With two ministerial appointments to her name, a cross-country tour to each corner of the country, and myriad community involvements, Maryam Monsef looks the picture of courage and grace.

So when Sandra Dueck, the moderator at the Women in Politics panel held last night at the Holiday Inn, asked the Peterborough-Kawartha MP to identify the hardest part of campaigning for her position, Monsef’s response raised a few eyebrows.

“The hardest part, for me,” Monsef said, “was actually making the decision to put my name in the race — working up the courage to do that work, that’s the hard part.”

Monsef was one of three local female politicians on the panel at the January meeting of the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough (WBN).

The panel spanned age, length of career, background and political vision: joining Maryam Monsef was Peterborough Councillor Diane Therrien and Selwyn Mayor Mary Smith.

Monsef told the 150 WBN members and guests in the crowd — all women — that her interest in politics came naturally but the inspiration to serve was a gift.

“My whole life has been affected by politics,” she said, referring obliquely to her history as a refugee. The decision to run came after more than a dozen people encouraged her. “That was a tipping point for me.”

On the other hand, Mayor Mary Smith comes from a family of male politicians. Her father was on council for more than 40 years, and her grandfather also served municipally. Yet, she says she “never dreamt” she would enter politics.

It was only after she was passionately involved in her community on matters of the environment and rural outreach that she was poised to consider politics when a position on the municipal board opened. And then, it was the encouragement of others on the council, that prompted her to put her name forward.

Smith has just completed 19 years in politics and was recently also named Deputy Warden of Peterborough County.

“It’s an incredible career,” she told the women in the room. “The opportunities to learn, the people I’ve met. It’s incredible to think how much you stretch yourself when you engage in politics.”

Diane Therrien grew up asking the same questions she asks every day as one of Peterborough’s newest city councillors — why and why not?

Yet again, it wasn’t until her local community encouraged her that the idea of entering politics became a plan.

The Women in Politics is part of a new direction for WBN, which made a strategic decision last spring to become more “deliberately” active in politics.

“We felt we should have a powerful voice beyond the business platform,” said WBN president Mary McGee.

And powerful it was, according to WBN members and guests who attended.

WBN member Kemi Akapo said the message she took away is that everyone has the potential to get involved in creating change.

“It’s never just one person running for political office,” she said. “It takes an entire community.”

“Be heard; get your voice out there,” said member Karen Laws. “And don’t think your voice doesn’t matter. It does.”

And for Dr. Catherine Owens the message was about courage.

“Each of the panelists talked about how they reached deeply into themselves and then took that passion public. To me, that’s awesome and inspiring.”

Speaking of inspiring women, in March the WBN will host Peterborough’s first-ever International Women’s Day Conference, featuring CBC Radio host Candy Palmater, career expert Sarah Vermunt, and veteran actress Linda Kash as keynote speakers. The conference takes place on Wednesday, March 8th — International Women’s Day — at the Ashburnham Reception Centre in Peterborough.

Monsef refers to “challenges” of first year in office

Just a day after a cabinet shuffle that saw her shifted from the high-profile Democratic Reform ministry to become Minister for Status of Women — and a few weeks after she issued an apology for strongly criticizing an all-party committee in the House of Commons — Monsef didn’t directly address the challenges of her first year in office. She did, however, admit that others had acknowledged her challenges.

While the questions at the panel offered her ample opportunity to cite examples of challenges in her new political career, Monsef kept her answers general, referring to the encouragement she received from the community and the inspiration she continues to receive, especially from stories of children who look up to her.

“An Afghani woman reached out to me recently to say she knew my first year as a member of parliament had been rewarding, but also challenging,” Monsef said. “She asked me to consider this when the challenges seemed big: she said her six-year-old daughter had taken to standing in the middle of the living room pretending to be me. She said to me, it’s not just about you anymore, Maryam. It’s about her. You’ve opened a world of opportunity for my daughter.”

“I never thought there would be little girls out there who would look at me the way I look at some women mentors. It’s a tremendous responsibility.”

Smith’s political “signature” openness and transparency

Veteran politician Mary Smith says there is one thing above anything else that ignites her political spirit.

Answering a question about something she has “fought for” as a politician, Smith answered quickly.

“For me, it’s the fight for process, which is often hard,” she told the crowd. “Openness and transparency are so important,” she added. “And that can, sometimes, be a tough battle.”

Smith was elected Mayor of Selwyn in 2010 and 2014 and this month was appointed Deputy Warden of Peterborough County.

“Your voice is so important,” she said. “Your message is so critical.”

Therrien admits PDI process could have been “better”

Peterborough Councillor Diane Therrien said she’s in politics for one reason: to make things better for everyone.

