March 8, 2022 Newsletter

The only news you'll need this week 🎯

Clearing a New Path™ and Clearing a New Path Podcast™ are products of Radar Media, located in Dorchester, Ontario on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Neutral peoples who once used this land as their traditional beaver hunting grounds.  As a settler here I’m committed to deepening understanding of Indigenous communities and reframing responsibilities to land and community. I am grateful to Mother Earth for the opportunity for love and connection and to the spirits of the Elders and the Medicine People who still walk the Earth.

MARCH 8, 2022

Today is International Women's Day (IWD) - a day the United Nations says is “a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women.” I've collected some inspiring and thought-provoking stories for IWD. As always, your feedback is welcome. Just hit 'reply.

The Women's Enterprise Organizations of Canada is still looking for your input in their national survey. The deadline has been extended to later this week so if you haven't filled it out yet, please click on the link below.

DEADLINE EXTENDED:The Women's Enterprise Associations of Canada (WEOC) is looking for your input, if you are a female-identifying or non-binary entrepreneur in Canada. WEOC is gathering critical information AROUND ACCESSING FINANCIAL SUPPORTS, to implement new strategies focused in this group.

NEWS

On my mind this week:

Happy International Women's Day! #BreaktheBias

1.

Did you know the real Miss Vickie from Miss Vickie's potato chips was a rural Canadian entrepreneur? 

The now-famous recipe originated with Vickie Kerr on her potato farm in New Lowell, Ontario. The chips were launched at the 14th annual Alliston Potato Festival in 1987, quickly got popular and over the next few years the chips were produced and marketed from Pointe-Claire, Quebec, eventually holding 1% of the national market. In 1993, Miss Vickie's was purchased by Hostess Frito-Lay. (Photo:

)

2.

Women's rights are human rights!

profiled five Canadian women who have made their life's work fighting for human rights and equity.

When

Marina Nemat

was 16 years old, she was

arrested by her Iranian government, imprisoned, tortured and nearly executed for writing articles about unfair policies

. She emigrated to Canada in 1991 and eventually told her story.

 (Photo and article source):

)

3. 

Brigette Lacquette (from Mallard, Manitoba) is a pro scout for the Chicago Blackhawks, the first Indigenous woman to scout for an NHL team, and she was the first First Nations woman to play hockey for Canada at the Winter Olympics in 2018. 

Recently, a Dauphin (Manitoba) Kings player allegedly

made a racist gesture towards another player, mimicking shooting a bow and arrow.

He was suspended

. 

Lacquette weighed in.

"It is a racist act, period. Allowing this type of behaviour to continue is unacceptable," she said. "I have had to experience racism my entire life growing up and playing hockey. That was 15, 20 years ago. That was a long time ago and you would think that would change by now but I guess not."

(Image source: Eaglenest News, story source:

)

4. Three out of four surgeons at this rural Manitoba hospital are women. "

The executive director, Jim Neufeld says it is a happy accident that over three-quarters of surgeons in the community are women — they happened to be among the most qualified candidates — but that doesn't make it any less special... This group of surgeons that we have here, particularly the 10 females, has been really helpful in kind of building a team approach to the surgical services we can offer."(Source story and image:

)

*Where are the rural women of colour surgeons? Worth a deeper dive? Let us know, just hit reply!

5.

 Have you heard of Alok Vaid-Menon? I've been following them on Instagram and I consider them a saviour of our time.

Alok speaks of acceptance, of compassion, of beauty and of moving beyond the binary. Listen with delight and an open mind.

Here's Alok on one of my favourite pods:  

with Glennon Doyle (this is just part 1)

and on the

(Image: Copyright: Eivind Hansen Photography) Thoughts? We'd love to hear yours. Hit reply.

Clearing a New Path Podcast™ and this newsletter are both supported by Xplornet Enterprise Solutions

This week's newsletter supported by the Women's Enterprise Associations of Canada.

Please share the newsletter and the signup form! And if you know of a female entrepreneur in rural Canada that we should speak with, please connect: [email protected]