Mrs. Melvina Sullivan, Everyday Hero

This is a portrait of my mother. She was not a famous person, not well known even, and fairly typical of her time and place. For the most part, she did what was expected of her, sometimes a little less. She was a baker of bread, cookies, and pies.  She was a canner of berries, pickles, and jelly. She cleaned, cooked, gardened, tended livestock, and raised children. You might wonder, "Where is the heroism in all of that?" I would argue that my mother, like most rural women of her day, lived her ordinary life with great courage and strength.

Melvina "Vina" Sullivan was born Helena Melvina Phelan on February 12, 1925 in Morell, Prince Edward Island, the second youngest of twelve children. Her father Ambrose, a farmer, was the son of Irish Catholics. Her mother Melvina Stewart came from a long line of Scottish Protestants, a North American lineage that stretched back to some of the earliest settlers in New England, specifically to the Society of Friends (Quakers) in Nantucket.

Vina's early years would have been difficult. She was just 2 years old when her mother died from childbirth, leaving 8 boys and 3 girls in the care of their father, the youngest child having died along with his mother. Despite the sadness of her mother's absence and the grinding poverty of the 1930's, my mother talked about her childhood as if it were an adventure. She went barefoot all summer. She picked buckets full of blueberries along the railway tracks and sold them for a penny. She attended a one-room school where they used lead pencils and slates. She travelled for miles on foot, by horse and buggy, or by horse and sleigh.

By the time World War II began in 1939, my mother Vina was 14 years old. Most of her elder siblings were already grown and gone, and she had recently left school to look after her father's household. At age 16, Vina travelled to Charlottetown for the first time, a journey of 25 miles. She ate her very first orange. From there, she travelled on to Montreal to work as a nanny. She must have felt very lonely and out of place in this rich urban household. She did not remember the experience fondly.

Happier days awaited her in Toronto, where she joined her elder sisters Mary and Evelyn. It was 1942. Mary had a young and growing family, and Evelyn was newly-wed with a husband at war overseas. Vina settled in amongst her extended family and got a job in a factory.

By the time WWII ended in 1945, Vina was back in Prince Edward Island rooming with a girlfriend in Charlottetown. Now age 20, Vina was an apprentice hair dresser. Her early 20s appear to have been happy, filled with friends, dates, and dances.

In 1950, Vina met and married a farmer from Glenfinnan, Prince Edward Island, a rural community 10 miles from Charlottetown. My father, JD MacDonald, was part of a large extended family, whose ancestors had emigrated from Scotland's west coast in the late 1700's. They were proud Scots, and proud Catholics. The young couple set up house about 50 yards from JD's parent's home. Together they tended a large farm with about 20 dairy cattle, 15 beef cattle, and over 1000 poultry. Vina worked very hard. After 15 years had passed, their 2 bedroom household was bursting with 5 children (4 girls and 1 boy), one farmhand, and one married couple approaching middle-age.

Vina was 40 years old in June of 1965 when her husband JD was killed in an automobile accident. He died instantly. At the time, Vina's 5 children ranged in age from 14 years to 1 year. Everyone would have understood if she had fallen apart from shock and grief, but she didn’t. Vina spoke of how she had been able to accept her husband’s death as if this acceptance were a gift, a gift that allowed her to get on with the business of living. She had the support of an incredible rural community. Both she and JD had been very active in community affairs: Vina in the Catholic Women’s League and Home and School and JD in the School Board, Farmers’ Cooperative and Knights of Columbus.  Family, friends, and neighbours rallied around Vina and her children. They were very generous with their time and effort in the months and years that followed.

Vina was a single mother from 1965 to 1970. She moved her young family off the farm. They settled 3 miles away in Johnson’s River. Vina established a hairdressing business in their basement. There was a Clover Farm across the road, a Catholic Church next door, and lots of neighbours within walking distance. Vina didn’t drive so all of this was much more than convenience. (Eventually Vina got her driver’s license, in 1970 at age 45.)

