Hundreds of women gathered on Friday for the second annual Women’s Summit at the Brookstreet Hotel in Ottawa, bringing together experts, community members, and leaders to build community and discuss everyday issues. “Here we have women who really represent every sector that you can possibly imagine and who are coming from right across the country,” said Catherine Clark, event organizer and co-founder of The Honest Talk. The summit featured speakers from across industries including politics, healthcare, and finance. Canada’s Ambassador to the United States Kirsten Hillman and Kathleen Wynne, former premier of Ontario, spoke in front of the crowd discussing lessons learned in leadership. “They leave with a network. They’re inspired, they’re thinking about ideas differently and we just have some really authentic connections that are built here today,” said Jennifer Stewart, event organizer and co-founder of The Honest Talk. Health tips for all ages was a major topic, with tips shared on how to build resilience while staying healthy. CTV Your Morning Ottawa Host Rosey Edeh moderated a discussion with Dr. Ardelle Piper, a menopause specialist, and Christine Harrison, a mental health practitioner. “The top three tips from Dr. Piper and Christine Harrison include sleep, exercise and eating,” said Edeh, who is also a three time Olympian. “You got to have food, you got to have protein, and you got to have your rest.” Other Bell Media personalities were also at the summit, including CTV Your Morning Ottawa host Melissa Lamb, Pure Country 94 host Ashley Greco, and Move 100 host Sophie Moroz. The summit included panel discussions on leadership, mental health, navigating the professional world, and finance. “When women are encouraged to build wealth, when we encourage each other to build wealth, it can be an incredible act of social justice,” said Melissa Leong, a personal finance expert and speaker at the Women’s Summit. The summit was founded by The Honest Talk and aims to delve into difficult topics while championing women’s issues. “They have just really helped to encapsulate a lot of the topics that matter to women,” said Clark. “The women’s summit is a gathering of 400 women. It’s meant to inspire, it’s meant to connect, and it’s meant to build a community,” said Stewart. Organizers say next the women’s summit will go on the road with locations including Vancouver and Halifax on the agenda.
