Honouring women leaders, entrepreneurs.

• Author: MILLS, PATRICIA
• Position: Brief Article

Program profiles women who contribute to wealth, job creation and economic diversity of Ontario s' North

In March 2000, the National Post published the profiles of 50 women in a special section called The Power 50. They highlighted these women as Canada's most influential women, and the list was very impressive. It included Suzanne Labarge, vice-chair and chief risk officer for the Royal Bank (the most powerful woman in the Canadian banking sector), Barbara Stymiest, president and CEO of the Toronto Stock Exchange, and Bobbie Gaunt, president and CEO of Ford Motor Co. of Canada Ltd.

Their stories of success were inspiring and educational, and confirmed to us that the Influential Women of Northern Ontario program was on the right track, and a few years ahead of similar initiatives.

Northern Ontario Business published its first Influential Women of Northern Ontario (IW) supplement four years ago. The initiative was imitated by other business publications, and the launch of the Influential Women of Northern Ontario Awards luncheons in 2000 was followed by similar events in other parts of Canada.

There appears to be growing recognition that women leaders contribute, not only to the social well being of our communities and of our country, but also to economic wealth, job creation, innovation and leadership in many key areas of our economy.

It is no different in Northern Ontario.

While we do not house international automotive plants like Ford Motor Co. or central banking giants like the Royal Bank, Northern Ontario does have its share of successful local and regional businesses, many of which are operated by women as owners, operators or partners.

As well, some of the key decision-makers in economic development in the North are also women who control budgets in the millions and millions of dollars and economic policy that contributes resources to all entrepreneurs.

NOB has been profiling the success and struggles of its business community for 20 years in both its main news pages and in many special sections of the paper -- from mining and forestry reports to engineering and construction reports. These reports highlight the backbone of our economy.

But missing from many of its pages were the struggles and triumphs of its women leaders, who continue to contribute more and more to the economic diversity the North is relying upon for growth. This was not intentional. When one looks at the economic base of the North, it was, and largely still is...