Women's conference gets a boost

Diahann Polege-Aulotte has secured a big win for women in Bonnyville.

With the combined help of Bonnyville Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) and 11 other community programs, Polege-Aulotte put forward a successful application for a Status of Women grant.

The Alberta government announced the inaugural grant program last year. The initiative was designed to provide funding for non-profit organizations with the goal of helping women and girls in the community.

"Our government is invested in making people's lives better when times are tough. As we all know, it's the community programs that play a big part in improving the lives of women and girls, but they often need some dollars to get the work done," said Sherwood Park MLA Annie McKitrick.

Competition for the money was tight, non-profit groups from all over the province put forward proposals. After careful consideration, 34 projects were selected to share a total of $1.5 million.

McKitrick stopped by the Aboriginal Day festivities in Bonnyville on Wednesday, June 21, held by the Bonnyville Friendship Centre to announce the Lakeland Women's Conference as the recipient.

"I'm here to congratulate you on your successful application for Status of Women's first ever grant program. We're going to be giving Bonnyville FCSS $33,000 to fund a much needed women's conference called Everybody Has a Story. It's a conference that will focus on women in Alberta and all of the opportunity available to them," revealed McKitrick.

Everybody Has a Story will be held at the Bonnyville Centennial Centre on September 16, 2017. The Town of Bonnyville, FCSS, Alberta Health Services and the Bonnyville Friendship Centre have all signed on as partners to host the event.

The conference will aim to educate women and girls about all of the opportunities available to them, Polege-Aulottte explained.

"This conference is to show women that a career can be accomplished in whatever they want to do. Everybody has a story of how they may have overcome barriers to become what they are today," Polege-Aulotte said. "The female truck driver may have experienced discrimination at the work sites. The elected official may have experienced discrimination in her campaign to be elected, we want to see the behind the scenes."

Timing of the event couldn't be better. According to McKitrick, more women than ever before are entering into the workforce.

"Women are involved in businesses, at home, on the farm, even in the oil patch. Women can do anything, and increasingly they're working in areas they've never ventured into."

Registration for the conference begins June 26; Organizers hope the community will turn out in large numbers to share their experiences.

Polege-Aulotte said, "We want to know everybody's story. We know that everybody has their own unique perspective and we want to hear the entire behind the scenes aspect of their stories."