New Year’s Eve of 1969 marked the beginning of a new chapter in Vina’s life. She agreed to let her friends arrange a date for her that evening with Peter Sullivan, a well respected widower with 7 young children of his own (4 boys and 3 girls). Peter had a good job with the federal government in Charlottetown, and lived about 4 miles away in the community of Southport. Vina and Peter began a courtship in the early days of 1970. Six months later they were married in a quiet early morning ceremony.  All 12 of their children were in attendance.

Wedding Breakfast, July 1970. Mr. and Mrs. Peter Sullivan and their 12 children.

At this point in Vina’s story, it’s difficult to separate her life from Peter’s. They were quite a team! All 12 children lived at home during the first year of their marriage. Vina delegated household chores like washing dishes, cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, baking biscuits, and peeling vegetables among the children. There was even a schedule on the fridge. Peter did the grocery shopping; dollars were stretched, but meals were nutritious and filling. By the end of 1982, all of their children had graduated from high school. Five had already earned a university degree or technical diploma. Three were married. Vina and Peter were now 57 and 58 years old. They had 4 grandchildren. In another 3 or 4 years, their “nest” would be officially empty.

For the most part, Vina thoroughly enjoyed life in her 60s and 70s. She returned to hairdressing for a time as a hospital volunteer. She completed her grade 11 GED. She travelled on holiday with a friend to the UK and then to Florida. She also travelled to visit her siblings, her children, and her grandchildren. Day-to-day life with Peter was quiet and pleasant. Church was central to them, as were visits with their children and grandchildren, now 19 in number.

Vina and Peter had been married for 32 years when Peter died from illness at the age of 78 (November 2001). By this time, Vina was in the early stages of dementia. Her mental condition would deteriorate significantly over the next 3 years until her sudden death – from natural causes unrelated to dementia– at the age of 79 (November 2004).

Mrs. Melvina Sullivan was an everyday hero who dealt with life as best she could. She raised her children well. She supported her community. Many of us owe what we are today to rural women like my mother, courageous and enduring. Thanks Mom.

Written by by Rosemary MacDonald
Edited by Kristine Scarrow

Published by Catherine Brindley

Shooting for the Moon - One Production at a Time

When Andrie Nel first became involved with theatre in high school, she knew she had found her passion in life. She dove in head first, scoring a role in every play her high school offered. Once graduated, the job market was calling and Andrie did not continue in theatre until her mid to late twenties. This time, her love of theatre blossomed even more and she became very passionately involved with several drama groups. In one year, she was doing up to nine plays, sometimes rehearsing three at one time.

She knew when she left the stage to raise a family that many years later she would come back to it. “I had plateaued and I didn’t mind stopping at that point. I said I would return, but I would return in a way that encourages kids [to learn drama]. “I only discovered in high school that I loved this,” she says. What might have happened if I discovered it earlier?”

With a family in the works, Andrie pursued her MBA and opened a business consulting firm that worked with the high tech sector. Andrie and her husband, who she met in theatre, took turns playing the role of the stay-at-home parent. “I knew I could be successful at the job and I enjoyed it for many years, but I also realized the assumed goal of being a president was not what I wanted to do,” she says. “I was not going to go where I was programmed to go.”

Out in the country, where Andrie was born and raised, there was not a lot in the way of formal drama training. In schools, children were limited to sports as an after-school activity and there were not many businesses nearby offering alternatives. While she pulled back work-wise, she quickly became involved with the school council and the community. It was there Andrie realized that the arts were severely underrepresented.

As the mother of two children with learning disabilities, it became obvious to her that there was no place for her kids – and others like them – to shine.  Her notion of returning to the stage slowly turned into a reality, and in the capacity she had always dreamed. Andrie formed a drama club and put on several plays in the next year.  The program grew too large for the school and Andrie’s hunger to have a drama program for kids from all across their rural town made moving into the Old Metcalfe Town Hall a logical choice.

Just Kiddin’ Theatre was born December 2006, out of Andrie’s fervent passion for theatre and the drive to deliver a quality dramatic arts program to kids of Ottawa’s rural south.  It continues to thrive thanks to her dedication and the support of volunteers, parents and the children. Andrie does it all – runs the non-profit organization, writes, directs and produces the plays, and raises a family with three teenage daughters. “I have modeled to them that regular people can do this and nothing is out of reach for them.”