A self-identified “rebellious child,” Therrien says she was dismayed when most of the talks about the sale of Peterborough Distribution Inc. to Hydro One were taking place without public input.

She was particularly concerned that there were residents in the county who would be affected by the decision, but had no forum to share their concerns and questions.

“In everything, I want to know why things are the way they are, and why they can’t be any better,” she said.

Therrien pushed for inclusive civic engagement, a move that led to a series of public meetings.

“I had to lobby hard for that,” she said. “Granted the process could have been done better. We can always do better.”

As part of his cross-Canada tour to consult with Canadians, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be attending a town hall meeting in Peterborough on Friday, January 13th. He will be joined by Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef, who was sworn in earlier today as Minister for Status of Women.

According to information received from Monsef’s office, the two-hour town hall “is an opportunity for the Prime Minister to remain connected with Canadians and engage with them across the country, at home in their communities. The Prime Minister wants to hear from you about how you are feeling as we enter the new year.”

The town hall takes place from 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Friday, January 13th, at the Banquet Hall at Evinrude Centre (911 Monaghan Rd., Peterborough). As there is hockey tournament taking place at the Evinrude Centre at the same time, arrangements have been made for town hall participants to park across the street at the Canadian Canoe Museum.

People are asked to RSVP if they plan to attend. [Editor’s note: the RSVP page at Maryam Monsef’s website is no longer available, so we have removed the link.]

On his way to Peterborough, the Prime Minister is also scheduled to make a brief, informal stop at Rhino’s Roadhouse on Rice Lake in Bewdley. He will arrive there at 9 a.m. on Friday for breakfast and, weather permitting, may go ice fishing on Rice Lake.

Rhino’s is a popular restaurant on Rice Lake that was rebuilt after being severely damaged in a September 2015 fire. Note that the restaurant is not accepting any reservations for Friday morning due to the publicity it has received as a result of the announced visit.

January. Back to work full force, back to school. If you’re not a full-fledged snowthusiast then you might be feeling the mid-winter meltdown creeping in. Luckily, there’s no lack of activity, entertainment and talent in Peterborough and the Kawarthas for you to choose from. There is so much going on (and more every year) that I have a challenge limiting my picks. So this week’s list is designed to get some glow back in your January blues. Oh, and just so we’re clear — we’re 69 days to the first day of spring!

Snofest! Because January.

Snofest is back of course and it’s on for the full month. Snofest Idol wrapped up this past weekend, with the winner — 16-year-old Snelgrove Eadie, a Thomas A. Stewart Grade 11 student — announced at Showplace Performance Centre.

Carnival on the Hill happens on Saturday, January 21st, starting with the Mayor’s Pancake Breakfast followed by fun events indoors and outdoors beside the Liftlock canal and at the Peterborough Museum and Archives.

Speaking of the Liftlock canal, keep an eye out for our canal skating updates as conditions freeze further (and thaw, and freeze). Here is our most recent update.

For the full lineup of Snofest events in one convenient place, check out our Snofest column.

It’s hot inside the Market Hall this month with Mudmen, Lee Harvey Osmond, Broadway Gender Benders, and more

Kudos to the Market Hall (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough) for presenting extra shows and bringing in some unusual events and hot acts this season.

This Thursday night, A71 Entertainment — founded by Peterborough’s own Chad Maker and Kirk Comrie — presents Canadian indie film Sadie’s Last Days on Earth at 7:30 p.m. This movie isn’t playing in local theatres and it’s a one-night-only screening. More event details are here and make sure to read Sam Tweedle’s exclusive interview with co-producer and actor Paula Brancati.

Then on Saturday night, Mudmen will definitely heat up the Market Hall stage starting at 8 p.m. Always entertaining and definitely unique, Mudmen are a blast of Celtic energy whose members — including the bagpipe-playing Campbell brothers — are known to be characters both on and off stage. And they’re challenging you to wear some plaid. Read our music writer Josh Fewing’s interview with Robby Campbell.

And next Thursday (January 19), Tom Wilson is back as Lee Harvey Osmond with his very talented band made up of his son Thompson Wilson, drummer Ray Farrugia (formerly of Junkhouse), and pedal steel talent Aaron Goldstein. Tom’s a renaissance man, a lot of fun on stage and these are some of the best musicians in Canada. Does it get better than that? Read our interview with Tom by Josh Fewings.

Also at the Market Hall next Friday night (January 20) is New Stages Theatre Company’s annual Cabaret Night. It’s typically a sellout, so don’t delay and get your tickets now. This year’s theme is “Broadway Gender Benders”, when some of Canada’s (and Peterborough’s) finest musical theatre performers sing songs from roles they would never be cast to play. This promises to be one of the most exciting and unique nights of theatre all year.

