Tamara Taggart An award-winning journalist, Tamara Taggart is the weekday anchor with CTV News at Six and a strong community advocate, especially with BC Women’s Hospital and Down Syndrome Foundation. She is a recipient of the Order of BC.
Carole Taylor Served as advisor to BC’s Premier Christy Clark. She’s the former Chancellor of Simon Fraser University and formerly BC’s Minister of Finance. She has four honorary degrees and has been a role model for young women.
Kathleen Taylor As the chair of RBC, Katie Taylor is the first woman to run a major Canadian bank. She is a Member of the Order of Canada and has won Women’s Executive Network Top 100 Award.
Vianne Timmons Researcher, author, and lecturer Vianne Timmons is a leader in the area of educational inclusion. She has won the Red Cross Humanitarian Award, CTV’s Citizen of the Year, and a Women’s Executive Network Top 100 Award.
Erin Treloar Erin Treloar is the founder of Raw Beauty Talks and Free to Be, movements and programs to support young people in their confidence in their bodies.
Ilse Treurnicht Rhodes Scholar Dr. Ilse Treurnicht is the former CEO of MaRS Discovery District, a global innovation hub with ventures in health, energy, environment, finance and commerce, and work and learning sectors.
Tanya van Biesen Tanya van Biesen is Director of Catalyst Canada and a #gosponsorher advocate, accelerating progress for women through workplace inclusion.
Annette Verschuren The woman behind Michael’s, Home Depot Canada, and Canada’s first energy storage facility, Annette Verschuren is an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Tamara Vrooman As president and CEO of Vancity, Tamara Vrooman gained international recognition for values-based banking. She has won the BC CEO of the Year Award, Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal.
Lise Watier Canadian cosmetics icon Lise Watier won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Canadian Fragrance Awards and is an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Sheila Watt-Cloutier An Officer of the Order of Canada, Sheila Watt-Cloutier is an activist for a range of social and environmental issues affecting the Inuit, including global warming and persistent organic pollutants.
Sandra Wear Sandra Wear co-founded DocSpace and sold it for $568M. She is passionate about innovation, excellence, and gender equity.
Hayley Wickenheiser A decorated Olympian, Hayley Wickenheiser led Canada’s women’s hockey team to four gold medals and one silver medal. Now pursuing a career in medicine, she was appointed to the Order of Canada.
Faye Wightman The President and CEO of the Vancouver Foundation and BC Children’s Hospital, Faye Wightman has received the Influential Women in Business Award, the City of Vancouver’s Civic Medal, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Professional Fundraisers, and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal.
Lorelei Williams One of Canada’s hardest-working advocates, Lorelei Williams helped design the national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women.
Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson General Counsel of Haida Nation, Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson is internationally recognized in aboriginal law and a multiple-award-winning singer for her work with Haida Gwaii Singers Society and Raven Calling Productions.
Jody Wilson-Raybould Jody Wilson-Raybould is the Minister of Justice and the former Crown Prosecutor of BC. She has championed the environment and social justice, the rights of Indigenous peoples, and the rebuilding of strong and appropriate Indigenous governments within Canada.
Kathleen Wynne Kathleen Wynne is the leader of the Ontario Liberal Party. She is the first female premier of Ontario and the first openly gay head of a provincial or federal government in Canada.
About the Photographer
Jill Earthy The Chief Growth Officer for FrontFundr, Jill Earthy has been named a Business in Vancouver Top 40 under 40 and recognized by The International Alliance of Women for her support of women entrepreneurs.
Lois Nahirney Dr. Lois Nahirney is the president and CEO of dnaPower Inc. and SkinDNA Inc. She has won a Business in Vancouver Influential Women in Business Award and a Women of Distinction Award.
Cybele Negris Cybele Negris is CEO and co-founder of Webnames.ca. She’s a four-time winner and Hall of Fame inductee of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women, and nine-time winner of PROFIT W100.
Maili Wong Maili Wong is the first vice president and portfolio manager at The Wong Group atCIBC Wood Gundy, and the author of Smart Risk Investing. Only thirty years old when she was named vice-president at HSBC Securities, she was one of the youngest investment advisers to be promoted to that position firm-wide.
About the Curators
Farah Nosh Farah Nosh is a Canadian photographer who has worked across North America and the Middle East. Her work has appeared in leading publications including The New York Times, TIME, and Newsweek, and it has been exhibited internationally. She has won awards and acclaim for her portraits of civilians and refugees in war-torn Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Damascus; and she has photographed extensively within the Haida Nation. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Jill Earthy
“Being Canadian means having an open mind and an open heart.”
Birthplace Moncton, NB
What age do you feel 40
Occupation Chief Growth Officer, FrontFundr
Book you gift most A beautiful journal—blank and open for thoughts and ideas
Favourite drink Prosecco
Favourite place in Canada Beautiful BC
What has been a defining experience for you that shaped your trajectory?
