Residents of Muskoka are encouraged to nominate the women in their lives whose achievements contribute to the well-being of Muskoka. The nominee must be a resident of Muskoka and has made or is making a significant contribution to Muskoka.

“A Women of Distinction is an inspiration to others and someone who has made a commitment to her community as a leader and a role-model,” said Hannah Lin, Executive Director of YWCA Muskoka. “As a catalyst for change, a Women of Distinction breaks new ground and old barriers.  She shows vision, creativity and initiative and has improved the lives of those in Muskoka.”

There are six categories to choose from:

Young Woman of Distinction

This young woman, 30 years of age or under, is making significant contributions to her school, community and/or work place.  She demonstrates innovation, leadership and inspires others to follow her example.

Arts, Culture and Creativity

This woman enriches lives through her contributions to the arts and cultural activities of Muskoka.  She encourages creative, cultural and artistic expression and promotes the value of culture and the arts as integral to the community.

Health, Sports and Wellness

This woman directs her energies to the well-being of people in her life and/or the Muskoka community.  She promotes healthy lifestyles through her excellent leadership in fields relating to physical, spiritual, emotional and/or social well-being.

Transforming Community

This woman is helping to build a strong community by making changes and advocating for a better quality of life.  She strives to increase awareness and promote improvements in areas such as gender equality, social justice and peace, and/or the environment. She is an inspiration to others.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

This woman achieves success in entrepreneurial endeavours, business, trades and/or the professions in private, public or not-for-profit organizations.  The contributions she makes in her field provide significant and lasting benefit to her community.

Lifetime Achievement

This woman is 55 years of age or more and makes a significant difference in the quality of life in her community.  She responds to individual and societal needs with dedication, compassion and courage.

Nominations can be done online at www.ywcamuskoka.com/women-of-distinction or at the YWCA Offices at 205 Manitoba Street in Bracebridge. You can also call the YWCA Muskoka at 705-645-9827 or email office@ywcamuskoka.com for more information. The deadline to nominate a Woman of Distinction is January 10, 2025.

Award recipients will be announced publicly in February and the awards will be formally presented on International Women’s Day – Saturday March 8, 2025 – at the Women of Distinction Gala fundraising event at Hidden Valley Resort. Funds raised support YWCA Muskoka’s programs and services to champion positive change for girls, women and gender diverse people throughout Muskoka.

Sponsorship opportunities are also available for local businesses, organizations and individuals who believe in the importance of lifting up and celebrating local women in the community. Please contact Laura Sundy to receive a sponsorship package: Lsundy@ywcamuskoka.com.

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The Shine On campaign highlights the YMCA’s role as a community hub where individuals can find support and encouragement. It focuses on three key themes: belonging, meaningful employment, and physical and mental well-being. The message is clear: no matter what challenges people face, the Y is a welcoming and supportive space that empowers everyone to reach their full potential.

A new survey commissioned by YMCA Canada and the YMCA of Greater Toronto, conducted among Angus Reid Forum members, reveals that a staggering 60% of Canadians feel disconnected from their community, with 16% reporting they never feel a sense of community and 44% experiencing it only sometimes. The survey, launched alongside the YMCA’s first nationwide brand awareness campaign, highlights the state of social connections in Canada. As winter approaches, YMCA Centres of Community aim to fill this gap, providing welcoming spaces for connection and mental and physical health.

“This campaign is a powerful reminder of the life-changing impact the YMCA has on communities across Canada,” said Pamela Marck, Vice President of Brand Experience & Strategic Initiatives at the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka. “We’re excited to not only reach more individuals in need of our services, but also inspire potential donors to support the essential programs that make a real difference in people’s lives.”

As Shine On connects with audiences across the country, we invite everyone to join us in spreading the word. Be on the lookout for the campaign, share it on social media, and let your friends and family know about the transformative work of the YMCA. By being part of the Y, you are making a positive impact in your community and helping others achieve their fullest potential.

To learn more about the National YMCA Campaign, visit campaign2024.ymca.ca.

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Tickets are 3 for $10; 10 for $20; 50 for $50, 200 for $100.

The winner takes home half the proceeds; the other half supports YWCA’s programs and services for youth across Muskoka region. YWCA Muskoka is a local charity that champions positive change for girls, women and gender diverse people in Muskoka. YMCA focuses on preventing gender-based violence, building economic resilience, and promoting mental health and wellbeing.

