Pytor Hodgson

Pytor Hodgson has been active in supporting youth since his teenaged years. Rooted in a respectful approach that recognizes traditional teachings from his Elders and Grandmothers, Pytor has been able to collaborate and work with more than 50 First Nations and Inuit communities. Pytor is Anishinaabe and based on his own lived experiences whose adoption left a disconnect between him and his culture, over the last thirty years, he has been gifted that spirit connection and today, walks the Red Road.

At 17, inspired by his own lived experiences, Pytor helped found the Ottawa-Carleton Homeless Coalition, a street shelter for other homeless youth.  By 19, Pytor completed a national speaking tour and had worked for several international environmental and social justice organizations.  Settling in Calgary he began working as a live-in peer counsellor in a shelter program and after two years Pytor became the executive director of a youth run and directed nonprofit in Calgary that provides a voice for youth living within government systems. 

Pytor continued to speak and became a consultant, and in that role and for the next 14 years, Pytor had a variety of government and NGO clients including Solicitor General Canada, The National Crime Prevention Centre’s (NCPC), The Department of Justice Canada (with a focus on youth engagement in the development of the Youth Criminal Justice Act and youth gang prevention) along with Save the Children Canada as a senior advisor.

With a desire to focus more on education and healing, in 2012, Pytor launched Three Things Consulting where he continues to help organizations and governments create processes, programs and opportunities for young people and community engagement, research and innovative evaluation.