Andrie has always lived by the motto “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” Andrie is living proof that those who pursue their dreams wholeheartedly will one day live them out. “It comes down to passion. If you’re passionate about it, listen to that passion and let it lead you there,” she says. “If you’re not passionate, then think twice, because then it is work.”

Keeping all of the balls in the air to run Just Kiddin’ may seem like grueling work. If you asked Andrie on any given day, she would agree, but with that comes many rewards. “It’s always the kids that keep me going – cliché but it is true. There are days when I am exhausted, but the enthusiasm and the innocence of the kids absorbing and doing their stuff energizes me,” she says. “It is self-sustainable because they bring as much energy back every time.”

Most days, Andrie feels she is living an ordinary life complete with its ups and downs but also feels like she has had a bit of an eccentric life. “I went against the grain. My husband and I traded traditional roles and I didn’t feel boxed in by mainstream thought,” she says. “If I only had the option to pass down one value to my kids it would be that. Just because other people do it doesn’t mean you have to. Don’t be afraid to take risks, challenge the norm and try new things. Nothing is a waste of time if you believe in it.”

Written by Daria Locke

Edited by Kristine Scarrow

Published by Catherine Brindley

Love Koduah - Fueled by Passion

In 1976 Love Koduah left her native country of Ghana for a better life in Canada. Life was not easy when she first arrived. Her degree in psychology and years of teaching elementary school back home did not lead to many career options in Canada. Having to support herself and her daughter, Love took up factory jobs making as little as $2.35 an hour at times.   

Ten years after she first arrived and fueled by her passion to help people, Love went back to school. Love attended George Brown College and earned both a Community Service Worker and Human Services Counsellor Diploma. She graduated with honours in both programs. “My past experience and maturity really helped me to excel,” she says. Yet it wasn’t easy getting a job after graduation. “Peers that looked to me for help during school were getting jobs before I was.”

Refusing to be discouraged, Love volunteered and took contract work wherever she could find it. Love became Chairperson of the Firgrove Resident Association in Toronto. The Organization worked in conjunction with the Jane and Finch Community Ministry to help community members get in touch with needed resources. The operation was funded by the United Church of Canada. Love’s hard work and perseverance paid off when she started to land several jobs in her field. One of her first jobs was at the Black Creek Community Health Centre where she was contracted to co-ordinate parenting workshops.

 In 1996 Love joined the Rexdale Women’s Centre as a Multicultural Settlement Worker.  As a settlement worker, Love aids newcomers and immigrants in getting in touch with needed resources such as employment information, housing, child care, English and legal services. Her work has also enabled her to aid in community workshops such as ‘Eating for two’ that provides prenatal care and nutritional information to expectant mothers.

Love Koduah has been recognized with several awards throughout her career. In 1995 she won the New Pioneers. The honour is given out by the city of Toronto in celebration of the achievements of immigrants and refugees. Love has also received the Black History Award from the City of Toronto for community services and was most recently honoured with the Ghanaian Women’s Courage Award in 2010.  Love Koduah still works at the Rexdale Women’s Centre and says the best part of her job is helping people become independent. “Sometimes just listening to people and what they have to say helps a lot,” she says. 

The hardest part of her job she says is getting people to release personal information. “In order to keep getting government funding for our programs and workshops we have to collect private information which people are usually afraid or hesitant to give out.”

And how did being a Black female immigrant affect her Canadian experience? “It didn’t make it easier and I don’t think it made it harder. I’m just glad that I can help people no matter if they’re a newcomer or have lived in Canada all their lives. No one is ever turned away.” Love’s other accomplishments include residing as the Queen of the Ashanti Multicultural Association in Toronto (1994-2001) as well as co-founder of the High Society Ghanaian Women’s Group.

Written by Natalie Frimpong
Edited by Kristine Scarrow

Published by Catherine Brindley

Babies Naturally

Carol Peat knows the strength of a woman. She has witnessed it many times during the past 20 years. With Carol’s gentle guidance and support, hundreds of women have discovered the strength within themselves to become mothers, giving birth unmedicated and listening to their own bodies and babies.  

