Andrea Hedley

Andrea's Story

Andrea is a community engagement professional with a focus on sustainability, climate action and systems change. Her passion for innovative ways to engage communities on environmental and social change led to an exploration of craft as a vehicle for collective education and relationship building. 

Andrea started the Reconciliation Hearts project to explore truth and reconciliation through fabric art, community-building and gift-making for our Indigenous neighbours. 

She lives in one of Metro Vancouver’s hidden gems, the Burnaby Heights neighbourhood, with her husband, youngest son and Schnauzer. She finds inspiration in visiting BC’s islands, mountains, lakes and rivers by foot, bicycle, canoe and kayak.

I’m a non-indigenous Canadian on a journey to learn more about truth and reconciliation through craft, community and gift-making. I view art and craft as a way to bring people together. In a time of increasing isolation within our world of digital technology, community art projects can provide a space for creativity, face-to-face connection and dialogue. Collective art-making can be a doorway through which we examine our biggest challenges, such as reconciliation, climate change and social equity.