As I sit on the train and watch the fall colours roll by outside the window, I think about tomorrow. October 18th is Persons Day in Canada. It’s not a national holiday and I didn’t really become aware of it till recently.
Yesterday I was privileged to be part of a group of business people, academics and advocates meeting with MPs and Senators on Parliament Hill to bring our concerns and ideas to the table. Between meetings I slipped over to visit the Famous Five whose footsteps on those very same stones and halls and down the road at the Supreme Court are the reason I am legally called a person in Canada. There was a tourist with her young daughter visiting the ladies too. I was reminded of the New Hamburg woman whose words of encouragement on my campaign were offered with a thanks to me for showing her daughters that women can be leaders in our community. She said, “If we don’t show them, how will they believe they can do it?” I sat a moment and offered my thanks to Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Irene Parlby, Louise McKinney and Henrietta Muir Edwards for their tenacity, strength and passion.
As I prepare for the final few days of campaigning in this election, their example stands as an inspiration for working to make a difference in the world around us.
jenn4wilmot.ca 