As a labour support provider and lactation counsellor based in London, Ontario, Carol provides care for mothers, babies and families through pregnancy, birth and beyond.  In hospital or at home, from the moment she gets the call, Carol is there for every contraction and is ready with encouraging words, tips for positioning, a gentle touch, or suggestions for how the mother’s support person can be the best support possible.        

“It is an honour to witness a mom’s strength, because most of my clients go completely unmedicated. To see the strength of the mom and her continuous connection with her baby is an absolute honour that never gets old,” says Carol.   

Carol herself is a mother of three, ages 16, 18 and 21. When her first daughter was born, the birth experience was not what Carol hoped for, so she decided that she wanted to provide support to other women so they would have a wonderful and rewarding birth experience. Carol wishes to restore old traditions to empower families and allow them to have the best birth possible. To that end, Carol directs Babies Naturally with a team of practitioners specializing in childbirth education, labour support, lactation support and parenting classes. 

One family paid tribute to Carol on the Babies Naturally website:

Carol helped me welcome all three of my children into the world.  I cannot imagine how different (and probably not as pleasant) my birth stories would be without her. She has cried with me, laughed with me, and jumped for joy with me. I have leaned on her, stared at her, yelled at her, chatted endlessly on the phone with her. She has given me a foot massage, helped me handle castor oil, introduced me to babywearing (my best parenting decision by far), kept me in shape, and helped me figure out nursing, bundling, diapering, bathing and endless other baby details. She is a birth and baby goddess.  

 My husband is one of her biggest advocates as well and tells every co-worker or friend to head her way. He believes that hiring Carol was the best decision we made concerning any birth/baby purchase or choice.  

  Even though they are now 11, 8 and 6 years old, I still call Carol a friend, and I am grateful to her husband and her children for sharing her with my family. I am forever indebted to her for her time, her energy, her enthusiasm and the sharing of her soul.

By having a positive birth experience, women and their partners can focus their energy on caring for and bonding with their baby, rather than on healing from the trauma of their birth. To have the best birth possible, Carol advises women to know their bodies, their birthing options and to advocate for their baby. “One woman at a time, one family at a time” is her motto. 

Of the hundreds of births Carol has attended, just a small fraction of them have resulted in a c-section, and most of the women have opted for a natural birth, without medication. “Education is the key, since most women do not have a sense of how their bodies work, starting as girls through to womanhood,” says Carol, who often speaks to high school girls about the importance of knowing their bodies so, amongst other things, they may have a positive birth experience in the future. 

For thousands of years, women have given birth outside of a hospital with the support of other women, and women around the world still birth this way. Carol encourages women to move beyond the fear of childbirth and realize that it is a natural process.  “Our bodies were designed to give birth,” Carol points out. “We’ve fallen into an obstetrical belief system where everything needs to be managed. There is no vitality to being hooked up to a machine.  The vitality comes from a hand on your shoulder or a hug.  Or being able to feed off of someone else’s energy when you need it, rather than sitting and staring at a monitor.”

Carol and her team have lobbied the government to setup stand alone midwifery-led birth centres. Birth centres would allow women to have safe, normal deliveries within their communities and outside of hospitals, away from infectious diseases with a decreased need for interventions, such as c-sections.

According to the Ontario Midwives website, the c-section rate is at an all-time high, with nearly 1 in 3 women in Ontario delivering this way. The World Health Organization recommends the rate be 15%. By providing major surgery such as c-sections at such a high rate, it is costing the Ontario health care system $100 million per year. In contrast, the rate of c-sections for women in midwifery care is half the provincial average, according to the site.

With Carol and her team lending their support to mothers through pregnancy, childbirth and into parenthood, it is clear the babies within their care are getting the best start in life. “To welcome these new souls into the world, and to be one of the first people to meet them and witness a miracle is such an honour,” says Carol.

Babies Naturally can be found at http://www.babiesnaturally.ca/ or you can “like” them on Facebook.

To find out about the “Ontario Needs Birth Centres” campaign, please visit the Ontario Midwives website at http://www.ontariomidwives.ca/support/centres.

