News

June 10, 2021

Last month, Women+Power reviewed a podcast with a supporting book to give busy women the opportunity to maximize moments to learn skills, even if reading a book before the summer is optimistic. This month we are continuing that trend. In her 2018 Tedx talk Women, Power and Revolutionary Speech, Eliza VanCort shares communication behaviours that empower women and offer ways for men to be allies. Eliza speaks on how every woman can claim her power by using four communication tools:

• Silence;
• Cadence (speak slowly);
• Pitch; and
• Emotional stamping.

Originally, she was going to use her presentation to talk about the constraints put on women when it comes to speech. It morphed into something more constructive by presenting tools women can use to be powerful communicators and claim their space. For too long, women have been told to confine themselves – physically, socially, and emotionally.

In Eliza’s TEDx talk, she shares her personal story interwoven with recommended actions for women and men to change their behaviours. She masterfully interweaves gruesome experiences with personal growth. As a child, Eliza was kidnapped by her mother, who was struggling with her own mental health issues, three times across state lines. Eliza uses her experiences as a transformational pivot in her life.

Spend 16 minutes of your life to learn how to move forward and communicate with power. If you have a weekend to devote to this topic, read Eliza’s book!

Women+Power is pleased to announce FortisAlberta as our newest sponsor! FortisAlberta delivers safe and reliable electricity service to more than 60 percent of Alberta’s total electricity distribution network — that’s electricity to more than half a million residential, farm and business customers from across central and southern Alberta. FortisAlberta operates in 240 communities with more than 124,000 kilometres of power lines. As an electricity provider, FortisAlberta builds, maintains and repairs the lines that keep the power on. Their team of more than 1,100 Albertans, including 350 lineworkers, are at your service today and every day, across more than 50 municipal districts and counties.

Janine Sullivan, President and CEO of FortisAlberta stated, “We are proud at FortisAlberta to celebrate the contributions of each individual in order to create a strong culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. We seek to promote trust and awareness, strengthen voices that might not otherwise be heard and create opportunities to share individual perspectives. We recognize the importance of breaking down barriers for women and creating opportunities to lead within the electricity industry.”

You can meet Janine Sullivan at our Industry Panel Event “Industry Insights, Skills and DEI” scheduled for June 16, 2021, from 12 – 1:30 pm. If you haven’t already registered, you can register here.

Women+Power is pleased to announce our partnership with the CEATI Women in Power Group. The Centre for Energy Advancement through Technological Innovation (CEATI) is a user-driven organization committed to providing technology solutions to its electrical utility participants, who are brought together to collaborate and act jointly to advance the industry through the sharing and developing of practical and applicable knowledge.

The Women in Power collaborative venture is a networking, mentorship, and peer-to-peer support group that spans across the entirety of the CEATI organization. It aims to promote engineering and other technical careers to women in the field, and to share common challenges and strategies for overcoming obstacles as women in a field populated predominantly by men. In order to achieve these goals, the CEATI Women in Power Group offers the following three initiatives: Face-to-face networking at industry-open CEATI events, Women in Power Webinar Series, and a Mentorship Triad Program that connects women at different points in their career. Please visit us at: CEATI – Women in Power Group.

“We are excited to collaborate with CEATI Women in Power Group as the organizations are so closely aligned. CEATI offers numerous technical training opportunities that we will share with our members and members are encouraged to join the Women in Power Group to take advantage of opportunities provided by them,” said Sharleen Gatcha, Founder and CEO of Women+Power.

Women+Power is pleased to announce a new financial sponsor, Burns & McDonnell! “This sponsorship brings us one step closer to being able to provide the programs, initiatives and resources women in the electricity industry need to thrive,” said Founder and CEO, Sharleen Gatcha.

For more than 75 years, Burns & McDonnell has provided engineering services throughout Canada and is currently expanding its engineer-procure-construct capabilities across the country. Utilizing an integrated design and construction mindset, their Canadian team has worked on dozens of generation, transmission and distribution, and manufacturing projects for a range of utility and industrial clients. By leveraging knowledge, technology, and commitment of ownership, Burns & McDonnell consistently delivers safe, innovative and quality projects.

