March 8, 2024

‘SISTERHOOD’ CELEBRATES ‘NOT JUST ANOTHER ONCE A YEAR’ INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

GRAVENHURST — International Women’s Day was a morning of celebration today as 150 women — and 10 men — marked the occasion with a breakfast of champions at the Gravenhurst Centennial Centre.

Ladies noshed, nurtured and nourished each other with invigorating Muskoka tales echoing throughout the Terry Fox Auditorium.

“It’s not just about celebrating women once a year,” Claudia Dessanti, director of policy at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, told the sold-out crowd.

It’s about a “sisterhood” that supports, encourages and brings out the best in womanhood everyone agreed.

She was one of four panellists at the event organized by Norah Fountain, executive director of the Muskoka Lakes Chamber of Commerce.

Norah Fountain, centre, moderated a 45-minute panel discussion on women’s issues and the struggles they face as employees and entrepreneurs. Joining her were, left, Claudia Dessanti, director of policy at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce; Amanda McLennan, Red Bean Interior Design owner and life coach; Beth Potter, president and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada; and Tracy Macgregor, COO at Restaurants Canada.

Fountain (the “Queen of broadband”) said that while the Canadian Chamber of Commerce said last month it doesn’t expect wage parity for women this century, there was a lot more to be celebrated locally.

Much of it seated around 20 tables brimming with hope for more diversity, equality and inclusion in their own business worlds along life balance.

But burnout from COVID — caused by greater job losses for women than men in the service sector — was a reality check as multi-tasking moms often had to care for parents as well.

**More than 150 women from across Muskoka working in various careers, businesses and trades gathered this morning to celebrate International Women’s Day at the Gravenhurst Centennial Centre.**

Tracy Macgregor, Restaurants Canada COO, said her industry is yet to fully recover. Sixty-three per cent aren’t breaking even — or are even losing. That used to be 10 per cent she said.

Retail food providers, however, are fighting by back having to offer benefits to workers to keep up with a constant shortage of staff.

Hotels that say they are full mean they are only at the level that they can provide rooms and service, she said knowingly having cut her hospitality teeth while growing up in high school in Gravenhurst and working in tourism sector jobs at all levels.

Macgregor responded to one question about “entitled customers” who increasingly demand more service. She said many parents are no longer encouraging their kids to go into restaurant and service work, which for many workers was how they gained a foothold into the work world.

Fountain said Explorers’ Edge in Muskoka reports more than half the local workers aren’t being paid a liveable wage. But that a stat stating 15 per cent of Muskoka businesses are run by women seemed to her wrong.

Jenna Dyer and daughter Bowyn Leavold, 7 months, were all smiles afterwards. Dyer is the former owner of the Morning Babe café in Gravenhurst. Like many women she is experiencing the challenge of enjoying motherhood with juggling a career now as a real estate agent.

Beth Potter, president and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, said “women are under valued.”

Dessanti called for the gender pay gap to be closed.

“So give us hope in rural land,” Fountain challenged the panellists.

Dessanti responded saying government policies coming out of COVID have been “disappointing.”

And mental health concerns are mounting on the job.

Hannah Lin, program director at the Muskoka YWCA, urged everyone amid the “hustle culture” to still “give yourself some breathing room” to help keep your mental health in check.

**There were plenty of bright and beautiful success stories and Muskoka women to tell them today as they marked IWD with optimism.**

Potter urged a dozen local female politicians to bare all this in mind as some move on to higher levels of government.

Amanda McLennan, Red Bean Interior Design owner and women’s coach, said “life has changed the last 10 years.”

Women and men find the cost of renting space to open a business prohibitive.

She said her experience in Port Carling, for example, is that rents are unrealistic on the Muskoka Lakes Township main street.

“It’s hard to offer competition to people who want to walk down the beautiful street.”

The same goes, she said, for businesses offering online e-sales.

And don’t get her started on housing affordability. It’s not in P.C. or Muskoka.

She suggested three simple goals for women in the work world:

“Empower yourself” by setting goals; judge the metrics of those achievements; and “make no excuses.”

Don’t give up hope after a hard day. Keep calm and carry on — determined to succeed.

**Claudia Dessanti talked about her “She-Covery” post-pandemic project” and said it’s “not just about celebrating women once a year.”**

Audience responses were overwhelming effusive with one woman saying men get the jobs they want because they ask for them and that women need to be more assertive believing they can do those jobs as well.

Another woman pointed out that it took until 1974 for women to be able to hold their own mortgage without a husband or parent co-signing.

Potter urged the women to learn from each other.

“Collaborate” — don’t be afraid, ask for help, added Macgregor.

“Surround yourself with people who make you better,” said Dessanti.

“Use hardship to empower yourself,” said McLennan. “I look in the mirror every morning and tell myself I’m a warrior.”

Fountain concluded thanking all the women who support each other every day by asking them for nominations for a new “Woman in Construction” award being planned. “A trailblazer in the trades.”