Upon completing my MBA, I was on the fast track to a career in banking when a friend of mine was killed in a car accident at age twenty-five. I took this experience as a sign to examine my options and to understand my “why.” I made a key choice to detour from banking to join a small entrepreneurial company and to learn from key mentors. This experience had a profound impact on my career and set me on a track of building, growing and supporting small enterprises.
When do you feel most powerful?
When I am connecting with a small group of people who also possess a strong desire to make change, and new ideas are formed and solutions mapped out.
What will it take to achieve gender parity?
Men and women working together side by side demonstrating collaboration and embracing diverse perspectives, identifying new models to address critical challenges. We need to redefine success. In the short term, this may mean women need to work together to create new models, and not try to conform or “fit” into existing models. We need to embrace differences and leverage strengths so that we all rise.
If you had the gift of a year off, in a paused world, what would you work on?
I would focus on connecting initiatives across Canada that are creating solutions to address gender imbalance. As a relatively small country, we operate in many silos, and I would like to bring all parties together while identifying regional differences and embracing new opportunities for collaboration.
What has become more important and less important to you in the last few years?
With the constant juggle of life, being strategic and identifying how and where I can have the most impact has become more important. Feeling like I need to participate in everything has become less important. We each control how we spend our time and how we are going to make the best use of it.
What message would you put on a billboard and where?
“You have the answers. Believe in yourself and don’t second-guess your heart.” I’d put it everywhere online and offline.
If you were to get a tattoo of one word, what would it be?
“Connect.”
Lois Nahirney
“My kids teach me about courage every day.”
Birthplace Saskatoon, SK
What age do you feel 40
Occupation President and CEO, dnaPower Inc.
Book you gift most Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda and Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
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Favourite drink Kombucha
Favourite place in Canada Whistler, BC
What will it take to achieve gender parity?
When I graduated from high school, I believed we lived in an age of gender equality. Over my career, I saw and experienced how this was not the reality. I’ve become a passionate feminist, actively advocating for gender and diversity equity. While we say women can be anything they want to be, the journey is laden with challenges and hurdles that cause many to opt out. It shouldn’t be that hard. We all need to work to eliminate the bias in our systems, cultures, and mind sets. Organic change has not worked, and the pace of change has been glacial. I believe targets help change good intentions into positive action. We should focus on young women in elementary and high schools, and encourage and support them to pursue leadership, STEM, and non-traditional roles. We want to engage women, men, and boys as advocates and champions for our young women!
Tell us about a time where you had to summon all of your courage.
I have an amazing transgender son who heroically shows up as his authentic self each day and bravely manages his dyslexia, anxiety and depression. His indomitable identical twin sister is actively seeking her unique path and self as she deals with dyslexia and adoption. For us, courage is about positively and resiliently facing the challenges of each day and being forgiving, strong, and loving for each other.
If you were to write a book, what would its title be?
Leadership through Twindemonium: Life and Leadership Lessons from My Adopted, Dyslexic, Transgender/Cisgender Identical Twins
How did you make decisions about your career choices?
I come from an entrepreneurial family that was always trying something new. Throughout my life and career I’ve asked myself, “What is the most interesting and challenging opportunity I can take on at this time?” It led to a wonderfully rewarding, unconventional career, around the world, in many different industries. When the opportunity came to dive into the rapidly changing world of health tech, human genetics, and preventative health, I thought, “If not now, then when?” It has been exciting to return to my entrepreneurial roots and embark on this wild and fascinating DNA adventure.
If you were to get a tattoo of one word, what would it be?
“Lotus.” (Nickname for Lois—symbolizes the journey of growth and enlightenment.)
Cybele Negris
“Women need to fix the confidence gap and start feeling like we deserve to be at the table.”
Birthplace Hong Kong
What age do you feel Twenty-five most days, except when my back is acting up, in which case eighty
Occupation CEO of Webnames.ca
Book that you gift the most These three tied: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz, and The Inevitable Understanding The 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future by Kevin Kelly
Favourite drink Coffee, or Hendrick’s gin and tonic with cucumber and cracked black pepper
Favourite place in Canada My roof deck beside Stanley Park in Vancouver, BC
How has your view of feminism changed over your lifetime?
I grew up hanging out with the boys—playing street hockey, and competing in martial arts—and had little idea that I was different from them. I ended up in male-dominated industries, co-owning a construction company and co-founding a technology company with all-male partners. I denied there were any issues, sloughing off comments at various events where it was automatically assumed I was the spouse or executive assistant of a male business partner. I would speak at conferences and tell the women to see being one of a few females in the tech industry as an advantage because you stand out. I still believe that to an extent, but being a CEO is lonely enough. You need the support of other CEOs who truly understand the rollercoaster of emotions.