At Burns & McDonnell, they embrace the way our differences enrich the way we see the world, our business and each other. They are proud of their culture of inclusion and deeply desire to harness the strength of our diversity. They promote, share and encourage diversity, equity and inclusion within the workplace through various efforts, events and communication platforms. Every employee-owners unique story and perspective is valued regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or family background. Burns & McDonnell identifies, first and foremost, as fellow owners. Among their MacCulture Principles is “One Burns & McDonnell: We respect all, are accountable to all and trust in all.”

Burns & McDonnell is proud to be a sponsor of Women+Power. “As an active member in this community, we believe we can continue to jointly develop opportunities to promote increased diversity and inclusion in the Alberta power sector and beyond,” stated Darcy Wagner, Operations Manager.

Stay tuned for upcoming announcements about our sponsorship with Burns & McDonnell.

May 12, 2021

For this month’s installment of the EmPOWERment Hub, we bring you a short, but informative podcast: 6 essential lessons for women leaders.

This is a conversation with former Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, and former Finance Minister of Nigeria, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, both of whom have faced sexism and gender bias in their roles as leaders on the world stage.

Packed into less than 10 minutes, you get very real advice from international trailblazers on the sexism in the halls of power and the dearth of female role models, particularly women of colour. They celebrate Kamala Harris, reference advice from Jacinda Ardern and Hillary Clinton, and emphasize that there is joy in leadership and putting values into action, but women need to go in with their eyes open.

In case you are a parent or caregiver and haven’t had 10 spare minutes since early March of 2020 (we hear you – it’s a podcast for a multi-tasking reason!), here are some key takeaways:

1. There is no right way to be a woman leader.
2. There will be sexism and stereotyping – be ready for it.
3. We need to debunk the gender stereotypes.
4. There are structural barriers to women rising in leadership positions – we need to support the systems that need change right now.
5. Don’t shy away from taking up space in the world.
6. Most importantly: “Go for it!”

If this topic and these women are drawing you in, good news: there is also a book.

Gillard and Okonjo-Iweala remind us that we need to work together to change the rules that keep us at the margins and that we need to be there for each other. These sentiments are particularly true in our current challenging and tragic times. The she-cession is very real, and we will need to lift each other up as we climb out of this.

Strong, compassionate female leadership should be welcomed, encouraged, appreciated, and celebrated right now.

#womenleadership #womenempowerment

Author: Vittoria Bellissimo, Women+Power Board Member & IPCAA Executive Director

Article linked here.

As a person who has been a long time imposter…er… person with impostor syndrome, I am always on the hunt for useful tips to normalize and neutralize my feeling that, soon enough, people will discover THE SECRET TRUTH about me, the ultimate faker/Chair of the Women+Power board. 

This particular article has useful and very practical tips for coping with impostor syndrome, but also very helpfully highlighted why women and underrepresented folks in traditional industries are more prone to impostor syndrome. According to the article, studies have shown that “there is one factor that can reliably trigger impostor syndrome, and that is belonging to an under-represented minority group.” The article goes on to discuss women in science, but this would apply to any of us folks in technical fields:

Consider the experience of women in science, working amidst overwhelming numbers of men. Without the built-in comfort of looking and sounding like the typical person in the field, these women may feel as though they do not belong, as if they must work twice as hard to prove that they deserve the job they already have. Essentially, when you feel different from your peers—whether because of race, gender, sexual orientation, or any other trait—you may feel like an impostor who will soon be found out.

So, it’s normal, right? But it is hard to shake!

Besides working to create diverse representation in the power industry, which is the ultimate solution, the article provides a number of tips. One that I have found recently the most professionally useful is his suggestion that, when taking on a new project, not to expect instant success. As the author puts it, “most first drafts aren’t very good; why should yours be?” Now when I am working on something in a new area that I do not have experience in, I say to myself there is absolutely no reason why I would be perfect or good at this at this juncture. I am allowed to learn, and not be proficient until I have learned. Shifting my expectations of overperformance – no matter how new the task is to me – to a learning mindset has been (a teeny tiny bit) helpful in coping with impostor syndrome.

