Canada 150 Women_Conversations with Leaders, Champions, and Luminaries

by Paulina Cameron

  If you had the gift of a year off, in a paused world, what would you work on?

  Not if, but when I have the gift of a year off, I will definitely apply my knowledge and experience to help young tech entrepreneurs who are fresh out of school to achieve their dreams. I’ve had a chance to work with some of them occasionally through university accelerators, and it is so refreshing and inspiring to see how some millennials are committed to solving social and environmental problems through technology in a creative and seamless way. I am impressed by how involved young women—and young men—are in changing the world and improving our lives. I definitely would love to help them.

  What does success mean to you?

  What I am most proud of is that I have been able to realize myself in a balanced way in all aspects of my life: as a woman, spouse, mother, friend, CEO. Of course there were a few bumps on the road, but that balance, which brings me happiness, is my greatest accomplishment, and it has enabled me to stay true to myself.

  What does being Canadian mean to you?

  I am very proud to be Canadian and to live in one of the most open and diverse countries, geographically and culturally, in the world. This is where I have been able to realize my dreams and achieve my goals in all areas of my life. From sea to sea, and around the world, we are known as creative, welcoming, and respectful people.

  If you could have dinner with any woman, alive or dead, who would it be?

  Marie Curie was a great woman who had the courage to navigate uncharted waters for women. She was so passionate about her work, and even though it was not common for a woman back then, she never wavered, but stayed the course and realized her dream. She is a hero who made discoveries of historic importance for the world, with her husband.

  And Hillary Clinton. I don’t necessarily agree with every political position she has taken, but she is a woman who is the very epitome of resilience and perseverance: she never gives up. She is a true political woman who always goes the extra mile.

  What will it take to achieve gender parity?

  I am lucky to be able to say I have never experienced discrimination in the workplace. I’ve had the good fortune to work with men who chose to surround themselves with strong women, and in some cases, follow their lead. I think that to make a difference, we have to make sure girls and boys are exposed to inspiring female role models from a young age, so they can see a future brimming with possibilities for themselves. Girls should have, early in their lives, successful female role models in all fields of endeavour to identify with. That way, they will be more inclined to trust themselves without barriers of gender or stereotypes.

  What gives you courage?

  My instincts. At critical junctures, I listen to them and they’re usually a reliable guide. They have given me strength and courage to make what have sometimes been tough decisions.

  If you were to get a tattoo of one word, what would it be?

  I do have one, and it says “Love.”

  Beverley Busson

  “No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

  Birthplace Halifax, NS

  What age do you feel Between 40 and 45—the age when people start to take you seriously

  Occupation Consultant and inspirational speaker; former commissioner of the RCMP

  Book you gift most A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

  Favourite drink B-52

  Favourite place in Canada Peggy’s Cove, NS

  How has your view of feminism changed over your lifetime?

  When I joined the RCMP, we were the only women and we all tried to do things the way that a man would do them, because that’s what feminism looked like back in the 1970s. Then it dawned on us that we had talents and different approaches that were as successful and seemed to ruffle feathers a little less. I think feminism has gone from trying to do things like a man to knowing that doing things like a woman will get you to what you aspire to be. Being strong and proud of your feminine-ness.

  Some of the highest RCMP leaders at the moment are females and they’re great role models doing amazing work. The RCMP has benefited from having women cross the line and dare to show their emotions and show that they care and that they’re more than the law. That they’re actually peace officers. It’s what Canadian policing should really be about.

  Tell us about a time when you had to summon all of your courage.

  The most intimidated and afraid I’ve ever been in my life was the first time I put myself out there for a promotion to be an officer. It’s so introspective and then holding yourself up to be judged and given a one to ten on a card. One of the hardest things for people to do is step up and say, “I have something to offer and I want to be chosen.” Some people hide their light under a bushel forever, and perhaps they don’t have the courage or the encouragement to step forward and say, “I’ll make this choice and see if I can make a difference.”

  There are a lot of dangerous situations facing the police these days, so you have to be the type of leader that will bring out the best in people. People don’t join the RCMP unless they have a calling to make a difference. You have to really nurture that. That’s how I feel. That’s where the courage to move ahead and be a leader becomes so important.

  What message would you put on a billboard?

  “Life is not a dress rehearsal.”

  What advice would you give to young women considering a similar career?

  Never let your expectations create limitations for your future. I would never have dreamt my life. I would have planned it to be different and not nearly as spectacular. It’s way beyond anything I would ever dare to dream.

  What is your vision for Canada in twenty years?

  A country where bigotry is a thing of the past, and tolerance, generosity, and freedom—the things that we stand for—are the driving force.