Written by Elayne Linn

Edited by Kristine Scarrow  

Published by Catherine Brindley

End-of-Life Sherpa

An under-the-radar Canadian woman: a brief profile of Catherine (Kit) Martin, RN CHPCN(C)

Her hair was tied into a thick braid, draped over the front of her left shoulder and reaching her waist. The silver colour of it contrasted against her black turtleneck. She had a PowerPoint presentation; the projector aimed at the wall.

None of us expected that a collection of slides and a few hours would forever change us.

“Will someone let me know when we get to our break time?” she asked. “I tend to go over the time that’s given me,” she explained. Several said yes. They didn’t.

Her name is Kit (Catherine) Martin, a Palliative Care Nurse Consultant and Educator. She was there to talk about family dynamics around palliative, end-of-life care.

When she left the room two hours later, many of us wrestled with new concepts she slipped into the folds of our brain: a comfortable death; that there is no such thing as closure; and the strange, sad and wonderful things that families do when one of their own is dying.

She told us of a woman who demanded that her mother be allowed out of bed to sit in the lobby for a while. Although moving the mother from a bed to a wheelchair risked breaking bones, Kit supported the woman’s desire. “How can we do this?” she asked the woman. Tension. It seemed there wasn’t a solution. Then came the idea to move the bed with the mother in it. A happy moment.

During the break many of us, feeling moved and somehow changed, shared our impressions about the impact of Kit’s session. If you ask her, she’ll deflect, saying she didn’t do anything special, that she was just teaching people what they need to know.

Palliative care is all about “living a good life until your very last breath, allowing you to live fully until you die,” says Kit. Her entire career has been a mix of caring for the dying and teaching others how to think about and care for them as well.

Kit graduated from Toronto’s Women’s College Hospital nursing school in 1963, back when it was illegal to sit with a patient, back when she was threatened with disciplinary action for ‘conduct unbecoming’ for giving a dying patient a hug. The patient, about Kit’s age, had just been told there was nothing more to be done and he should go home to put his affairs in order. Kit was in the room. Her first mistake was to sit on the bed. Her second was to open her arms to hold him. Conduct unbecoming: she beat the charge.

As a student, she witnessed a physician at Women’s College Hospital model end-of-life care: “She was the only doctor I saw who sat with the patient, asking: What can I do for you today? What do you want? What’s most important to you today? That has stayed with me. I just adored her. Years later, I looked her up and took her to lunch to tell her how important she was to me. She just smiled and said, “People are important, aren’t they?”

Kit’s teaching about palliative and end-of-life care started one evening at dinner. “I grumbled that the health care system didn’t know how to care for people who were dying and what needed to be done. My son said, so do something about it.”

And she did. She developed a course and program for health professionals and care providers and delivered it to staff in long-term care facilities where it’s keenly needed. People tell her, “I was in your class” or “I attended your talk and I’ve tried a few of the things you suggested. I want you to know that it’s helping.”

Along the way, she launched the Palliative Care unit at Toronto’s Baycrest Centre and helped create the designation exam for Certified Hospice Palliative Care Nurse in Canada.

Kit says “Patients have told me, taught me what they need so that I can teach others. That’s the gift they give: a greater understanding of living until we die and of ourself along the way.”

Written by Frances Share

Edited by Lucinda Atwood

Published by Catherine Brindley

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Francesca Imbrogno: Small Acts with a Big Heart

“I have met amazing people, and feel blessed to have been able to share my passions while helping others”

Few women can say that they belong to a team called “The Sisterhood of the Pink Crusaders” – but Francesca Imbrogno can, proudly. In fact, she created it. The all-female team that Francesca formed six years ago for the Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life is just one of myriad examples of her ceaseless benevolence.

A strong advocate for female leadership, Francesca has been an instrumental leader in student government at the University of Toronto for the duration of her undergraduate career. She has served on the St. Michael’s College Student Union and as a participant in numerous other endeavours. In her final year, she became the first female President of SMCSU in five years.

Throughout her time at U of T, Francesca successfully rallied students to raise thousands of dollars for notable causes such as Play for a Cause, ShareLife, the Canadian Cancer Society, Out of the Cold, and the Haiti Relief Fund.

As Social Events Co-ordinator, she organized a party that drew over 1,000 attendees and raised $6,000 for PlayPumps International, a non-profit organization that provides easy access to clean drinking water for millions across Africa.