By: Katrina Edgerton-McGhan, Women+Power Board Chair

This event, the second in our Sponsor Spotlight Series, takes place on April 14, 2021, from 12 – 1 PM. Kara Kingston (Director of Brand and External Relations), joins Sarah Stevens (Vice President, Asset Management and Strategic Innovation) and Nicole Patey (Director, Talent Strategies & HR Business Partnering from ENMAX) to present a broad discussion on what it means to prepare for the future in the power industry.

The utility industry, like so many sectors, is facing significant transformation. Changing technologies, shifting customer expectations, and a rapidly increasing focus on climate change are bringing forward new ways of thinking.

As a regulated wires company, competitive power generator, and energy retailer, the ENMAX group of companies holds a unique perspective on these converging trends. Increasingly, we’re seeing the vital role that power companies can, and will, play. This past year, we’ve learned how important it is to be agile and not only follow the changing needs of the communities we serve, but also to plan for them in order to enable the communities of tomorrow.

Battery storage, the increased adoption of renewables, and the rise of electric vehicles are just some of the transformations we’re actively preparing for. We are also asking ourselves how we can do our part to address the environmental and social challenges of our times. As part of this adaptation, we are also looking inward at how we position our teams for success. From health and wellness to ergonomics to flexibility in where we work, we are reflecting on what we’ve learned from these unprecedented times and applying it to the future.

Watch the recap here:

March 15, 2021

The Downing Street Years, Margaret Thatcher

“The most technically and politically difficult privatization – and the one which went furthest in combining transfer of a public utility to the private sector with radical restructuring – was that of the Electricity Supply Industry.”  True that.

If it wasn’t for The Crown, and a fortuitous trip through a second-hand store, this book probably wouldn’t have caught my eye. Once I cracked it, however, I learned about one of the most remarkable leaders of the last century. Of any field. Of any endeavor. 

The word leader is important here because what we mostly see in politics are managers. Margaret Thatcher was no manager. She was not for jumping in front of popular parades or for eschewing tough decisions. As she once famously stated, “The lady is not for turning.”

In 11 years as Britain’s first female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher tried to shake off the burdens of a growing welfare state, weaned the coal, steel, auto and airline industries off subsidies, engaged in a controversial, but successful battle for the Falkland Islands, was bombed by the IRA, remained skeptical of the growing bureaucracy in the EU, goaded President Reagan and the U.S. to ramp up the nuclear deterrent against the Soviet Union until communism fell and, of course, began the world’s first steps towards deregulating a power market. She did so, often – as the only woman in the room.

While her policies and politics are not for everyone, she was true to her principles, pushed for and achieved great change, and thanks to restructuring the UK’s power market, is perhaps the original Women +Power. 

Author: Evan Bahry, Women+Power Board Member & Executive Director, IPPSA

Hardline Engineering Ltd. is an employee-owned design and engineering firm located in Alberta. They specialize in low, medium, and high voltage electrical utility and industrial design and serve clients across North America. Hardline is passionate about delivering the highest quality products and innovative solutions for its’ customers and growing a company with the culture, resources, and values to improve the communities in which they operate.

Hardline was founded on principles of equality, diversity, and inclusion. They believe that the best teams are made up of individuals whose unique experiences and backgrounds bring different perspectives to the table. Hardline acknowledges the areas in which we can improve ourselves and our industry and that the road to improvement requires awareness, dialogue, and collaboration.

Hardline is an extremely proud supporter of Women+Power and is committed to being an industry leader as a truly equal opportunity employer.

Website & Social Media Coordinator
Women+Power’s Website & Social Media Coordinator helps to increase the exposure of the organization through the organization’s website and social media platforms to achieve the objectives of our brand. From designing, creating, and publishing content for the website and social media, to creating monthly content calendars and marketing strategies to deliver our brand’s message in creative ways, this key position is the link between our organization, website and social media platforms.