Tickets are available until Friday Oct 4, 2024 and the draw will take place on October 7.

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“This is more than a business meeting. It is a forum where YWCA leaders from across Canada will make critical decisions on a national level that will impact the entire YWCA movement for years to come,” said Hannah Lin, Executive Director of YWCA Muskoka. “It is an opportunity to share knowledge, best practices, discuss emerging trends, and to strategize on collective actions for the betterment of women’s lives.”

Almaguin-based Carmen Theobald, Founder and Director of Horse Sense North will open the conference addressing the theme ‘Nurturing Community, Envisioning our Future.’  The keynote speaker is Juno award-winning Singer-Songwriter, Susan Aglukark.  Ms. Aglukark is also the founder of the Arctic Rose Foundation, a charitable organization that increases opportunities for Inuk and northern girls.

Delegates will have opportunities to visit the Muskoka Discovery Centre’s new Misko-Aki exhibition, dine and shop locally throughout South Muskoka. The conference will be centred at the Bayview Wildwood Resort on Sparrow Lake.

“This is an opportunity to showcase our beautiful rural region and introduce CEOs, Board Chairs and special guests to the vibrant community we have here in Muskoka,” Lin said. “Community-based YWCAs play a critical role for women living in more rural areas in the country. Hosting an event of this magnitude will shine a light on that grassroots resilience and have a lasting impact on the YWCA feminist movement in Canada”.

Local businesses who would like to offer special in-store promotions to help welcome YWCA delegates to the community can reach out to office@ywcamuskoka.com to be included in the event shopping and dining directory.

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“The Bridges Out of Poverty workshop challenges the way individuals think about poverty and will introduce local, practical strategies that really make a difference,” said Kelly Jones, Circles Muskoka Coordinator at YWCA Muskoka. “It is especially important for our community’s leaders, educators, sector leaders and volunteers to enroll in.”

Bridges out of Poverty gives participants a framework for understanding poverty and how it relates to income groups. It is about opening eyes to a different perspective on how we live and work in society and community. Different groups in our society live by cues and habits that are hidden; others don’t see these cues and habits or understand how they function. Participants will learn about these and other thought-provoking, practical theories to develop a greater understanding of how to build bridges across sectors to achieve the ultimate goal of a sustainable and thriving community in Muskoka.

“Past Bridges participants have told us it is one of the most powerful and relevant learning sessions they have ever attended,” said Jones.

This training workshop is part of three pillars of poverty reduction work by YWCA Muskoka, funded by the United Way of Simcoe Muskoka and the District of Muskoka. Bridges out of Poverty works in conjunction with two other programs Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-By-World (a 15-week initiative for individuals on lower income) and Circles^® Muskoka, a community based approach to supporting people out of poverty with sites in both North and South Muskoka.

This Spring’s Bridges out of Poverty workshop will be held at the Active Living Center in Huntsville and will begin promptly at 9:30 a.m.  The cost is pay-what-you-can with a suggestion of $40 and proceeds will help fund YWCA Muskoka poverty reduction initiatives.

Register online at: www.ywcamuskoka.com/events/bridges-out-of-poverty 

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“The Bridges Out of Poverty workshop challenges the way individuals think about poverty and will introduce local, practical strategies that really make a difference,” said Kelly Jones, Project Coordinator at YWCA Muskoka. “It is especially important for our community’s leaders, educators, sector leaders and volunteers to enroll in.”

Bridges out of Poverty gives participants a ‘framework’ for understanding poverty and how it relates to income groups. It is about opening eyes to a different perspective on how we live and work in society and community. Different groups in our society live by cues and habits that are ‘hidden’; others don’t see these cues and habits or understand how they function. Participants will learn about these and other thought-provoking, practical theories to develop a greater understanding of how to build bridges across sectors to achieve the ultimate goal of a sustainable and thriving community in Muskoka.

“Past Bridges participants have told us it is one of the most powerful and relevant learning sessions they have ever attended,” said Jones.

