Board Biography

Karen Pitre

Karen Pitre is President of The Lonsdale Group Inc, a consulting company specializing in the management of strategic initiatives. As examples, The Lonsdale Group Inc. has been retained by the Toronto District School Board to assist with a strategy for stewardship of their surplus assets.

In addition to other projects, The Lonsdale Group Inc. was involved in a Joint Venture between Marshall Macklin Monaghan, Urban Strategies Inc and CH2MHill. This joint venture was retained by the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation in 2002 to act as the project managers for the revitalization of Toronto’s waterfront.

As a volunteer, Karen has taken the initiative to start up the Toronto Sports Council (TSC). The TSC completed a Sport Strategy Framework for the City of Toronto and hosted the Sport Summit to review the findings. In May of 2006, City Council recognized the TSC as the "voice for sport" and directed City staff and three members of Council to work with theTSC to ensure the implemntation and success of the Sport Srategy Framework, and to advance the needs of sport for Toronto. Karen is the Co-Chair of the Varsity Campaign at the University of Toronto and is a member of the Youth Challenge Fund chaired by Michael “Pinball” Clemons and a member of Minister Watson’s Advisory Committee on Sport for the Province of Ontario.

Prior to working with the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation, Karen worked for five years on the Toronto Olympic Bid for the 2008 Olympic Games, where her role was to assist in the preparation of the Bid, facilitate the involvement of the three levels of government and provide strategic advice to David Crombie, the Chair of the Bid Corporation and John Bitove the President and Chief Executive Officer.

Prior to founding her consulting company, Karen practiced law at a leading Toronto firm, with a focus on labour issues.

Karen continues to be actively involved in politics at both the provincial and federal level. Previously she was the Executive Assistant to the Honourable Robert Nixon, Treasurer and Deputy Premier of Ontario where she played an important strategic role in managing and communicating government policy, including provincial budgets.

In 1983, Karen was the recipient of the Benson Award. This award is presented to the University of Toronto student in his/her graduating year for Outstanding Ability in Athletics and Scholarship. In 1995, she was inducted into the University of Toronto Sports Hall of Fame for her accomplishments in ice hockey and rowing.

Karen earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering at the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Windsor.