Luz Maria Alvarez-Wilson before council, April 10.

Hub Staff

To highlight the upcoming Bruce County Women’s Show at the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre, Luz Maria Alvarez-Wilson of the Huron Group addressed Saugeen Shores Council during the April 10 Committee of the Whole meeting.

Alvarez-Wilson highlighted the role women play in the local economy and told councillors that the Bruce County Women’s Show was imagined to “further the empowerment of entrepreneurial women in the area by showcasing businesses by women for women.”

The show, which is set to take place on April 22 from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., will include local, women-run businesses and vendors as well as presentations from three speakers, including Dr. Patricia Campbell, author, part-time university instructor and founder of Love2Learn who offers fun and inspiring workshops on skills for business, academic and personal success; Jen Fowler, an investment consultant with Investors Group; and Dr. Andrea O’Reilly, professor at the School of Women’s Studies at York University and founder-director of the Motherhood Initiative and Demeter Press.

Joanne Robbins, Manager of the Saugeen Shores Chamber of Commerce was in attendance at the April 10 meeting and said that most businesses in Saugeen Shores are run by women.

“Over the last five years we’ve notice more and more women entrepreneurs opening businesses and becoming community leaders in both Port Elgin and Southampton,” said Robbins. “While some of those start-ups can be attributed to the influx of Bruce Power families, with spouses becoming part of our business mix, others are people with an entrepreneurial spirit and good ideas.” Robbins added that with web-based business, women choose to do business from Saugeen Shores “for the quality of life we offer them and their families.”

At a county level, Youth Business Development Coordinator, Karisa Downey said between April 1, 2016 and March 31, 2017, 13 women and four men were successful in completing the Starter Company program and each received grants of $5,000 to contribute to their businesses.

The Bruce County Women’s Show will be the first event hosted by Wilson’s The Huron Group. During her presentation to Council, Alvarez-Wilson said that the show will also give new-immigrant female entrepreneurs, such as herself, Julie Quizon and Ghaydaa Al Ibrahim, a chance to network with other women in the community. Quizon and Al Ibrahim will be preparing authentic Middle Eastern food to be sold at the Show.

Tickets for the Bruce County Women’s Show are $25, a portion of ticket sales going towards the Women’s House Serving Bruce and Grey. Tickets will be sold at the door, at the Bruce County Museum or at Kristen’s Pharmacy in Southampton.

Luz Maria Alvarez-Wilson before council, April 10.