Matribhumi Samachar English
Toronto, Ontario–(Newsfile Corp. – March 13, 2025) – ONGold Resources Ltd. (TSXV: ONAU) (OTCQB: ONGRF) (the “Company” or “ONGold”) is pleased to celebrate its chairman, John Kim Bell.
On this day (March 13) in 1985, a young John Kim Bell incorporated the Canadian Native Arts Foundation (CNAF) that would become the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation (NAAF) and today Indspire.
As the world’s first Indigenous symphonic conductor, John Kim was inspired through his work at the world-famous Dance Theatre of Harlem in New York and decided to replicate a similar arts movement for the Indigenous community in Canada.
During this era, arts councils did not support Indigenous artists, so he set about to establish CNAF as a Canada Council for Native Peoples.
Supported by Sioux artist and Co-Founder, Maxine Noel and Métis businesswoman Suzanne Burnett, John Kim broke through the glass ceiling in 1987 when he borrowed money to produce a Toronto Symphony concert featuring Broadway star, Bernadette Peters and the unknown Shania Twain. Critic Greg Quill wrote in the Toronto Star, “Bell pulled off an extraordinary feat.”
The following year, John Kim decided to create a $1 million Indigenous ballet, In The Land of Spirits. People opined there were no professional Indigenous ballet dancers and he couldn’t raise a million dollars. No one would attend the ballet and only the National Ballet of Canada could produce a ballet on this scale.
Six weeks before the premiere in Ottawa’s National Arts Centre (NAC), the NAC Chairman, Robert Landry asked John Kim to cancel the production citing that the production would embarrass the NAC. John Kim refused and in November of 1988 with Prime Minister Mulroney and Mrs. Mulroney in attendance, the ballet had its premiere and exceeded all expectations receiving a ten-minute standing ovation from the capacity audience. Spirits was considered to be the most significant cultural breakthrough for the Indigenous community.
John Kim then mounted a national tour of Spirits in 1992. Again there were skeptics with a view that a small Indigenous organization would not be able to mount a national tour.
The Chairman of Northern Telecom, David Vice, who sponsored the original production and the national tour stated that Northern Telecom supported Spirits because of the incredible grit and determination of John Kim Bell.
Mila Mulroney served as the National Honorary Chair of the tour and Robert Foster, a supporter, friend and board member of CNAF vigorously promoted the tour which was highly successful exceeding all expectations artistically and financially.
The success of Spirits generated unprecedented corporate support for CNAF allowing the organization to send hundreds of Indigenous youth to university.
In 1993, John Kim expanded the Foundation’s mandate to support business, medicine and health, science, education and all walks of life. Changing the name to the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation, he then created an even larger project, The National Aboriginal Achievement Awards (NAAA), an awards system celebrating Indigenous achievement that culminated in a CBC special television broadcast.
Naysayers thought no one would watch a CBC Broadcast about successful Indigenous Canadians or that John Kim could raise the $3.5 million to stage the show.
He would overcome all obstacles and the CBC broadcast aired from Ottawa’s NAC with Prime Minister Chretien and Governor General Ramon John Hnatyshyn in attendance.
The broadcast surprised everyone when the CBC announced the show enjoyed an audience reach of 2 million viewers. The NAAA was now the largest Indigenous cultural project in Canada’s history and John Kim was appointed to the board of the CBC several months later.
As Executive Producer, John Kim’s shows were on a grand scale with special effects, people flying in the air across the stage, monumental theatrical sets never before seen in Canada, and all inspired by Indigenous cultures. He received the International Bronze Prize from the Broadcast Designers Association in 1996 for his set in Winnipeg and the Gold Prize in 1997 for his set in Calgary.
In 2003, he convinced 63 corporate CEOs from Canada’s largest corporations to gather for a conference entitled Taking Pulse, to discuss how to increase the participation of Indigenous people in the work force. No one before or since has ever assembled so many corporate leaders to discuss Indigenous issues.
During John Kim’s twenty-year leadership of his Foundation, thousands of Indigenous youth received scholarships to attend university. Upon his retirement in 2004, he left the organization with a $17 million endowment fund and over 200 annual corporate sponsors.
John Kim has gone on to establish himself as a corporate executive leading the Indigenous Relations efforts for Brookfield & Glencore. Today, he is a celebrated negotiator representing First Nations across Canada, securing millions of dollars from the negotiation of Impact Benefit Agreements on resource projects.
John Kim is the first Indigenous Canadian to serve as Chairman of a Canadian resource company upon his appointment to ONGold Resources in May 2024. Kyle Stanfield CEO and Director of ONGold remarked, “It has been a great pleasure to have gotten to know and work with John Kim over the past number of years. We are so pleased to have such a distinguished Indigenous leader as our Chairman demonstrating inclusion and leadership in our industry. Congratulations John Kim on your continued successes!”
Today, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the organization, today known as Indspire, and congratulate the achievement and legacy of the life and career of John Kim Bell.
To congratulate John Kim, send an email to: johnkimbell@bellbernard.com.
ONGold Resources Ltd. is committed to excellence in mineral exploration and working collaboratively with First Nations Communities.
About ONGold Resources Ltd.
ONGold Resources Ltd. owns significant exploration assets in Northern Ontario, including the district-scale Monument Bay Gold-Tungsten Project, TPK Project, Domain Gold Project and October Gold Project. These projects represent a strategic footprint in one of Canada’s most prolific gold-producing regions.
With its extensive technical expertise, strong commitment to social acceptability, mindful Indigenous engagement and partnerships, in addition to a proven track record of responsible exploration, ONGold’s team is uniquely positioned to unlock the full potential of its portfolio of projects.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
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