Every year on March 8, we celebrate International Women’s Day.

But for me, this day is more than a celebration.

It is a reminder.

A reminder of how far women have come.
A reminder of the strength we carry quietly.
A reminder that we are not meant to do this alone.

Strength Without Hardening

For 24 years, I wore a uniform in the RCMP.

I worked in rooms that were often male dominated.
I stepped into situations that required control, steadiness, and composure.
I learned how to be strong because I had to.

But over time, I learned something even more important.

Strength is not the same as hardening.

Women do not have to lose their compassion to lead.
We do not have to shrink to belong.
We do not have to silence ourselves to succeed.

True strength is standing tall without losing your heart.

When There Was Nothing, We Built Something

Last year, I realized there was nothing happening in my community for International Women’s Day.

No gathering.
No celebration.
No intentional space for women to come together.

So seven weeks before March 8, I made a decision.

If it did not exist, we would create it.

With the help of two incredible friends, we pulled together our very first International Women’s Day event.

Ninety women showed up.

Ninety women who walked into a room that did not exist seven weeks earlier.

Leadership is not waiting for an invitation. It is pulling up a chair and building the table yourself.

And that is exactly what we did.

Impact Beyond the Room

Because we built that table, something even bigger happened.

At the end of last year’s event, we were able to give back $2,500 to local charities that support women experiencing domestic violence.

The impact did not stay in the room.

It moved outward.
Into homes.
Into support systems.
Into the lives of women who needed it most.

We also had several women owned businesses step forward as sponsors.

Our local woman owned law firm, J Donovan Law Group, immediately stepped up as our Platinum Sponsor. And this year, she once again chose to stand beside us and support the event.

That is another woman supporting women.

Another leader choosing action over applause.

Because empowerment is not just words on a stage. It is action.

Growing the Movement

This year, we have grown.

We moved to a larger venue.
We now have 125 women attending.

And the energy in that room is electric.

Women are speaking up.
Women are being seen and heard.
Women are connecting in real and meaningful ways.

Real bonds.
Real friendships.
Real possibilities.

That room is not just filled with people.

It is filled with courage.

Why This Day Still Matters

International Women’s Day is not about flowers and hashtags.

It is about equal opportunity.
It is about psychological safety.
It is about leadership.
It is about women supporting women.

It is about creating spaces where women do not feel alone.

Sometimes leadership is standing on a stage.

Sometimes leadership is setting the table.

I am honoured to help build rooms where women rise together.

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