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Stories and photos by Caroline Phillips
MOTORS
NETWORKING GALA
From left, Velma McColl with Beth Everson, Canadian author and historian Charlotte Gray and Elizabeth Roscoe, senior vice-president and national practice leader of public affairs at Hill+Knowlton Strategies Canada.
From left, Lisa Delorme, co-founder and CEO of Rent frock Repeat, with Speaker of the House of Commons Geoff Regan and Catherine Clark, president of Catherine Clark Communications.
Women on the Hill celebrates female growth, leadership
MONDAY, APRIL 9, 2018
International Women’s Day is a lot like birthday celebrations that end up stretching out over a month because it’s so hard to bring all of one’s busy friends from so many different groups together. Women on the Hill did manage to get everyone under one roof by hosting a large networking reception March 26 at the former bank-turned-governmentowned Sir John A. Macdonald Building on Wellington Street, right by Parliament Hill. More than 600 people accepted their invitation to the belated bash for the March 8 Women’s Day. The crowd was mostly women from politics, public service, non-profit organizations, business, media and
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academia. As well, there was support from Famous 5 Ottawa and Equal Voice. The food was catered by Erin Clatney, owner of DISH. Bicycle Craft brewmaster Laura Behzadi and Dominion City Brewing Co. provided the ale, while there was vino and bubbly supplied by Prince Edward County female winemakers Mackenzie Brisbois (Trail Estate) and Vicki Samaras (Hinterland). Earnscliffe Strategy Group principal Velma McColl was on hand to welcome everyone, along with members of the all-party Parliamentary women’s caucus, which is chaired by Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal MP for Ottawa
West-Nepean. Maryam Monsef, minister of status of women, kept the energy and enthusiasm high as she congratulated all the women “who rock it” in their respective spheres. Trailblazer Shirley Westeinde, former chair of the Canadian Construction Association and BOMA Ottawa, attended. So did Lisa Delorme, CEO and co-founder of Rent frock Repeat designer dress rental service. Also there were Sharon McGarry, president of Hulse, Playfair & McGarry, and Susan Dagg Fulton, executive director of the Women’s Business Network. Among the speakers was Tonda
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MacCharles, a veteran journalist with the Toronto Star and vice-president of the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery. “It’s a great time to be a woman in Ottawa,” said MacCharles as she saluted the women in the room and the work they do. “I just want to let you know what has kept me going through 20 years in the press gallery, and that’s women like all of you.” She also offered this piece of supportive advice: “When it feels like all the balls are falling on your head, reach out, have a coffee, have a lunch, go for a walk, vent, gossip, network, talk. It will get you through the very worst times.”