In 2002, when Francesca’s father was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, she began proactively researching opportunities to get involved and raise awareness.

This led to the eventual formation of Cuts for Christmas, an annual event recognized by the Canadian Cancer Society.

Each December, Francesca—along with the many courageous men and women whom she persuades—chops off her long locks and donates them to make wigs for those who have lost their hair during cancer treatments.

The event, now in its third year, has raised over $3000 and donated over 25 participants’ hair to Pantene Pro-V Beautiful Lengths and Locks of Love. In gratitude, Francesca received an unbelievable outpouring of love and support from the U of T community, as well as the community at large.

Francesca is vivacious, inspiring, and consistently generous; she has a heart of gold (and a dance that can put Justin Timberlake to shame). In her 22 years, she has already become a role model for those around her and has done what often takes others a lifetime to achieve.

In her own words, “I have met amazing people, and feel blessed to have been able to share my passions while helping others”.

Her long list of achievements and accomplishments hardly compares to the long list of lives that she has changed along the way. A beautiful person inside and out, Francesca Imbrogno is impossible to define as anything but amazing – she is truly an example of an outstanding Canadian woman.

Written by Cristina Rizzuto

Edited by Lucinda Atwood

Published by Catherine Brindley

Tribute to an Author & Pioneer of the African Arts In Canada

Fresh off the plane from a two-week tour in Tunisia last November, the energy emanating from 80 year old author Esther Dagan was so infectious it inspired me. Aside from her amazing stories about worldwide travels and the famous individuals she has met, I am intrigued by the creativity preoccupying this amazing lady’s mind. Esther’s ability to paint a complex and abstract literary portrait is demonstrated in one of her recent poems, Three Mothers, in which she weaves the historical, philosophical and maternal interconnections of three mothers encountering each other in an ambiguous online chat room. What will her vivid imagination, merged with a unique talent to expound on the rich treasure box of memories from her Jewish heritage, create next?

Seeing all that Esther has accomplished so far as a mother, author, poet, teacher, art historian and African art specialist is a truly inspiring example of what one individual is capable of doing. Born in Jerusalem, Esther graduated from Scola Cantorum Dance Academy in Paris, and later received her BA and MA in Theatre and Drama from Tel Aviv University where she taught the History of African Arts for ten years. Esther traveled the African continent extensively, collecting art and documenting her work in an impressive collection of photos, sketches, films, maps, stamps, journals and 13 published books on the African Arts.

In 1978, Esther immigrated to Montreal to further pursue her dreams and promote the African Arts in Canada. She opened Galerie Amrad African Arts in 1981, taught at Concordia University and was invited as guest lecturer to many institutions. Besides publishing a total of 17 books, hundreds of her articles and essays have been in print. Within the last two decades, Esther’s writing has shifted to fictional short stories, plays, screenplays and poems.
 
In 2009, Esther generously donated 400 selected pieces of her outstanding African Art Collection to the Royal Ontario Museum, along with her extensive archives and library. In January, as a continuation of celebration for a Season of Africa, the ROM displayed about 40 pieces featuring puppets, masks and musical instruments from The Amrad Collection. “The purpose of my donation is to promote the African Arts and educate Canadians”, Esther responds passionately when asked about her priceless collection of a lifetime.

Today, it is hard to visit Esther’s Westmount home without noticing the African art sculptures and paintings amongst an array of other personal collections; cacti, orchids, blue glass and seeds. If you are lucky, you may even get a personal guided tour. “I love these photos!” she adds warmly, stepping back to admire a collection of framed black and white photos of Africa, hanging a few feet away from one of her own remarkable paintings.

While Esther has forged many international friendships including prime ministers, artists, curators and African tribe chiefs alike, it is clear that she has made her way into the hearts of many in Montreal. She is endeared to a collection of devoted friends who joined her in celebrating her 80th birthday in March.

Written by Esther Briner 

Edited by Lucinda Atwood 

Published by Catherine Brindley

Denise Doyle: Purpose through Passion

It is the early 1970’s. You can hear women’s voices chanting in unity; you can feel the sisterhood. This is Denise Doyle’s earliest memory – attending her first women’s rights protest with her mother by her side. This fond memory ignited Denise’s passion: women’s rights and advocacy.