Bobcaygeon gets lucky with Mayhemingways this Friday the 13th at the Kawartha Coffee Co.

kawarthaNOW kudos to Kathleen Seymour at Kawartha Coffee Co. (49 Bolton St., Bobcaygeon), who clearly recognizes talent when she sees it. This Friday night, she’s bringing Mayhemingways in to play a show.

Mayhemingways — the multi-talented Benj Rowland and our very own Josh Fewings — are a duo with a big sound of fuzz-folk. It’s roots music tinged with bluegrass, Cajun, and Celtic music, delivered by accordion, banjo, guitar, drums and bass pedals.

The show at Kawartha Coffee Co. takes place on Friday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The hat will be passed over the course of the evening (with a suggested donation is $10).

This booking is fresh off the announcement that Mayhemingways will be the backing band this spring for Joel Plaskett, who’s touring a new record with his dad Bill. Read our interview with Josh and Joel by Paul Rellinger.

Back to business! Save the dates for these notable business events

You may have noticed that Peterborough and area has stepped up the networking game over the past few years. Every week, there’s a great selection of events where business owners can learn, be inspired, and network. If you haven’t browsed our business networking column lately, you might want to take a look — and it’s regional too!

Coming up later this month, on Wednesday, January 25th at The Venue (286 George St. N., Peterborough) is the second annual Power Hour presented by the Greater Peterborough Area Chamber of Commerce. Keynote speeches will be delivered by Maryam Monsef (MP Peterborough-Kawartha and Minister of Status of Women), Jeff Leal (MPP Peterborough and Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs), J. Murray Jones (Warden, County of Peterborough) and Daryl Bennett (Mayor, City of Peterborough).

This event is an important opportunity for the business community to speak and hear directly from Peterborough’s elected officials. City and County Councillors, First Nations Chiefs, and City and County CAOs have also been invited to attend. It was a sellout last year, so don’t delay to book your seats.

And save the date of Wednesday, March 8th for the first International Women’s Day Conference Peterborough. I have to admit, I’m pretty excited about this event. It may have something to do with me falling into a woman-crush zone with Candy Palmater last summer when she hosted her first show on CBC Radio. Well, if you’re a Candy fan too, you’ll definitely not want to miss the conference on International Women’s Day 2017, because Candy Palmater will be one of three keynote speakers, along with author Sarah Vermunt and our local angel Linda Kash.

The conference is a full day of workshops and learning, under the theme of “Inspire, Empower and Act”, and was conceived by Louise Racine, local business owner of Thirteen Moons, when she won the Judy Heffernan Memorial Award. She was inspired to put her win to good work, and is leading a local committee to organize the event, which has been endorsed and promoted by the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough. Read our story on the conference — and watch for more updates coming soon!

That’s a wrap for this week. And just another reminder there are 69 days to the first day of spring. Stay warm. Because January.

If you’d like to have your event considered as a top pick, your first step is to make sure to submit it to our event system.

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As part of the cabinet shuffle to be announced by the Trudeau government on Tuesday (January 10), CBC News is reporting that Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef will be moved from Democratic Institutions to the Status of Women portfolio. She will replace Patty Hajdu, who will become the Minister of Labour.

The move is one of several changes as a result of the shuffle, which comes as Prime Minister Trudeau embarks on a cross-country campaign-style tour.

The shuffle, which comes two weeks before Donald Trump’s inauguration as President of the United States, is also seen as preparation for the uncertainties of Trump administration. The U.S. is Canada’s largest trading partner and, wile Trump has largely ignored Canada to date, he has promised to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Monsef’s removal as Minister of Democratic Institutions comes after she was widely criticized for her handling of electoral reform, one of Trudeau’s campaign promises. Karina Gould will take over the portfolio.

First-time MP Monsef was sworn into cabinet in November 2015 as Trudeau’s youngest minister at age 31. She was tasked with reforming the government’s Senate appointment process and proposing a replacement for Canada’s 150-year-old electoral system.

Although Monsef had completed a reform of the Senate appointment process by July 2016, critics accused her of stalling on electoral reform. The issue came to a head in December 2016, when Monsef claimed in the House of Commons that an all-party committee had failed to do its job. MPs on the committee accused her of lying in the House of Commons, and Monsef eventually issued an apology.

Other changes in the Trudeau government to be announced today, according to CBC News:

• Chrystia Freeland replaces Stéphane Dion in foreign affairs (Dion is leaving politics to take a diplomatic post)
• John McCallum will be named Canada’s ambassador to China
• François-Philippe Champagne will be named Minister of International Trade
• Ahmed Hussen will be named Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

The new cabinet will hold its first retreat on January 23rd and 24th in Calgary, Alberta.