  What does being Canadian mean to you?

  When you travel, as soon as people hear that you’re from Canada, they’re envious and they just have this respect that you stand for something. Everyone has trouble figuring out what that is, whether it’s goodness or courage or tolerance. Once you say, “I’m a Canadian,” you have the feeling that people understand that you’re a good person. I think that’s an amazing thing—for a country to give you an identity. I’m proud of our Canadian identity. Canada walks the talk.

  What does success mean to you?

  Defining the best that you can be and not settling for less. Being satisfied that the best you can be doesn’t have to be the best there is. You will drive yourself crazy. I was never the best at everything, but when you feel you’re giving the best you have to offer, that’s what success looks like. Every day is the real thing.

  If you were to get a tattoo of one word, what would it be?

  “Aspire.”

  Brenda Butterworth-Carr

  “Success, to me, is the ability to do what you love every day and know that you are contributing to society.”

  Birthplace Dawson City, YT

  What age do you feel Usually late 30s, early 40s

  Occupation Commanding officer of the bc RCMP

  Book you gift most The Confidence Code by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman

  Favourite drink Water infused with lemon, lime, and cucumber

  Favourite place in Canada The Dome, Top of the World Highway, or the Tombstone Territorial Park

  What is the best investment you’ve made?

  Daily investment in becoming the best version of me.

  What is your vision for Canada in twenty years?

  We achieve equity and inclusion for all.

  How has your view of feminism changed over your lifetime?

  I have always stood for justice, equity, and inclusion, and I continue to do so for all. As I have matured, I have certainly become more of an advocate for equity and inclusion. I am very clear on the type of environment I want to live in and that I have a choice to lead and contribute to an inclusive and equitable societ
y.

  What will it take to achieve gender parity?

  An aggressive approach to ensuring that women and girls are recruited at all levels within the workforce, and that the requisite support is acquired or provided to pursue advanced education while balancing family life.

  Knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently when you were first starting out?

  I would have spent more time with my sons when they were younger. It was a juggling act trying to balance my children, my continuing education, and a dynamic career. As a young parent, I matured with my sons, and I was very fortunate to have family support.

  Some of the greatest lessons I have learned came from my mistakes; bottom line, it is okay to make mistakes, as long as you are willing to learn from them, overcome, and move on. Challenging yourself or doing something that scares you daily assists in your personal growth—I have embraced this and I challenge myself daily to learn or do something new. You are only as great as the people you surround yourself with. This is one of the most important things I strive for both personally and professionally. I seek out people who will challenge me and facilitate my personal growth—at the end of the day, you do not need to be a subject matter expert in everything, but you will accomplish anything with great people standing by your side.

  What message would you put on a billboard?

  “WIN = What’s Important Now, Winning Minds, and What’s Important Next.”

  Kim Campbell

  “The cost of liberty is eternal vigilance. Canadian women need to understand and defend their rights. They have to be players. The biggest risk in a country like Canada is complacency.”

  What age do you feel? Anywhere between 40 and 90

  Book you gift most My own memoir, because I know people who don’t have it and I have a box full

  Occupation Former prime minister of Canada

  Favourite drink A strawberry milkshake

  Favourite place in Canada Vancouver is where I grew up, but there are many wonderful places in Canada and I love them all

  What will it take for Canada to have another female prime minister?

  A female has to be the elected leader of a party that can form government. In some ways, it takes longer because even if we have a change in government every eight years, it’s not like a whole new set of people come in. The fact that Justin Trudeau has created a gender parity cabinet means that in the Liberal party, there are a lot of women who are getting the opportunity to show what they can do and build that gravitas and experience that may help them become serious candidates next time there’s a leadership contest.

  Right now we have women premiers in two of the largest provinces. At one point we had five. This makes us more familiar with women doing that job. It begins to gradually open up the possibility of people who look and sound different from those who have gone before to do it.

  Do you think there will ever be a level playing field for women in power?

  I don’t know—but I think it’s getting better. I look at someone like Angela Merkel in Germany; she’s redefined things. She doesn’t have children; she has a nice husband, but he plays a minor role. She’s not glamorous; she always wears her jacket and pants, that’s her uniform. She has redefined who the chancellor of Germany is. Nobody thinks she’s weak or indecisive. We now think of her in the context of Europe as being a shining light.

  All we can do is live through it. I say to people, “You can’t do it by policy. You can open doors by policy, but you can’t change people’s attitudes, except by experience.”

  What advice would you give young women who are considering going into public office?

