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Artists
Executive Chef Kenton Leier brings enthusiasm, passion, and creativity to the kitchens at Canada’s National Arts Centre.
He is a second-generation chef, born and raised in Saskatoon, in the heart of the prairies. His culinary philosophy relies on the use of sustainable and locally-sourced ingredients of the highest quality, and letting their inherent qualities stand out in his dishes.
Chef Leier led teams in Ottawa’s finest hotel kitchens before moving to the NAC in 2017. He has cooked for celebrities, politicians and dignitaries, won numerous medals nationally and internationally, and taught young cooks at Ottawa’s Algonquin College.
He is committed promoting growth and excellence in his team at the NAC and leads them in their mission to represent the best in Canadian cuisine.
Jenni Lessard is a Métis chef, recipe developer and the Indigenous culinary consultant for Wanuskewin Heritage Park. She lives on Treaty Four Territory in the Qu’Appelle Valley in Saskatchewan, where she draws inspiration from the land. Raised near La Ronge, SK, by a small lake, Jenni’s earliest memories include visiting trap lines, picking berries and finding ways to cook and bake with ingredients from the boreal forest.
Her first food venture, at age 14, was a burger truck called Flight Delight at the local airport.
In 2005, Jenni opened New Ground Café in the small farming community of Birch Hills, SK, with no formal culinary training. It soon became a local foods “must visit,” with live music, art and a daily changing chalkboard menu.
Jenni moved to Saskatoon in 2012 to start Chef Jenni Cuisine. From weddings to mountain bike races, Jenni travelled the province telling stories about the producers and ingredients featured in her unique and nourishing menus.
In 2019 she was approached by Wanuskewin to create the culinary portion of the Han Wi dinner series, an immersive cultural evening set atop the Opimihaw Valley.
Through her company, Inspired By Nature Culinary Consulting, Jenni continues to honour her heritage and the land by continuing to learn and give back to her community.
She’s Secretary of the Indigenous Culinary of Associated Nations, Vice President of Metis Local 126 and a member of the Slow Food Saskatoon steering committee.
Born and raised in the Niagara Peninsula, Suzanne’s passion for agritourism has been lifelong and was ignited with her first summer job at a prominent Niagara-on-the-Lake market that focused on selling local farm products to international visitors. There, her intrigue with the clientele from Asia propelled her to spend three years working in Japan and Korea after completing her university degree in Business Communications.
Excited about the evolution of Niagara’s culinary and wine potential, she returned home to ‘her roots’ and has dedicated her career to the growth of Niagara’s wine industry from
a visitor, cultural and consumer perspective - first as the Director of Tourism Marketing at Chateau des Charmes; and since at Stratus Vineyards where she was recruited in 2005 to be part of the opening management team.
In her current role as Estate Director of Stratus, she is responsible for the retail, digital, and experience channels; media and public relations and drives packaging, product stream, sustainability and partnership initiatives. Known for her thorough understanding of Niagara’s wine evolution, progressive thinking and global vision, Suzanne actively participates on numerous industry committees and boards.
Beyond work, she is happily sharing life’s adventures, delicious, sporty, cultural and otherwise, with her two young sons, Ellis and Félix.