If you were to write a book, what would its title and subtitle be?
The Ultimate Imposter: War Stories of a Woman in Tech.
What is your vision for Canada in twenty years?
I hope Canada will be a world leader in technology and innovation, and become a very business-friendly place where we attract and retain the best talent.
What changes do you think need to happen to encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM?
Firstly, we need to find ways to encourage girls earlier in life to believe that math and science are viable pursuits. The school system also needs to create equal opportunities for excellence. Teachers play a critical role in ensuring girls get equal airtime, as boys are often quicker to put up their hands. Secondly, companies need to go out of their way to attract and retain female employees. Finally, we, the female leaders of the business world, need to speak out more—to be both seen and heard.
If you were to get a tattoo of one word, what would it be?
My kids’ names.
Maili Wong
“I’m an advocate for taking smart risk. Unexpected challenges shape us, stretch us, and ultimately show us what we’re really made of.”
Birthplace Vancouver, BC
What age do you feel My current age, 38
Occupation Portfolio Manager and Investment Advisor
Book you gift most My book—Smart Risk: Invest Like the Wealthy to Achieve a Work-Optional Life
Favourite drink Coffee
Favourite place in Canada Salt Spring Island, BC
How has your view of feminism changed over your lifetime?
I now see feminism not as a movement toward power, but simply as a movement of power between feminine energy and masculine energy. Feminine energy includes an emphasis on connection, relationship, and attracting the right outcomes, whereas masculine energy focuses on metrics, results, and pushing the right outcomes. Feminism to me is about allowing the feminine energy to balance out the masculine energy toward a balance of power and better outcomes achieved in a more benevolent manner.
Tell us about a time when you had to summon all of your courage.
Running away from the burning towers on September 11, 2001. I was in the building connected to the World Trade Tower when the two planes struck. That day I realized that all my life I had been conforming to what I’d been conditioned to believe was “safe,” doing what I could to control the outcome and ensure success. And yet despite it all, the shock of the unexpected terrorist attack destroyed the entire foundation of my sense of safety.
As I ran from the burning towers, I asked myself: “If playing it too ‘safe’ left me exposed to unforeseen shocks, could taking smart risks actually build resilience and lead to greater strength and power?” For the next five years, I carved out a career studying risk. In fact, I became an expert on how to evaluate and manage risk. I realized that all my life, it was fear that kept me choosing the safe path. Fear of failure, fear of not being tough or smart enough, fear of being too Asian—too female. For years, I had buried these fears beneath layers of “mental toughness,” soldiering on and doing everything I could to maintain a sense of control over everything in my life.
Today, I help people who have suffered their own version of 9/11, their own shock of the unexpected—be it divorce, death of a spouse, or even financial surprises. Especially women. Too many of us avoid making important financial decisions in a facade of financially “playing it safe,” and end up giving away our power.
What message would you put up on a billboard, and where?
“I’m doing the best I can.” And I’d wear it on my chest.
Give the gift of empowerment!
Join the movement for gender diversity, become a champion of equality, and celebrate Canada’s achievements. Share these motivational stories from powerful female role models with your colleagues, clients, family, and friends. Order customized editions of Canada 150 Women with a personalized message—or take advantage of a volume discount on the first edition.
For orders and information visit: www.canada150women.ca
Copyright © 2017 by Paulina Camer
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EVOKE Press
Vancouver BC
www.canada150women.ca
ISBN 978-0-9959591-2-5 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-0-9959591-1-8 (ebook)
Produced by Page Two
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Cover and interior design by Peter Cocking
Principal photography by Farah Nosh
Printed and bound in Canada by Friesens
Ebook by Bright Wing Books (brightwing.ca)
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PHOTO CREDITS All photographs by Farah Nosh, except:
p. 10: Kelly Lawson · p. 16: Pierre Dury · p. 33: Martin Lipman © Canadian Museum of Nature · p. 39: Melanie Shields Photography · p. 51: Cooper & O’Hara · p. 55: Jason Stang · p. 64: Eyoälha Baker · p. 93: Alistair Maitland · p. 94: Susan R. Eaton · p. 97: Martin Lipman · p. 141: Claudette Carracedo · p. 142: Chantal Trudel · p. 146: Don Dixon · p. 162: Wendy D Photography · p. 174: Raymond Chiasson Photography · p. 181: Photos by Kathryn · p. 201: Dustin Rabin (201) · p. 202: Ryan Walker · p. 217: Neville Poy · p. 226: Sian Richards · p. 262: Sarah Dunn · p. 272: University of Regina Photography · p. 284: Bruno Petrozza · p. 287: Stephen Lowe · p. 291: Dave Holland
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