In advance of the upcoming federal election in Canada, the WBN is hosting a panel discussion with movers and shakers changing the game for Women in Politics. Join us for a lively evening discussion focused on why the representation of women in politics matters, and what can be done to engage more women in politics. We’ll be hearing from local experts including CTV’s Rachel Aiello, Cherie Wong, a non-partisan intersectional feminst, Raylene Lang-Dion - feminist & activist extraordinaire, and Goldie Ghamari, MPP | Carleton.
Panelists:
Goldie Ghamari - A small business owner, an international trade lawyer, a community volunteer, a youth mentor, a dedicated wife and daughter, and a proud life-long Ontarian – Goldie is proud and humbled to be your Member of Provincial Parliament for the riding of Carleton.
“My parents immigrated to Canada in 1986 – I was only one at the time. They left everything behind in Iran because they believed Canada would give their children a better life and more opportunities. My father tells me that when we landed in Montreal, we only had two suitcases and $50 to our names. My parents worked very hard to build a new life for us in Canada. As new immigrants and then Canadian citizens, they made sure to integrate themselves into Canadian society, and they instilled in my sister and me the importance of respecting and living by our Canadian values.
My father comes from a farming family and he is an electrician, working daily with his hands. After staying at home to raise her two daughters, my mother now gives back to the community by working at a charity for isolated senior citizens. My younger sister is an aerospace engineer. My wonderful husband, Wayne, teaches statistics at Carleton University.
Learn more about Goldie on her LinkedIn profile.
Rachel Aiello - Rachel Aiello is CTV News’ online politics producer. She covers the latest political news from CTV's parliamentary bureau in Ottawa for CTVNews.ca. You can also catch her weekly on CTV’s Power Play, and is the author of CTV News' twice-weekly Capital Dispatch newsletter that will become a daily election digest when the writ drops. She has been a member of the Parliamentary Press Gallery since 2014.
Learn more about Rachel on her LinkedIn profile.
Cherie Wong - Cherie Wong (she/her) is a non-partisan intersectional feminist, living on unceded unsurrendered Algonquin Territories, also known as Ottawa. Cherie has been active in politics for over 5 years. Started out as a volunteer for Elizabeth May’s Hill Office, worked for the Greens national campaign in 2015, and help elected Adam Olsen in BC & Hannah’s Bell of PEI in 2017. In her career, Cherie was elected twice as the Co-Chair of the Young Greens of Canada, sitting on Federal Council as Youth Representative, and was the Youth Police Critic on Shadow Cabinet. At age 21, Cherie won a contested nomination and ran as a candidate in the provincial election in Ottawa Centre in 2018.
Learn more about Cherie on her LinkedIn profile.
Raylene Lang-Dion - Originally from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Raylene Lang-Dion has been calling Ottawa home for over 25 years.
A public servant by day and a community activist by night, Raylene has spent her life dedicated to public service.
She has worked in two provincial legislatures – St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Toronto, Ontario - and held positions with two federal Cabinet Ministers. Raylene has also been a senior Government Relations Advisor for the Dominion Institute (currently Historica Canada), and Principal of her own organization which focused on women’s health. She holds a master’s degree in Political Science from Memorial University of Newfoundland with a thesis on Women in Newfoundland Politics. Her undergrad in Political Science is from St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
Raylene spent over 12 years bringing a strategic approach to Equal Voice: Electing More Women in Canada to ensure that women are better represented in Canada’s democratic, decision-making institutions. As a volunteer, Raylene has held the position of National Chair twice in addition to Co-Founder of the Ottawa Chapter. Raylene was also elected Chair of the Community Addictions Peer-Support Association of Ottawa and currently sits on the Foundation Board of the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa. In 2018, Raylene ran as a first-time candidate in the Ottawa municipal election - Alta Vista Ward. She lost by 1% to an incumbent.
Raylene was awarded the silver ‘X’ from St. Francis Xavier University for her charity work, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for her contributions to women in politics and named in 2017 as one of Catherine Clark’s 150 Great People of Ottawa. In 2018, Raylene was awarded Ontario’s Leading Women Building Communities Award.
Raylene is married to Patrick Dion and is Mum to Claudia and James Lang-Dion.
Learn more about Raylene on her LinkedIn profile.
Event Schedule
5:30 pm – Arrivals & Networking
6:00 pm – Dinner (Hot Food Station)
6:30 pm – Panel Discussion
7:30 pm – Q & A
7:45 pm – Wrap up
Ticket includes a dinner. Refreshments are available.
Parking Information: Valet parking is only available at the hotel for a fee. Indoor parking is available at nearby garages. There is plenty of street parking nearby and there is parking at the World Exchange Plaza for $2.50 per 1/2 hour.
If you are a WBN member, please LOG IN to your account to register for the event at the member rate.
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If you have inquiries about our membership
Please contact our Executive Director
Soula Burrell
(613) 983-4145
soula@womensbusinessnetwork.ca