Featuring a post from YW team member who had the opportunity to travel to Ontario meet incredible women from across the country and hone in her leadership style!

On March 8, I had the opportunity to take part in the Young Women’s National Leadership Summit hosted by YWCA Canada in the little town of Orillia, Ontario. More than 100 delegates from across Canada gathered at the three-day conference to connect with a roster of incredible women from a range of sectors and take part in skill-building workshops, presentations, and group discussions about community building, leadership and overcoming barriers. The weekend was very inspiring and the perfect way to celebrate the accomplishments of women around Canada for International Women’s Day.

I took part in a number of workshops and listened to several presenters who shared their experiences and stories as professional women and activists. For me, the most memorable speaker was former MP for Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, Laurin Liu. She is the youngest woman to be elected Member of Parliament in Canada, and served as Official Opposition deputy critic for the Environment, deputy critic for Science and Technology and deputy critic for International Trade. She has tabled multiple bills and a motion on subjects including precarious work, poverty, consumer protections and women’s health. Her passion and motivation was inspiring for many women in the room, myself included.

The conference was a wonderful learning experience! It allowed me to network with strong, like-minded women and create connections with other YWCA teams across Canada. I’m very grateful to have had this experience.

To learn more about other YW Calgary team member experiences, check out our other posts. YWCA Canada is also offering Young Women Leadership Miles for the Annual Members Meeting. Young women in the YWCA movement, staff or volunteers, 30 years of age or under are invited to apply for funding to attend the meeting.