  The same advice I give to anybody: definitely go for it. Understand what it is. Prepare yourself financially and have something to fall back on because there’s no tenure in public life. Lots of great people run and never get elected. Be sensible and be strategic and figure out what you want to do. Harry Truman once said, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.”

  Don’t expect politics to be a substitute for a rich, emotional life with people who care about you and whom you care about. It’s important to be balanced in that sense. I would certainly say, “Go for it,” because I think women have to be around the table. No one woman can represent all women.

  What message would you put on a billboard?

  I have a coat of arms, and when I created it I had to come up with a motto: “Seek Wisdom, Conquer Fear, Do Justice.” More practically, I might say something like “Democracy Doesn’t Run on Autopilot. Protect It.”

  What does Canada need more of and less of?

  More engaged citizenship. Less of those things that divide us, and more of an appreciation of what we share and a willingness to create an identity that’s inclusive. Benefits from all the different things that Canadians, including Indigenous peoples, settlers, and recent immigrants, can contribute. We need more courage and less hubris.

  If you were get a tattoo of one word, what would it be?

  “Courage.”

  Cassie Campbell Pascall

  “I get courage now from being a role model to my daughter as someone who has done great things but, more importantly, treats people well.”

  Birthplace Richmond Hill, ON

  What age do you feel Mentally 25, physically 40

  Occupation Broadcaster

  Book you gift most Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

  Favourite drink A wine from Lake Breeze Winery

  Favourite place in Canada The north shore of Prince Edward Island

  What has been a defining moment in your personal or professional life?

  In sport, when Hockey Canada asked me to play forward after being an all-star defenceman. I was shocked at first, and honestly wondered why and if I was going to make the team. I was determined to do well and I took it as a challenge. In my first tournament I led Team Canada in scoring and also worked my way up to the first line. I think my versatility as a player and my willingness to play any role allowed me to be chosen as captain for two consecutive Olympics.

  My career after sport with Hockey Night in Canada really changed on my second day on the job, when I was thrown in at the last minute to do colour commentary. I could have said no, but I chose to face my fear and come out of my comfort zone, and I think that night I changed my boss’s opinion on what female hockey players know about the game. It was an eye-opener for everyone at CBC, and it allowed them to give me other opportunities without hesitation.

  What will it take to achieve gender parity?

  Performance. We need more women who perform regardless of their circumstances. It can be tough, but we all need to continue to push the boundaries as a group. We will have achieved gender parity when a woman accomplishes something great and there isn’t a ten-page story written on it, because it will be so normal. There is no question we need to showcase our role models and get their stories out there, but we can never be satisfied by being the first person to do something. We need to hope that our accomplishments inspire a future generation to grow up believing there are no obstacles because they’re women, just regular challenges.

  What message would you put on a billboard, and where?

  “Never Let Your Memories Be Greater Than Your Dreams.” In as many small towns and major cities across the country as possible.

  What does Canada need more and less of?

  Canada needs more swagger. We have seen a movement where we celebrate and want to be the best in the world, but we need to continue to pump our tires a bit more, while still remaining humble. We need more women who celebrate other female successes, and we need less judgment of people for their differences. We need to embrace each other a bit more.

  What does being Canadian mean to you?

  It means I am very lucky. Lucky to grow up in the greatest country in the world, where there are no limits.

  Tell us about a time where you had to summon all of your courage.

  I once had to say something really tough t
o a teammate in the dressing room. It’s not really my style to do that, but we had tried everything else possible to get a message through, without much luck. She was a great friend and a terrific player, but I knew she could easily be the best player every night, and that wasn’t happening. It wasn’t fun, as she was disappointed and upset for a while, but to this day she tells me I helped her become a better player. Sometimes, as a leader, it’s tough to say hard things to people, but if you don’t have those honest conversations you will not get better as a team. I do recognize, though, that as a leader, you’d better be willing to listen to how you too can be better.

  What is the best investment you’ve made?

  Getting a person to come and clean my house every two weeks. It has allowed me peace of mind and also more time with family. I consider it an investment in my time. I am so thankful that I can afford to make this happen.

  If you had the gift of a year off, in a paused world, what would you work on?

  I would work on myself, and becoming more grounded with my own soul. I know who I am and where I want to go, but I do need to slow down a bit, so taking advantage of that time would be ideal for me. The problem I would try to solve would be how women who have tremendous and busy careers can balance motherhood without guilt.

  If you were to get a tattoo of one word, what would it be?

  “Journey.”

  Elizabeth Cannon

  “I’ve always been very committed, interested, and involved in the whole concept of innovative communities.”

  Birthplace Charlottetown, PEI

  Occupation President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Calgary