and the sheer volume of men who were interested and in need of the services at the event over 400 men!

Brittany's nomination:Brittany's passion for social activism is evident through her extensive volunteer experience. Brittany has dedicated much of her time volunteering in the core community of Saskatoon for over a decade.

She has spent countless hours volunteering at SWITCH (Student Wellness Initiative Toward Community Health) as a Social Work mentor. Here, she mentored university aged students from all health disciplines on social determinants of health, oppression, and clinical counselling skills. She also facilitated the mental health training at SWITCH. In 2015, she was awarded Mentor of the Year, and again in 2018 she was awarded for her leadership and time commitment at SWITCH. Brittany also spent time volunteering at White Buffalo Youth Lodge, the Lighthouseand the Friendship Inn.

Brittany's charismatic and empathic approach has allowed her to establish extensive relationships in the inner city. Herextensive volunteerism and rapport with the vulnerable communityinspired her to create an event called "YXE Men's Night" in 2019 and 2020. She wrote sponsorship applications, recruited committee members, networked, and spent the good part of each year organizing this event.

YXE Men's Night provided a safe environment to celebrate men, providing free clothing, hygiene products, haircuts, food, etc. for approximately 400 men each year. Brittany took the requests of the community and turned it into action by founding YXE Men's Night.

There is no one more deserving for this award than Brittany as she continues to be passionate and dedicated to serving those under-serviced in the Saskatoon community.

Corey Bugler

Category: Sports, Recreation

Age: 36

CBC:How does it feel to know you're succeeding?

Corey Bugler:It feels amazing to know that our youth are getting an experience of a lifetime.

Corey's nomination:I am a family man with a wife named Sheryl Bugler. Together we have a family of sevenchildren that range in age from 22to3 months old. We are a hard-working, grassroots family that has chosen to build a strong foundation of love and support through sport.

In 2009, I founded a youth soccer organization that focused on helping First Nation youth soccer realize its dream of international travel through sport. This organization is called Native Sons Soccer. Since 2010 we have helped more than 500 players to participate in the world's largest youth soccer tournaments. We fundraised every year to ensure that all youth players had the opportunity, despite their barriers.

We currently have many players that have gone on to post secondary education, as well as some who play soccer at the college level. I have coached NAIG in 2008 and have been involved with coaching with Team Sask since then in many aspects.

I have a university degree and have been an educator since 2012. My dream was to help educate the future leaders from the time I became an adult. I currently teach at constable Robin Cameron Education Complex, located on BeardysandOkemasis First Nation.

I ran for FSINthirdVice Chief in 2018. I ran a great campaign and gained far more support from leaders around Saskatchewan than I would have dreamed. Although I lost, I gained many great friends from all corners of Saskatchewan.

Kristin Pierce

Category: Education

Age: 34

CBC:How does it feel to know you're succeeding?

Kristin Pierce:It feels surreal,because up until a few years agoI didn't believe I had an ounce of creativity within me. It wasn't until I was 30 that I first start writing creatively.

It is also really great feeling to know that children are being impacted, empoweredand inspired by my books. And it is so special to be able to share with children that if a small town, Saskatchewan girl with a science degree can learn to write children's books that make a difference, then they, too, can do absolutely anything they set their minds to!

Kristin's nomination:Kristin Pierce is wildly passionate about inspiring children to dream big, trust their guts, believe in themselvesand pursue their passions through sharing her five children's books with our youngest generation.

Kristin is the founder and author behind Inner Compass Books in Warman, Sask. What started as a passion project (her first book) has grown into something with an incredibleripple effect, earning her an international book award and multiple No. 1 Amazon bestselling titles. Since she released her first book in 2018, Kristin has been inspiring Saskatchewan students to get excited about literacy by teaching them her own picture book creation process, kick-starting their creativity, and empowering them to write their own books that they love.

In elementary schools around the province, she has taught and connected with more than2,400 students and educators in 53 school visits, and she's just as lit up as the students when it's over. She believes if she can write a book, then anyone can, and is determined to spark that belief within everyone she meets. Through her books and presentations, she aims to spark creativity, imagination, empowered mindsetsand healthy self-esteem within young minds.

Kristin has an ambitious drive and published two children's books and her personal memoir during the pandemic, all of which became Amazon bestsellers. She has big plans to continue to share empowering messages that matterand has transitioned to online author visits until she's able to get back into schools to share her passion for creating books.

Michael Brownlee

Category: Business, Entrepreneurship and Economy

Age: 28

CBC:How does it feel to know you're succeeding?

Michael Brownlee:Relief! Andpride! We invested a lot of money and time into our business. We built a brand new restaurant and large event pavilion, not to mention the vast gardens that were created out of grass fields. We spent a lot of time landscaping and trying to create a property that encapsulated the vision that we have.

We knew that this was a very lofty project, that maybe some people questioned, so we are so thrilled at our early success.

