May 1, 2025 - Peter Drucker once said that “the best way to predict the future is to create it” and for Zachary Courtemanche, Partner at Weaver Simmons LLP, he’s been intentionally creating that future for quite some time. Born in Sudbury and raised on Manitoulin Island, he’s now a significant contributor to the business landscape in Northern Ontario. His humble beginnings never lacked ambition or courage—that’s a big reason why he’s the perfect fit to be featured in this series of interviews.
Since his first year on campus in 2009, Zach joined multiple student organizations and began laying the groundwork for his future in law. He quickly became familiar with his peers and professors as someone who made things happen. That energy set the tone for Zach’s experience at Laurentian—where connections with professors went beyond the classroom, sparking conversations about current events, academic interests, and long-term aspirations.
One such opportunity was Laurentian’s Model Parliament, a highlight of his undergraduate years. The annual Model Parliament in the House of Commons chambers in Ottawa is an opportunity for students to become politicians for a day and debate bills “From an experiential learning perspective, it was second to none. It helped me practice public speaking, advocacy, and negotiation. It’s no surprise that so many participants went on to careers in law and public service” said Courtemanche.
Outside the chamber and classroom, Zach was also very active in university governance. In fact, the list of committees, councils, and boards he participated in would be too lengthy to display here, but the highlights include: Laurentian University 2012-2017 Strategic Plan Steering Committee, Laurentian University Political Science Association (LUPSA), and as student representative at Senate. He also led significant initiatives that reshaped academic life on campus such as the grading system and the grad appeal process.
Through all this success, there have also been challenging periods. Zach’s undergraduate program (Political Science) was closed during the University’s insolvency in 2021 and his beloved Model Parliament was not delivered from 2021 to 2023. Despite this, he’s committed to creating a more prosperous future for the next generation of students.
Fast forward to today and Zach continues to contribute to Model Parliament and University governance as the Alumni Representative to Senate. Beyond that, he is also a Board Member with both the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Sudbury.
Today, Zach sees Laurentian as a place of possibility for students from Northern Ontario and beyond. “I’ve always thought of Sudbury as a well-kept secret. It’s an ideal place to study and I hope that Laurentian can continue to provide opportunities like it did for me, closing the skills gap, facilitating personal and professional growth. Providing a launchpad for students from anywhere around the world. Laurentian’s success is Sudbury’s success and I’m proud to play my part.“
Zach Courtemanche’s story, much like his future, hasn’t happened by accident and the University is fortunate to have leaders like him shaping its future—sixty-five years and counting