what is nirivia?

Nirivia (Nir-i-vee-a) is a group of islands in Lake Superior near Red Rock Ontario; the largest of these islands is St. Ignace Island where the Nirivian Embassy stands. In the 1970’s Cassandra’s father Rusty Evans and his friends Jim Stevens and the late Dave Kruszewski discovered this group of islands had been left out of treaties between the First Nations groups and the government. In an effort to raise awareness of preserving the land and surrounding ecosystems, the group attempted to claim the islands for their own and secede from Canada.  While Canada does not officially recognize the land as a separate country, the group was able to secure the only land claims on St. Ignace Island and to ensure that the rest of the land and islands are preserved as part of Lake Superior National Park. To this day they work to maintain the islands' biodiversity, to ensure that everyone who enters Nirivia can experience the healing connection to nature of this remote and magical land.

This legacy of stewardship, justice, preservation and connection to nature is a driving force behind Nirivia Counselling and something deeply ingrained into Cassandra’s belief system. This belief also informs our charitable support of the organization Forest and the Femme - a non-profit organization which helps empower women from the DTES through connection to nature. 

To learn more about Nirivia click here