Michael's nomination:Michael's love of fresh fruits and vegetables and the preparation of food into culinary art started at a young age. From his days at his grandparents' fruit and vegetable farm, to his school days at the Culinary Institute of Canada in PEI and his experiences at Ayden Kitchen and Bar, and other work experiences, Michael has fine-tuned his craft.

He has taken his experiences and incorporated them into an ambitious endeavour. Mabel Hill Farm Kitchen & Marketplace is a beautiful farm-to-table restaurant, marketplace and large event venue in rural Saskatchewan. Michael grows fruits and vegetables in his own vast gardens and also incorporates the products of other local producers.

Michael works extremely hard to provide great dining for patrons from all across Saskatchewan and other provinces. As word has gotten out, the popularity of the restaurant has grown dramatically. Growth of the marketplace business has grown as well, as the gardens mature and more value-added products are added for sale.

Michael hasn't stopped there, however. Mabel Hill has been a top pick for larger events and Michael has decided to add a large event venue to host weddings, conferences etc.

Taken together, this had been an extremely time consuming project, but it has been fuelled by his love of what he does. He loves to cook and provide a product and experience that patrons will remember.

Kendra Weenie

Category:Business, Entrepreneurship and Economy

Age: 38

CBC:Tell us the moment you realized your work was successful.

Kendra Weenie: When other survivors started reaching out to me, thanking me for sharing my story.

Kendra'snomination:Kendra Weenie is an author, inspirational speakerand workshop facilitator. She is a Cree woman from Sweetgrass First Nation.

Kendra grew up single-parented, on welfare, with minimal opportunity for success. It wasn't until she became involved in sports that she developed confidence, work ethicand a sense of identity. Sports have always been a part of Kendra's life, from being a college volleyball player tocoach,toprovincial program co-ordinator.

Sports and culture helped to keep her motivated to complete her Education degreeand heal from past trauma. Kendra is a survivor of domestic violence. Her recent memoir Surviving Domestic Violence was shortlisted for a Saskatchewan Book Award earlier this year.

Kendra continues to share her story in hopes of encouraging other women to heal. Shepromotes self-care through youth and women's workshops. Over the past year, she has co-founded two non-profits. Crystal's Gift is based out of Saskatoon and is designed to assist single mothers in need of gently used furniture items. IndigiFund is a non-profit aimed at empowering Indigneous youth in the areas of sport, education, and culture.

Last year, Kendra created a bursaryfor single mothers in high school or university. This year, she is giving out five bursaries to single mothers and hopes that eventually she'll be able to offer scholarships to single mothers. Although she has her own challenges as a single mother, she believes true success comes from our ability to help others in need.

Sophie Kokott

Category:Arts, Culture and Entertainment

Age: 25

CBC:What does it mean to be acknowledged for your endeavour?

Sophie Kokott:It means a lot to be acknowledged for my efforts in the Saskatchewan film community, mostly because we are a small but mighty group that leans on functions like the media to help amplify our voices and stories.

While many of the stories that Saskatchewan filmmakers tell are for themselves or friends and families, if we hope to build an industry in this province, we need the support of larger voices. Being acknowledged in this capacity also allows for my work to reach larger audiences, meaning that the next project I work on I will be able to include even more talented emerging artists.

Sophie'snomination:Sophie Kokott has been leading the charge in revitalizing the film community in Saskatchewan for the last several years. She and her sister,Hayley,started a collaborative script development and film production company, Floor Thirteen Films, based out of Saskatoon.

Sophie is a driven, passionate filmmaker who writes, directs, producesand edits her own work. When she's not developing her own projects, she can be found lending her skills to other ambitious productions as an assistant director or producer, and she frequently makes herself available to other writers giving thoughtful notes on their in-development scripts. Sophie's sets are zero-waste, geared towardcreating a sustainable environment.

Personally, working with Sophie is a treasured experience. She creates an artistically curious, collaborative space for everyone to achieve their best work. Her projects have gained recognition at the Saskatchewan Independent Film Awards, and recently she's been selected as the recipient of the 2020 WIFTV Whistler Film Festival's Market Preparation Mentorship Program for her in-development feature film, Butter.

I believe Sophie is one of Saskatchewan's Future 40 because she is endlessly driven to create film despite its challenges (especially in Saskatchewan). Her tireless and passionate work-ethic is a lightning rod of inspiration for those around her.

Because of her generous spirit, I firmly believe that any opportunity that is extended to Sophie will have amazing ripple effects throughout the rest of the writing and film community in Saskatchewan and that is the goal we're all working toward: bringing back Saskatchewan film.

Natalya Mason

Category: Social Activism, Volunteerism

Age: 30

CBC:Tell us the moment you realized your work was successful.

Natalya Mason: In many ways, the change I seek in community will not be easily attained. The end of colonialism, racism, sexism, homophobiaand transphobia is not yet in sight.

