Each year, International Women’s Day (March 8th) provides Canadians with the opportunity to celebrate women’s achievements and their extraordinary potential, across the country and around the world.
As we honour and support the women in our communities, I wanted to bring to your attention recent notable achievements by some of our fellow citizens in Kelowna-Lake Country.
First, I want to congratulate Carole Gordon, this year’s recipient of the Gert Beadle award for her dedication to women’s equality and social justice. Every year, the Gert Beadle Award recognizes the value of invisible work done at the community level to enhance women’s equality.
Secondly, our Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women, the Honourable K. Kellie Leitch, invited Renee Wasylyk, CEO of Troika Developments, to accompany her to New York this week to speak at the 59th session of United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW). The UNCSW is a commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council and the principal global policy-making body dedicated to gender equality and the advancement of women.
Renee is also a recipient of a 2015 Influential Women in Business Award, which recognizes BC business women and their influence in some of Canada’s largest companies.
I also want to acknowledge the achievement of Laurie Koss, whose beautiful illustrations of pansies will be part of Canada Post’s annual floral series stamp collection.
It was a pleasure to join Laurie at the unveiling ceremony at Hambleton Galleries on March 2.
The two stamps each feature a colourful pansy variety: the yellow-accented true blue 'Delta Premium Pure Light Blue' and the 'Midnight Glow' Icicle Pansy in shades of purple, pink, orange and yellow.
Pansies are a great favourite of many gardeners across Canada and Laurie’s gorgeous illustrations which Canada Post describes as an “intense and intimate study of natural form, light and movement of the flower” will no doubt be popular with stamp users and collectors.
You can see pictures of Laurie’s pansies at www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/aboutus/news/pr/2015/2015_pansies.jsf .
Of course this is not the first time a local Kelowna-Lake Country artist has been honoured nationally.
Daphne Odjig, the driving force behind the Indian Group of Seven, was also honoured by Canada Post when it featured three of her paintings on Canadian postage stamps in February 2011.
Kendra (Smith) Dixson had two of her designs chosen by the Royal Canadian Mint for its 2014 Fine Silver Coins O Canada collection.
And in 2012, the fine folks at Goodman Zissoff Stained Glass Studio were chosen to design and create the exceptional stained glass windows that now adorn the Senate of Canada commemorating Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's 60th Anniversary of her ascension to the throne.
To all the women in our community who support our families, our economy and make our community’s cultural and social bonds stronger, please accept our heartfelt thanks.
The Honourable Ron Cannan is the Member of Parliament for Kelowna-Lake Country and welcomes your feedback at [email protected]. Information on local announcements and federal government programs can be found at www.cannan.ca.
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.