A written petition launched by Rick Chiarelli survivors is demanding changes to the Municipal Act. Many women bravely came forward to share their stories of being abused and sexually objectified or worse while working for City of Ottawa Councillor Rick Chiarelli and although the Integrity Commissioner recommended the harshest penalties available, Rick Chiarelli is still the elected representative for College Ward in the City of Ottawa. 

​The way the Municipal Act is written today, it includes rules to unseat an elected official if there are violations relating to conflict of interest, absenteeism by missing three consecutive months of meetings, if the elected official no longer lives in the municipality,  if they are "a person who is serving a sentence of imprisonment in a penal or correctional institution" or convicted of crimes relating to subsection 90(3) of the Municipal Elections Act.  A precedence is already set that can unseat a politician that doesn't involve an election. A fair infrastructure through the court system already exists, this petition asks that the Municipal Act and/or the Municipal Elections Act also include an appropriate degree of accountability for conduct from those entrusted with creating our laws and policies. Although grateful for the online petitions started by members of the public, they are not accepted at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Why aren’t there an equal number of women in politics and business? Are they paid equally? Are their voices heard as strongly as their male peers? What needs to change?

GUEST: Sophia Aggelonitis, Former Minister of Revenue and Liberal MP, Canadian businesswoman

Canadian Women & Sport was formed in 1981 as the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS). The organization’s mission remains largely the same today as it was 40 years ago: to build an equitable and inclusive sport system that empowers girls and women within and through.

Since its inception, Canadian Women & Sport has partnered with sport and physical organizations, governments, and leaders across all provinces and territories to advocate for inclusion and to support new policies and practices that create safe, welcoming and inclusive environments for all women and girls. Individuals and organizations that work with Canadian Women & Sport report being more confident to implement new ideas to better serve girls and women, ultimately building better sport programming for all.

In honour of International Women’s Day, Canadian Women & Sport asks sport leaders to challenge inequity through their return to sport plans in recognition of the integral role that women and girls play in sport and their right to enjoy the benefits of sport. 

GUEST: Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, CEO of Canadian Women & Sport

HWDSB Voted on Trustee Sanctions Following Breaches of Code of Conduct

Reaction to the decision and the importance of diversity and women in education

GUEST: Ahona Mehdi, Former HWDSB student trustee

The Bill Kelly Show Podcast:

Why have racialized women in science not seeing the same rate of success as white women? How can science be more inclusive for all women?

GUEST: Dr. Juliet M. Daniel, Professor and (Acting) Associate Dean of Research & External Relations with Faculty of Science with McMaster University

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HWDSB Voted on Trustee Sanctions Following Breaches of Code of Conduct

Reaction to the decision and the importance of diversity and women in education

GUEST: Ahona Mehdi, Former HWDSB student trustee

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“The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is #ChooseToChallenge – a call-to-action on building a gender-equal world. We, at the Ontario Chamber, choose to challenge our public policymakers to take action in their upcoming budgets,” said Rocco Rossi, President and CEO, OCC. “These aren’t simply women’s issues; they are economic issues. For the OCC, #ChooseToChallenge means applying both legislative and social solutions to the challenges faced by women in the workplace, many of which have been amplified by the pandemic.”

The OCC’s recent report, The She-Covery Project: Confronting the Gendered Economic Impacts of COVID-19 in Ontario lays out a path to Ontario’s “she-covery” by offering recommendations to confront both immediate and longer-term challenges around leadership and accountability, child care, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and flexible work.

GUEST: Michelle Eaton, Vice President of Public Affairs with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce