[Re-sent] December 2021 Newsletter

Dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices of women entrepreneurs in rural Canada (Upper Turtle Island) Normalizing uncomfortable in rural Canada

DECEMBER 2021

And here we are.

• From working as a chef, with excruciating pain from irritants on her hands, to moving to rural Newfoundland and making her own personal products from scratch! Justine Anderson of Wildflower Co. talks about life in picturesque Codroy Valley, overcoming doubt and creating products in her copper still.

• Ever wondered if starting a co-operative in your rural community is a good idea? Would it fly? Heather Hallgrimson of Co-operatives First tells us all about co-ops.

• Struggling to find their own work experience as rural post-secondary students, Heather Taylor and two friends created Rural and Ready, a non profit that providesstudents living in rural communities with valuable educational resources & opportunities. She talks about growing up in a rural community and the lack of opportunities presented to female students.

WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR INTERESTING GUESTS!

SUGGEST SOMEONE BELOW

Want to share your story? Starting in 2022, we want YOUR WORDS in our Blog of the Month. The theme is My Journey.The blog can be a post you've already posted on your own blog, your organization's blog or something you'd like to submit to be published for the first time! We will credit you and direct folks to your business or personal site.*You must be a rural Canadian entrepreneur who identifies as female. DEADLINE December 20, 2021.

NEWS

• It is THE season for small businesses. Here's some hashtags (#) you can follow and add to your social posts so folks can find you during the holiday buying season - #shoplocal #smallbusinessowner #smallbuisness #locallymade #shopsmall #shopsmallbusiness #buylocal #localsupportinglocal #madeinCanada #madein(add your local town or province)

• Partnering with an organization can be a great way to promote your business. Many organizations have curated online markets for holiday buying. Here's just one example. WeBC’s virtual portal lists 450 women-owned businesses for easy holiday shopping Source: The Northern Review

• Folklorist and performance storyteller from Kaslo, B.C., Shayna Jones is leading the Black and Rural Project. Jones moved to the Kootenay mountains to escape big city life and provide her kids an opportunity to connect with the earth. Source: CBC News

• The University of Guelph has launched the People's Archives of Rural Ontario to document and share the stories of rural Ontarians. You can suggest a story here.

• Women and Gender Equality Canada Provides $557,299 to Standardize Policy for Violence Against Women Shelters Across Rural Canada - Source: Rural Development Network

• How this woman entrepreneur’s menstrual cup is changing mindsets in rural areas Source: YourStory

As we approach the holiday season, as you can imagine, events are a bit scarce BUT if you'd like your 2022 event in our newsletter, please submit below!

December 7, 13 and 15th 

• Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity (REDI) workshop (3 part series) - Equal Futures Network

December 2

• Rocking Your Facebook Business Page - Community Futures Northwest

December 3 - International Day of People with Disabilities

• Panel Presentation: Business Resources for Entrepreneurs with Health Conditions or Disabilities - Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program

• Intersectional Perspectives: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of People with Disabilities -Equal Futures Network (This event is in French with simultaneous interpretation)

December 10

• Indigenous | Wabanaki Women Rising Series - Women in Business New Brunswick

*All events are FREE and virtual unless otherwise indicated - Make sure you check the time zone!

• THE RURAL CREATIVES SPRINGBOARD is a collaboration between Artscape and the Canadian Centre of Rural Creativity. The Springboard spotlights and supports diverse voices of creative entrepreneurship across Canada. More info and application here. Deadline to apply is December 6, 2021

• Alberta - Restrictions Exemption Program Implementation Grant - $2,000 for eligible small- and medium-sized organizations that choose to implement the Restrictions Exemption Program.

We can create all kinds of cool stuff but... it's no good if YOU can't use it!

Eventually, we'll move this section on to our website but we'll start with a few here. Please contact us if you'd like to add a resource to the list.

• Community Futures Network of Canada - Provides business counselling (free), training (low cost or free) and financial products (including business loans) There are 267 offices across Canada in rural communities. Each province has its own set of offices. Click on your province to find out more. (Funded by the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development)

• Tools and resources from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB)

• Business Plan template and Entrepreneur's Toolkit Source: Business Development Canada (BDC)

• StartUp Canada's StartUp Women 

• Resources from the Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce 

• Community Futures Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program (EDP) (rural Alberta)

• State of Women's Entrepreneurship in Canada (slide deck on pdf) Source: Women's Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub 

• Indigenous Women's Business Directory Source: Native Women's Association of Canada

• List of Canadian Female Mayors and First Nations Band Council Chiefs Source: Equal Futures Network

• What We Heard Report: Gender Equality Week 2021 - A fantastic visual and roadmap of co-creating a more gender-just Canada - Source Equal Futures Network

• Worth noting, this report was presented to the House on June 15, 2021, asking for Government Response: Report 9: Challenges Faced by Women Living in Rural, Remote and Northern Communities in Canada

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

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]