This training workshop is part of three pillars of poverty reduction work by YWCA Muskoka, funded by United Way of Simcoe Muskoka and the District of Muskoka. Bridges out of Poverty works in conjunction with two other programs Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-By-World (a 15-week initiative for lower income individuals) and Circles® Muskoka, a community based approach to supporting people out of poverty with sites in both North and South Muskoka.

This fall’s Bridges out of Poverty workshop will be held at the Muskoka Foundry in Bracebridge and will begin promptly at 9:30 a.m. The cost is $45 (subsidies available) and proceeds will help fund YWCA Muskoka’s poverty reduction work.

Register online at: www.circlesmuskoka.com/bridges-out-of-poverty

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The Walls Within podcast explores the housing crisis in Muskoka from the different perspectives of those most affected and features in-depth, personal and vulnerable stories of struggle, hope and overcoming obstacles in the search for a safe, affordable and fulfilling place to call home.

“This project seeks to illuminate the real stories of Muskoka residents and how the housing crisis impacts them directly,” said Liz Angell, Circles Muskoka Coordinator. “By centering the voices of those most impacted by the housing crisis, we hope to offer a perspective to the broader Muskoka community that is largely missing from the narrative.”

On the individual level, housing is a basic need, but it is also a key requirement for the wealth and health of the overall economy. Rental rates and housing costs have been increasing at rates that cannot keep up with local salaries. The price for an entry-level house in Muskoka pre-pandemic would have cost about $400,000. A Royal LePage report cites the average house price is expected to rise by 13% this year, to an average of $737,890.

The rental market is also grim. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) reports that the average rental unit in Huntsville is $1033, but anyone looking for a place to rent would tell you otherwise. The options are few and far between and you’d be challenged to find a suitable space for less than $1500 per month. Two-bedroom units run upwards of $1800 a month. Listings go fast and are competitive.

Finding a spot with rent geared to income is even harder to come by. There are 468 subsidized housing units in Muskoka and, as of 2017, there were 640 applicants on the waitlist. That translates to an average of 6 to 8 years of waiting.

“There are so many misconceptions and stigmas surrounding homelessness. I want to break the stigma and help people realize it can happen to people you would least expect: your family, your friends, people that you work with, ” said Tracy Nickles, Muskoka resident who was interviewed on the Walls Within Podcast. “I am hoping that sharing my story will bring awareness and understanding to the many faces living in fear of being homeless.”

Walls Within was born out of group discussions within Circles, a community collaborative, led by YWCA Muskoka, committed to the reduction of poverty by harnessing the power of relationship. The program matches low-income families (Circle Leaders) and individuals with community volunteers (Circle Allies) to form relationships across income groups, find solutions, and build a support system to help individuals and families move forward out of poverty. The group discusses barriers that impede the path forward for Circle Leaders and housing the agreed topic.

Episode one of the Walls Within podcast is available now on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, Stitcher, RSS. Find the links and additional information about housing in Muskoka here: www.circlesmuskoka.com/podcast

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Before the pandemic, the YWCA hosted Walk A Mile In Her Shoes, where men walked in heels to bring awareness to violence against women. This year, the event has been rebranded to Walk A Mile In Their Shoes in an attempt to better demonstrate the realities of gender-based violence. Hannah Lin, executive director of YWCA Muskoka, said that with people of all genders living in Muskoka, she hopes locals will realize that the issue is not one that impacts women alone. 

“Abuse crosses income, race, ability and gender – it can happen to anyone, no matter their background or circumstance, but it’s important to know that women, girls, Indigenous and racialized women, trans, gender-diverse and queer people are at the highest risk of experiencing gender-based violence,” Lin said.

More than four in 10 women have experienced intimate partner violence, according to the Canadian Women’s Foundation, and a woman is killed by her partner approximately every six days in Canada. The risk is even higher for trans and queer people as well as disabled, non-white and Indigenous women. 

For the first few walkathons, the YWCA was able to raise about $15,000 at each event. The most recent in-person walk in 2019 raised $25,000, leading the organization to raise their fundraising goal to $30,000 for this year. The money will fund programs like YWCA Quest, which helps teach boys how to express their emotions, in addition to funding events that are inclusive for two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) youth.

“Through COVID, the demand for services, and particularly for youth programs, has increased,” Lin said. “We’re excited to be back in person again and hope people will help us as we expand the reach of both our organizations’ services as the pandemic subsides.”