But my greatest successes are the moments where I see people grasp a new understanding. When one of my Girl Guides confidently declares that we sell cookies "for women's rights," when a young person realizes that they deserve more than tolerance, or when I am able to make the connection between anti-racism and the liberation of all our communities.

Natalya'snomination:Natalya is a registered social worker and sexual health educator at Saskatoon Sexual Health. She is also currently working on a master's degree from the U of S, where she is focusing on reducing social and emotional barriers to condom use for adolescent girls. She also sits on the board of OUTSaskatoon, Saskatoon's Two Spirit, Trans, and Queer community centre. Additionally, she is a lifelong member of the Girl Guides of Canada, currently serving as the Deputy Provincial Commissioner and running a unit in an under-resourced community.

As a proud biracial Black woman, Natalya is involved with the Saskatoon Caribbean Canadian Cultural Association and Black Physicians of Canada. She also volunteers with Girls Rock Saskatoon. Beyond these incredible achievements, Natalya consistently contributes to Saskatchewan through endeavours such as fundraising for local organizations, amplifying marginalized voices, using her own voice for social change through speaking at rallies, keynoting conferences, and creating spaces and events to celebrate women and queer people.

Natalya is seriously dedicated to social justice, anti-racism, increased reproductive rightsand queer liberation. Sheis a force to be reckoned withand Saskatchewan is truly a better place because of her presence and commitment to championing and strengthening so many communities.

She is also a brilliant comrade and friend who strives to create inclusive and anti-oppressive spaces for everyone.

Monique Simair

Category: Business, Entrepreneurship and Economy

Age: 38

CBC: How does your workmake a difference in our community?

Monique Simair:What I do makes a difference directly in our community by creating lots of local jobs for scientists and engineers to create environmentally sustainable technologies for our mining and resources sectors. This has made clean water possible at many mines both near home and in our larger national and global 'communities.'

In turn, this has created a large local economic impact in our community. For example, with Maven Water & Environment's new $5-million research and pilot-testing facility that we built in Saskatoon this year to improve water treatment methods.

Monique'snomination:Dr. Monique Simair is a leader and change-maker in the areas of environmental sciences and water management, working towardher goal of preserving the world's water systems. For the past 10 years, she has developed innovative technologies that have revolutionized the way water treatment is approached in the resourcesectors, providing advanced clean water solutions for sustainable development of natural resources globally.

An entrepreneur, Dr. Simair has founded two successful businesses in Saskatoon, creating dozens of local science and engineering jobs locally in her community. She has brought academia, research and development, and industry together to lead numerous initiatives, grantsand think-tanks on the provincial, federaland international scale. She was the youngest person ever appointed to Canada's Science, Technology, and Innovation Council, advising the federal Ministry of Economy, and most recently has opened a new state-of-the-art water research and pilot-testing facility in Saskatoon, the first of its kind in North America.

Monique contributes in many ways, including volunteering her time as an adjunct professor at the University of Saskatchewan, training new MSc and PhD students, and through board and advisory work. Monique's impact goes beyond her individual contributions. Throughout her career she has dedicated herself to building and equipping our leading practitioners of tomorrow.

Through her volunteer positions and businesses, Monique creates a safe and healthy environment for individuals to learn and contribute to the betterment of practice and remains dedicated to creating opportunities for future generations in her community to have an impact globally.

Latoya T. Reid

Category: Social Activism, Volunteerism

Age: 34

CBC:How does it feel to know you're succeeding?

Latoya T. Reid:It feels amazing. All these accomplishments make me beam with pride, but I know that this is just a small dent in the work that needs to be done in order to actualize the goal of representation in our province.

I caution myself against becoming complacent and continue to work behind the scenes to realize the goal of Blacks, Indigenous and People of Colour being provided with the same opportunities as their white counterparts.

Latoya'snomination:Latoya is a new immigrant to Canada and aregistered social worker who actively advocates for social change and reform in Saskatchewan, in relation to vulnerable and marginalized populations. She has been an activist with the Black Lives Matter movement in Saskatchewan this past summer, but her advocacy and volunteerism commenced long before in her various leadership roles at the University of Regina, where she spearheaded numerous initiatives and collaborated with the student council, social work faculty and various community organizations to supplement the needs of parent-students (single parents in particular), to alleviate much of the stress involved in balancing study and child care.

Latoya is currently a volunteer mental health therapist for peoplewho simply need non-judgemental, anti-racist and anti-oppressive support to listen and validate their racialized experiences. This hasa dual intent of also destigmatizing mental health among racialized populations.

It is through these experiences of providing informal mental health support, her various roles in the health care sector working with racialized individuals and the recent increase in suicide among Black youth that she was able to assess a gap in services for representative mental health support for racialized populations.

Consequently, she has been advocating for this change through her online and paper petitions that were presented to the legislature. Latoya's recent presentation at the International Federation of Social Workers in Calgary (virtual-2020),entitledRacialized Students Navigating University Programs, also reflects her commitment to social justice and equity in an increasingly multicultural environment.