Women in politics focus of fall area conference

A former Ontario deputy premier and other women involved in civic politics in Southwestern Ontario are among those expected at a London conference focused on getting more women to run for office.

Christine Elliott, Ontario’s former deputy premier and health minister, will speak at the Women’s Leadership Conference that Sarnia’s Helen Cole is helping to organize.

“We’re pretty excited about that,” said Cole, who founded the Jean Collective to help and encourage women to run for public office. “She has been a very successful politician.”

The one-day conference, Sept. 16 at the Stoneridge Inn and Conference Center in London, came to be after Cole connected with several women involved in local politics in the London area.

The organizing includes Cathy Burghardt-Jesson, warden of Middlesex County committee, Aina DeViet, mayor of Middlesex Centre, Sharron McMillan, mayor of Thames Centre, and other politicians and former politicians.

The conference came out of “brainstorming sessions” aimed at coming up with ways to encourage more women to enter politics, Cole said.

“Myself, and the organizing committee, are really hoping this will encourage women to start looking at this as an option,” she said.

“It will be an opportunity to learn, and to chat with other women.”

Lambton County has 11 municipalities but only one woman serving as mayor – Bev Hand in Point Edward. The 17 members of Lambton County council include two women – Hand and Sarnia Coun. Chrissy McRoberts.

There are two women – McRoberts and Anne Marie Gillis – on the nine-member Sarnia city council.

Cole said she discovered last year while working with a number of women interested in politics that many don’t begin planning soon enough.

“That’s why we’re doing it now, and I hope to do more next year,” she said about the conference.

Ontario’s next municipal election is in 2026.

“My focus has always been local government,” Cole said. “That’s the level of government where you are closest to the people and where you can really make change.”

But, the conference may also inspire women to consider running for other levels of government, she said.

Cole created the Jean Collective – named for her mentor Jean Macdougall – with the goal of achieving parity in politics and a focus on municipal councils in southwestern Ontario.

Panelists at the London conference will include MPP Karen Vecchio, Marigay Wilkins, former South West Middlesex councilor and warden, Gillis and Cathy Abraham, president of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association.

Conference sponsors include the Siskinds law firm in London.

There’s room for 100 to attend, Cole said.

Registration information is available online at thejeancollective.ca/leadership-conference.

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