The walk will start at Memorial Park in Bracebridge at 11 a.m. on May 29 followed by a barbeque. Walkers can register as individuals or as part of a team and there’s no minimum fundraising requirement to participate. 

While the event previously had just men walking, everyone is encouraged to get involved this year. Once the team at the YWCA decided to shift the focus of the event, they knew they wanted to partner with Muskoka Pride as longtime supporters of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community as well as the Walk A Mile event.

“Muskoka Pride has been an incredibly supportive organization, bringing attention and people to this event ever since we started in 2014,” Lin said. “They are also entirely volunteer run and we knew they were also working with a community of people that experiences gender-based violence directly.”

Shawn Forth is on the Walk A Mile In Their Shoes planning committee and acts as the secretary of the board for Muskoka Pride. He said it’s fantastic to see the event become more inclusive and recognize the increased risk of violence faced by queer and trans people.

“Gender-based violence can happen to anyone, and also we want everyone to be able to take part and be involved,” Forth said. “In addition, [we’re] recognizing that trans, two-spirit and queer individuals face their own form of gender-based violence through the form of homophobia, transphobia, biphobia.”

The partnership between the two organizations is a perfect fit, he said, because they’re both working to educate the community and prevent violence and abuse. They each pay special attention to working with youth in hopes of building a future where events like this aren’t necessary, but for now, Walk A Mile plays an important role in bringing attention to a problem that otherwise exists largely behind closed doors.

“The event is changing with the times and it’s becoming more inclusive,” Forth said. ”Recognizing that there are many organizations in Muskoka who are working to create a better society, this is a partnership between two organizations that saw a lot of commonalities and a lot of overlap in our work, and we saw the opportunity to collaborate and work together to make things even better.”

To learn more about Walk A Mile In Their Shoes, or to register for the walk, click here.

YWCA And Muskoka Pride Partner To Prevent Gender-Based Violence In Muskoka

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For the past six years, YWCA Muskoka has held an annual Walk a Mile Muskoka event for gender-based violence prevention. Over 300 community members have walked to fundraise and show solidarity around the need for more services and programs to prevent violence in Muskoka. To date, the fundraising event has raised $92,000, and has significantly increased the visibility of a largely hidden issue.

The event has been rebranded to Walk a Mile in THEIR Shoes to reflect the realities of gender-based violence, and the walk is for everyone this year – not just men.

“Abuse crosses income, race, ability and gender – it can happen to anyone, no matter their background or circumstance, but it’s important to know that women, girls, Indigenous and racialized women, trans, gender-diverse and queer people are at the highest risk of experiencing gender-based violence,” said Hannah Lin, Executive Director of YWCA Muskoka.

A 2021 report from Egale says that homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia remain rampant in Canadian schools. 2SLGBTQ students report more incidents of verbal, physical, and sexual harassment as well as other forms of targeted bullying (such as cyberbullying) than their cisgender heterosexual peers.

Statistics Canada reported that approximately every six days, a woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner. And sexual minority Canadians are almost 3 times more likely to experience violent victimization than heterosexual Canadians.

“This year’s walk is for everyone – all genders and all ages,” said Merv Taylor-Morin, President of Muskoka Pride. “If you’re involved in a membership-based club, an athletics team, a professional organization or a local business, we are officially challenging your team to walk in solidarity with women, girls, Two Spirit, trans and gender diverse and queer people who are at highest risk of gender-based violence.”

The funds will be used for violence prevention initiatives in Muskoka – specifically to run youth programs including YWCA Quest, and reach young people of all genders during their most formative years. The programs explore issues that help young people develop healthy relationships now and in the future. It will also be used to create events that are inclusive of a diverse community focusing on safer spaces for 2SGBTQ+ youth.

Walk a Mile in Their Shoes is a fun and family-friendly event. There’s no minimum fee to participate however walkers are encouraged to set a personal goal and share their actions from their fundraising portal. Participants may register as an individual, join an existing team or create their own team. Walkers are encouraged to wear something red and comfortable walking shoes.

Register to walk at www.walkamilemuskoka.ca.