Experience working with both websites (WordPress) and social media platforms is necessary. If you are self-directed and creative, we’d love to hear from you! Please contact us at hello@womenpower.ca to learn more and to set up an interview. Please type “Website & Social Media Coordinator” in the subject line and we will be in touch.

Grant Coordinator
Women+Power’s Grant Coordinator is a volunteer position. The Grant Coordinator is responsible for researching and applying for grants to obtain funding from external sources on behalf of the organization. These grants may be used as funding for a variety of purposes such as projects, programs and initiatives. Responsibilities include the development of proposals, completing grant-specific reports, researching the availability of both public and private grants, and reporting on the grant funding process to ensure the organization’s compliance with all requirements for receiving the grant.

Experience with grant writing is an asset but not a requirement. If you are self-directed and accomplished at business writing we’d love to hear from you! Please contact us at hello@womenpower.ca to learn more and to set up an interview. Please type “Grant Coordinator” in the subject line and we will be in touch.

February 10, 2021

January’s EmPOWERment Hub entry about the McKinsey & LeanIn co-study on Women in the Workplace inspires this entry. As we now know, there is a steep increase in the number of women exiting the workplace during this pandemic. Studies will be done on the broader impact of the pandemic on society, the economy, and even on our health for years to come, but we already find ourselves alluding to a new normal.

In considering this new normal in a lot of workplaces, one particular book comes to mind: Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office: 101 Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers by Lois P. Frankel, PhD originally published in the year 2004. In summary, this book lists several “errors” women make in the workplace that may impede their growth, or negatively influence the way they are perceived. It also offers suggestions on how to correct these errors and therefore improve your chance of success as a woman maneuvering a career in a world where women are usually under-represented.

The basic tenet of the book is that women are raised to be nice, which in this case means women seek to please even when it is to their own detriment. Many of the topics discussed in this book would be considered controversial by today’s standards. For example, the author emphasizes the importance of a woman’s physical appearance at work – including comments on how to dress smart and how to wear your hair, and body language when talking to male peers.

An updated version of the book, titled Nice Girls Still Don’t Get the Corner Office: Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers, by the same author, was published in 2013, about 10 years after its predecessor. This version of the book updated some of the author’s coaching tips to be more in line with the times (2013). But thinking of this book in the light of the new normal we are living in, I find myself wondering what advice Lois P. Frankel will offer women in the workplace today who are under even more pressure than usual juggling their careers, their families, their own well-being and even their mental health.  In the post-pandemic world, what new expectations can women look forward to grappling with as we continue to maneuver our careers in a patriarchal society?

Every February, Canadians are invited to participate in Black History Month festivities and events that honour the legacy of Black Canadians and black communities.

Black History Month is an opportunity to learn about the many contributions that Black Canadians have made to this country. This year’s theme for Black History Month is “The Future is Now”, a call to action for us to build on the legacy of those who came before us and to recognize the transformative work that Black Canadians are doing now.

Black people and communities have been a part of shaping Canada’s heritage and identity since the arrival of Mathieu Da Costa, a navigator and interpreter, whose presence in Canada dates back to the early 1600s.

Black history in Canada has not always been celebrated or highlighted. There is little mention that some of the Loyalists who came here after the American Revolution and settled in the Maritimes were people of African descent, or of the many sacrifices made in wartime by soldiers of African descent as far back as the War of 1812.

Canadians are not always aware of the fact that Black people were once enslaved in the territory that is now Canada or how those who fought enslavement helped to lay the foundation for the diverse and inclusive Canadian society we have today.

Black History Month is about honouring the enormous contributions that Black people have made, and continue to make, in all sectors of society. It is about celebrating resilience, innovation, and determination to work towards a more inclusive and diverse Canada—a Canada in which everyone has every opportunity to flourish.

Each week of February, Women+Power will feature some stories of Black women from history that have inspired us. Look for these posts on our website and social media platforms. If you are a black woman carving out your own path in the power industry in Alberta, we would love to hear from you to learn more about how we can support you and share your story!