Denise is the current CEO of the YWCA Hamilton, which is a women-led service organization that provides health and wellness programs for women, families, seniors and people with special needs. The YWCA Hamilton advocates for the improved status of women locally and through affiliation with YWCA Canada. With 33 member organizations operating in more than 400 districts and communities across the country, the YWCA Canada is the country’s oldest and largest women's multi-service organization. These programs reach out to 1 million women and girls across the country.

Denise’s passion and dedication to the quest of women’s rights fits perfectly with the mission, vision and values of the YWCA. Her work at the YWCA challenges her to be innovative in finding community resources, empowering the staff of the organization and mobilizing her community.

Denise studied Textile Engineering at Mohawk College in 1982 and fifteen years later, went on to study Occupational Health and Safety and Safety Systems in Law at Ryerson University. She pursued further professional development through courses in human resources, anti-racism change work, and governance training. In 2010, Denise was awarded the Agnes Macphail Award for her contributions to the advancement of women and women’s issues. In the same year, she was also awarded the Hamilton-Wentworth Elementary Teachers Award for her tireless work as a community and labour activist. Her passion is contagious, as her efforts continue to inspire others around her.

Denise has volunteered with a number of organizations such as the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, the Status of Women Committee (City of Hamilton), Immigrant Women’s Centre Facilitating Inclusion Program, and Elect More Women. Despite committing so much of her time to various community initiatives, Denise was still able to play a pivotal role in the Elect More Women campaign, a campaign which she helped develop. She is the current co-chair of the Elect More Women campaign and explains that her goal is to see more women participate in politics not only as candidates, but as volunteers on campaigns as well.

Elect More Women provides women with the necessary education, skills and tools required to be active in politics. Denise has a vision to see more women in this arena “at any decision-making table you can make an impact. You just need the skills, resources and awareness to get involved. Women bring a different point of view around the table and it is important that a woman’s perspective is heard from all political parties.” Denise believes that in order to have a healthy democracy, everyone must have an equal voice that will impact the community and country. She emphasizes the importance of encouraging young women, a demographic that is important in making this process successful. To date, Elect More Women has trained over one thousand women.

In thinking about the women of tomorrow, Denise shared a story that truly touched her. It was of a young girl from the YWCA’s Girls Space program, which provides young females with opportunities to participate in group activities focusing on self-esteem, body image and self expression. The program provides a place for these girls to have a voice and become leaders in their own communities. Denise remembers one young girl who joined the program. She was extremely shy and quiet. She was new to Canada and Hamilton. This young girl had come with her family from Pakistan to begin their new lives here. Denise recalls that this young girl did not engage with any young people in the city and was having trouble making friends. The girl’s mother decided to encourage her daughter to join the YWCA Girls Space program. After completing the program, this young girl began to show more confidence and even joined her school council to engage with her classmates and make new friends. This transformation made her mother very proud and she wrote a personal letter to Denise thanking her for helping her daughter which included the wonderful line “Thank you for helping my daughter to finally feel included in Canada.” It is this inclusion, support and friendship that Denise fosters in all of her relationships.

In every role that Denise embraces, her passion is obvious. She focuses on trying to provide young women with a chance to lead and excel in their lives. She believes that her contribution is anything that she can do to assist young women, “They will be there for me when I’m old, so if I can inspire passion – if I can do this, I feel like I’ve done my job.”

Denise has done her job. I have been fortunate enough to be one of the young women that Denise has worked with. She is a true mentor, leader and most of all, a friend. She has provided me with the confidence, knowledge and skills that I will need to continue my journey in advocating for women’s rights.

Denise left with me some words of wisdom which I will always cherish, “Always remember that when a woman’s voice is heard, she can transform her life and those around her. Find your passion and create a wave of change in your own community and empower others to do the same. When someone tells you that all women are equal – acknowledge your privilege and continue to work for women's equity and equality around the globe. We still have a long way to go.”

Although we have a long way to go, these are timeless words for all women, as we are inspired by leaders like Denise to find our purpose through passion.

Written by Priya Verma

Edited by Lucinda Atwood

Published by Catherine Brindley