CORNWALL, Ontario – For the fifth year in a row, the International Women’s Day Show drew a large crowd at the Cornwall Civic Complex on Sunday, March 3.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., attendees could browse locally made goods and service opportunities, experience interactive art and listen to guest speakers Mayor Bernadette Clement and Sue Stewart. A total of 55 vendors displayed their talents.
“The Women’s Day Show is a day to empower and honour women. It’s all about the girls today,” said Julia Lucio, Co-Organizer of the event. “It’s important to acknowledge that women are a big part of this community and small business women are a big part of the economy.”
Mai-Liis Renaud, Co-Organizer of the event, explained that last year’s show drew a crowd of 1,800 individuals. Proceeds raised from admission into the event will be donated to Maison Baldwin House and Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS) for Women of SDG&A.
“They are two big organizations that often service women in Cornwall,” explained Lucio.
Lucio and Renaud were excited to host Mayor Bernadette Clement, who was going to speak about her political experience and road to becoming the first female Mayor in Cornwall, as well as the first black female Mayor in Ontario. Sue Stewart was set to speak about what it’s like to succeed as a business woman in our small city and garner a large social media following.
Mayor Clement began her speech and interview with Stewart by explaining how she moved to Cornwall 27 years ago when she was originally hired at the SDG Legal Clinic. As a new University of Ottawa graduate, Mayor Clement intended to stay local for a few years but decided to stay.
“I fell in love with Cornwall…really, truly,” said Mayor Clement.
In 2006, Mayor Clement decided to involve herself in politics. She had an interest in taxes, noted that there were no female City Councillors and that the city was in a transition period following the closure of Domtar.
“It felt like it was time to be involved in Cornwall in a different way,” said Mayor Clement. “I wanted to be a part of what it becomes…it felt like the time to get involved on a political level.”
“So in 2006, she coined the phrase ‘It’s time’ and really did deliver over and over again,” said Stewart.
