ADVOCACY AWARD WINNERS

2008 – 2009
This year we have chosen to honour those members who assist Ontario Council with our work in advocacy.

These are the women who research, who write our briefs and letters, who represent us to governments, agencies and partner organizations. These are the women who make us look good, and make us feel very proud of their commitment to us, to their concern and to their causes.

Standing Committee on the Status of Women Sub-Committee on Women and Violence – Judie Arrowood, Ann McElhinney, Arleen Midriak, Rhea Pretsell and Wendy Schmara are the women who provided us with the unsettling place cards about violence involving women. They have also contributed letters and analysis concerning the report involving women and poverty reduction.

Sheila Clark, Cosmetic Pesticides
Sheila has been our primary lead on Cosmetic Pesticides. Over the past year she has written 2 formal letters, 2 briefs, and along with M. Elaine Harvey presented comments in person to the Ontario Legislature Standing Committee on Social Policy. She has also created a booklet for CFUW Stratford and assisted the City of Stratford with their website, Stratford, Naturally.

Carolyn Day, Water
This has been a quiet year for Carolyn. While she has been attending numerous meetings and prepared a number of reports, she has only written one brief. In her 6 years of representing us, Carolyn has written 16 briefs to the ministries and agencies involved with the Great Lakes and water regulation, especially source protection.

Through Carolyn, Ontario Council has been invited to join the Water Guardians Network and the Great Lakes Charter Annex Advisory Panel of the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Linda Hall, Poverty
Linda is best known within Ontario Council for organizing the petition presentation involving the Clawback. She convinced 17 MPPs from all parties to present the 39 petitions that clubs had signed. Currently Linda has written and assisted in writing 2 briefs and 1 formal letter concerning poverty reduction and has begun a campaign concerning child care in Ontario.

M. Elaine Harvey, Environment
Elaine, who was the previous Chair of the Standing Committee on Legislation, has continued to assist on environmental issues, especially organizing the trip to the Legislature with Sheila Clark on Bill 64, the Cosmetic Pesticides Ban Act.

Elizabeth Haynes, Workplace Harassment
Elizabeth became involved in this issue with the death and subsequent inquest concerning Lori Dupont of Windsor. She has organized a petition which involved a number of clubs, and written a brief for us on the topic which has now resulted in Bill 168, Violence and Harassment in the Workplace.
Also Elizabeth, along with Wendy Taylor Chair, Standing Committee on Education, wrote a brief for the Ministry of Education on the governance of school boards

Olga Lee and Dr. Charlotte Rigby, Environmental Toxins
Both of these women, together with members of CFUW Ottawa’s Environmental Toxins and Health Study Group, prepared a substantive and scientific analysis of the Ministry of the Environment’s discussion paper, Creating Ontario’s Toxic Reduction Strategy.

Edeltraud Neal, Family Law Education for Women (FLEW)
Edeltraud, as a Past President, became involved and worked with the No Religious Arbitration Coalition which fought for legislation involving family law. Part of the project became the creation of new legal materials intended for women who might be affected by these changes. The project became known as FLEW. Edeltraud has been our representative throughout this whole campaign, both with the Coalition and with FLEW, for the past five years.

2006 – 2007 Presented May 8th, 2008

Grand Prize Winners:

• up to 50 members            CFUW Barrie & District
• for 50 – 149 members     CFUW Hamilton
• for 150+ members            CFUW Ottawa

2005 - 2006

Grand Prize Winners:

• up to 50 members                    CFUW Perth and CFUW Barrie
• for 50 - 149 members              CFUW Southport
• for 150+ members                    CFUW Etobicoke

Advocacy Excellence Certificate Winners:
   CFUW Belleville
   CFUW Burlington
   CFUW Hamilton
   CFUW Oakville
   CFUW Ottawa
   UWC North York

2004-2005:

Grand Prize Winners:

• up to 50 members                               CFUW/Perth
• for 50 –149 members                        CFUW/Southport
• for 150+ members                              CFUW/Burlington

Advocacy Excellence Certificate winners:
   CFUW/Ottawa
   CFUW/Etobicoke
   CFUW/North York
   CFUW/St. Catharines
   CFUW/Aurora-Newmarket
   CFUW/Belleville
   CFUW/London
   CFUW/Windsor
   CFUW/Orillia

2003-2004:

Grand Prize Winner                                        CFUW/Burlington
(the three Grand Prizes was started in 2004-2005)

Advocacy Excellence Certificates:
   CFUW/Etobicoke
   CFUW/Muskoka
   CFUW/North York
   CFUW/Oakville
   CFUW/Orillia
   CFUW/St.Catharines
   CFUW/Southport

Honourable Mention:
   CFUW/Norfolk