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ETERNITY MARTIS: An award-winning Toronto-based journalist. She was a 2017 National Magazine Awards finalist for Best New Writer and the 2018 winner of the Canadian Online Publishing Awards for Best Investigative Article. Her writing has appeared in Vice, Huffington Post, The Walrus, CBC, Hazlitt, The Fader, Salon, and on academic syllabuses around the world.

Her work on race and language has influenced media style guide changes across the country. She is the course developer and instructor of Reporting On Race: The Black Community in the Media at X University, the first of its kind in Canada, and the 2021 Asper Visiting Professor at UBC. She earned an honours BA and a Certificate in Writing from Western University and an MJ from X University. In 2020, she was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by Women’s Executive Network.

Her bestselling debut memoir, They Said This Would Be Fun, was a “Best Book of the Year” pick by Globe and Mail, Apple, Audible and Chapters/Indigo. CBC called the book one of “20 moving Canadian memoirs to read right now” and PopSugar named it one of “5 Books About Race on College Campuses Every Student Should Read.” This year, They Said This Would Be Fun won the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Non-Fiction.

ZOEY ROY: Artist. Activist. Educator. Zoey Roy is a force. Her performances weave storytelling, rap, theatre and rhythm and blues together to confront colonialism, explore how it impacts Indigenous people, and find pathways of healing: “What I love most about spoken word is that I can synthesize deep and complex narratives in a way that they become socially acceptable and palatable for a wider audience. I feel a sense of empathy and understanding can be gained by the collective in these moments.”

Zoey is dedicated to working with young people and brings her messages of anti-colonialism and healing into classrooms around the country. She has earned a Bachelor of Education, a Master of Public Policy, and is pursuing a PhD in Education. Through her doctoral studies, she is working toward building schools that are not dependent on the colonial system. She calls it “the HYPE Institute: Helping Young People Engage”.

She has written two books: the memoir, Homecoming (2016), and The Voyageurs: Forefathers of the Métis Nation (2019). Memorable performances include the Regina and Calgary Folk Festivals, Canada 150 on Parliament Hill, BIGSOUND in Australia, and the Dubai Expo 2020. Zoey has been awarded many honours, including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012), Congress of Aboriginal Peoples National Youth Leadership Award (2013), Indspire Award (2016), and the Saskatchewan Arts Award for Arts and Learning (2019).

Zoey is Nehithaw-Dené Métis, a member of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation with roots also from the Black Lake Denesuline Nation, and Green Lake, Saskatchewan. She is now based in Kingston, Ontario, but calls Saskatoon home.

“I want people to know that I am actively working on healing, and that I have tools I’ve picked up along the way that I am open to sharing with them, if they’re willing to listen.”

DR. ANNE-MARIE ZAJDLIK: Founder of Masai Center and Bracelet of Hope. Dr. Anne-Marie Zajdlik is a family physician and regional HIV specialist. She is the founder of ARCH Clinic Guelph and Waterloo, a provincially funded HIV clinic. ARCH Clinic provides care to over 700 HIV positive patients in Guelph-Wellington, Grey Bruce and Waterloo Region.

Dr. Zajdlik is founder of Bracelet of Hope, a charitable community based organization that raises awareness of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in sub Saharan Africa and funds for HIV/AIDS relief in Lesotho, Africa. She is a previous board member of the Ontario Hospital Association’s OHAfrica project and member of the OHAfrica Canadian Medical Team that helped open the first HIV/AIDS clinic in Lesotho, Africa.

The Bracelet of Hope Campaign raised over $1 million for the Tsepong Clinic in Lesotho, providing the funding necessary for the clinic’s 2009 operating costs, keeping 21,000 HIV positive people enrolled into care and 11,000 patients on HIV treatment. Bracelet of Hope has now raised over $5 million for HIV/AIDS treatment and relief in Lesotho. The organization is now focused on mobile mobile health units which serve 16,000 people in remote areas of Lesotho providing HIV care, primary care and prevention and COVID-19 education, testing and vaccination.

Anne-Marie is a recipient of the YWCA’s Women of Distinction Lifetime Achievement award, Rotary International’s Paul Harris Fellow, an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Guelph, Guelph Mercury’s Female Newsmaker of the Year in 2005. She was inducted into the McMaster University Alumnae Gallery in 2011 and received the Order of Ontario in 2010. She is a recent recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

YWCA Muskoka To Host International Women’s Day Event

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