Read more from each of these women throughout March in separate blog articles.
The theme of 2020 International Women’s Day is #EachforEqual. So, we asked a few of our downtown businesswomen what equality means to them, and here’s what they said:
Shawn McKean: Broad Street Cycles
Equality is fundamental to our values at Broad Street Cycles. For us, equality means that nobody who walks through our doors is judged based on the body they inhabit or their background.
Cycling has traditionally been a male-dominant activity so we have made it a priority to support activities that recognize, encourage, and empower women. Broad Street Cycles is a strong supporter of the Tripleshot Cycling Club’s annual women’s road cycling skills clinic, which is run by women, for women. We love encouraging new talent, so we are very proud to have supported and helped to launch many local female cyclists, including Olympic medalist Gillian Carlton, former pro, Megan Rathwell, and new pro, Holly Henry. For 2020, Broad Street Cycles is supporting the Vancouver-based UCI Continental women’s professional race team Instafund La Prima as their official bike shop. There are two Vancouver Island riders on this team, Kristen Kit and Gillian Ellsay, and we can’t wait to watch them race!
Evelyn Andrews-Greene: Andrews-Greene CPA
My Motto: “Aim for the Moon, and you’ll at least be amongst the Stars”. Walking one’s talk is key.
I was the first woman accepted into the Chartered Accounting articling program in Saskatchewan in 1973 (with the international CA firm of Deloittes Touche), then a male-only profession. Only a couple of decades later, and my accounting profession is comfortably equally-balanced. (In addition to being the first woman accepted into the CA articling program in Sask, I was the first who came with a BA (Psychology) instead of with B.Com. Even more hard work than usual, catching up on the B.Com!)
Canadian-wise, my sole-owner Chartered Accounting firm was only one of a very few sole-owner firms approved to train Chartered Accounting articling students for twenty years; unbelievably rare for any sole-owner, woman or man. We should, all, be focused on Building a Vibrant, Positive, All-inclusive Community!
As a sole-owner downtown Victoria professional, my CA firm has won the Annual “Professional Company of Vancouver Island” Business-Excellence Award in four different years, and my firm won second place (to Delta Hotel) in the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce’s “Excellence in Training in the WorkPlace” Annual Award.
Lorna Ketler: Bodacious
I believe that all people and in my situation, all women deserve to have clothing choices in a variety of styles and sizes so that they can create their own style and feel beautiful and strong in the world. Lack of choices/options in a range of sizes can limit how we feel about and in our bodies.
Sylvia Lau: Oriental Emporium
Sylvia prefers that we do not use her photo. She is one of the friendliest store owners in the downtown core. We strongly recommend you visit her little shop in Chinatown and meet her.
Today, people say men and women are supposed to be equal. But when there’s a woman working at the store, people are much more likely to grab things and leave without paying. I don’t ask my employees to chase after anyone!
