HCBN Staff

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Karl served on the HCBN Executive Committee in the Role of VP - Community.  He is also a former member of the Board of Directors.  He brings into the organization a lifetime of grass root community activism.  Politically active at protests and community benefits from a very young age, he also the proud son of the late Kate Andrus, a well-respected Hamilton Community Leader.  He served as the Co-Chair of the Stinson Community Association, one of Hamilton's 11 code red neighbourhoods.  He has lived and real experience in poverty and understands firsthand the challenges of mental health and employment.  He helped organize Hamilton's First Transgendered Job Fair, was instrumental in helping organize the Hamilton Transit Rider's Union. Serves as part of the national Keep Transit Moving Coalition (a national organization of unions and transit activists). Proud member of the Disability Justice Network of Ontario, assistant in their Caremongering Covid-19 mutual aid relief. Worked with local BIAs and the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce on supporting small business during the Hamilton LRT project. Was a leading organizer of the #yesLRT activist groups. Proud of his contributions to the #JustRecoveryHamOnt coalition and policy paper.   He is well known and respect among the many Hamilton Neighbourhood Groups/Associations. His works on poverty and politics are well published on Raise the Hammer, the Spectator and he has appeared in a pro-transit activist role on local radio am900, and Cable 14 TV.  

Jacqueline M. St.Pierre brings a deep-rooted commitment to equity, justice, and community building to her role as Community Outreach Coordinator at the Hamilton Community Benefits Network. With a background in Communication Arts from Seneca College and over two decades of grassroots advocacy, she has cultivated a career at the intersection of storytelling, harm reduction, and social change.

Her early work with the AIDS Committee of Windsor in harm reduction set the foundation for a lifelong focus on uplifting equity-seeking communities. From collaborating alongside Anishinaabe Grandmothers in anti-human trafficking initiatives—where she seamlessly navigated roles in communications, project management, event coordination, and executive support—to amplifying voices through journalism, Jacqueline's work bridges divides and fosters connection.

As a staff journalist for the Manitoulin Expositor and a contributor to outlets such as the Hamilton Spectator, Turtle Island News, Anishinaabek News, and Reckoning Press, she centers Indigenous sovereignty, 2SLGTBQIA+ rights, women’s rights, and eco-justice with clarity and conviction. A visual artist as well, Jacqueline believes in the power of creative expression to galvanize dialogue and strengthen communities.

She is driven by a single truth: when communities speak for themselves, transformation takes root