Heather Hagerman

Heather Hagerman

Age: 32

Heather Hagerman’s roots run deep in the Wood Buffalo region. As a born and raised Fort McMurrayite, she has manifested into the region on many levels of philanthropy for elders, youth and animals.

Because Hagerman grew up with influential mentoring family members like her mother, Trudie-Ann Plamondon, late-father Phillip Hagerman, and her stepfather Patrick Plamondon, she developed leadership skills at an early age.

She also learned many Métis traditional ways like “tree tapping skills, crafts, art, learning the Cree language and respecting Mother Earth” from her mother and late-great grandmother, Jenny Flett.

“Everything they have done has made me who I am today,” explained Hagerman, who is the Event Coordinator for McMurray Métis 1935.

As a child, she travelled across the province playing for representative teams in soccer and volleyball.  She recalls snowboarding in the Heath Green Competitions as some of her favourite Junior high days.

Her long, active list of community involvement includes volunteering for cultural programming and student engagement programs and activities like Canada Day, Fort McMurray SPCA, Louis Riel Day, the Infinity Golf Tournament, McMurray Métis Elders Christmas party and members meetings, the Métis and FNMI Festival, TCOA Graduation and the United Way of Fort McMurray.

Of all of her achievements, Hagerman is most proud of her two daughters, Kadence, 12, and Arabella, 7.

As a single mother, she is also a Boarding Home Parent through the Athabasca Tribal Council Student Program to a fifteen-year-old student. The program’s objective is to provide students with residential accommodation and academic/personal support in a safe and supportive environment.

“My kids are the ones I dedicate my life to. They are the reason I move forward everyday and achieve goals yearly to show them how precious life is,” she said.