1. CAAWS PROGRAMS AT A GLANCE
2. TAKE ACTION! CANADIAN SPORT POLICY RENEWAL
3. CELEBRATING CAAWS’ 30TH ANNIVERSARY - PROFILING MILESTONES IN SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
4. UPCOMING CAAWS WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS
5. STEP UP! SPEAK OUT! ALLY CAMPAIGN FOR INCLUSIVE SPORT
6. CAAWS LAUNCHES NEW TOBACCO PREVENTION AND CESSATION TOOLS
7. STAY CONNECTED WITH CAAWS
8. CELEBRATIONS

1. CAAWS PROGRAMS AT A GLANCE

CAAWS’ Newcomer On the Move Project Expands
Over the last 18 months, with funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion and Sports’ Healthy Communities Fund, CAAWS has been collaborating with organizations in Brampton, Hamilton, North Bay and Ottawa to develop and deliver On the Move programs for newcomer girls and young women – those living in Canada five years or less. With new funding from Citizenship and Immigration Canada until 2014, CAAWS will expand this project to collaborate with 6 communities in Ontario, and 3 communities in both Manitoba and Nova Scotia. The project will increase community, provincial and federal capacity to address the disparities in the availability and utilization of physical activity and sport programming for newcomer girls and young women, and will support the delivery of participant-driven, community-based programs that meet the unique needs, interests and experiences of this target population. More details about opportunities to be involved will follow.

New On the Move Project for Racialized Communities
With funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion and Sports’ Healthy Communities Fund, CAAWS will launch a new project to enhance healthy living program delivery for girls and young women from racialized communities. The term “racialized” is used to highlight how ethno/racial categories are produced in dynamic and complex ways, and how these categories can lead to social inequities in access to and participation in physical activity and sport programs. Through focus groups with girls and program leaders, the development of a number of new resources, and the training of community leaders as workshop facilitators and champions, the project will increase awareness of the needs, interest and experiences of the target group; and share promising practices, success factors, tips, and challenges and solutions to enhance existing or future programs. More details about opportunities to be involved will follow.

Women and Leadership Program “Lunch and Learn” a Success
CAAWS welcomed more than 40 participants at its Lunch and Learn event hosted in Ottawa ON on June 9, 2011. Caroline Assalian, Executive Managing Director, Sport and National Sport Federations (NSF) Relations, Canadian Olympic Committee, shared highlights of her journey as a leader in the Canadian sport community over the last 20 years. Drawing on her experiences, Caroline shared the following pieces of advice:

1. Know yourself, be yourself – Find your passion, focus on your strengths, manage your triggers, and be comfortable with who you are.
2. Know how others perceive you – Ask others for feedback, be specific, and focus on your perceived strengths.
3. Push beyond your comfort zone – Be proactive in finding new opportunities to learn, and be open to new challenges.
4. Make the right decisions for YOU – Base your decisions on your personal priorities and goals.
5. Veterans need to lead - Veterans have a responsibility to help young leaders navigate their own path, while newcomers have the responsibility to reach out and ask for mentorship.

2. TAKE ACTION! CANADIAN SPORT POLICY RENEWAL

The federal/provincial/territorial Ministers responsible for sport have agreed to renew the Canadian Sport Policy.

CAAWS believes Canadian sport should actively engage, involve and celebrate women and girls from the playground to the podium as participants, athletes, coaches, officials and leaders. To support the inclusion of the needs, interests and experiences of women and girls in the Canadian Sport Policy Renewal discussions, CAAWS has developed a number of key statements for use in completing the survey and for reference during the consultations.

To review CAAWS’ key statements visit the CAAWS website.
To go directly to the Canadian Sport Policy Renewal Survey click here.

3. CELEBRATING CAAWS’ 30TH ANNIVERSARY - PROFILING MILESTONES IN SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

2011 marks CAAWS’ 30th anniversary. To celebrate, we are showcasing key milestones, and the women behind them, that have contributed to CAAWS’ vision of an equitable sport and physical activity system.

THE FIRTH SISTERS - CANADA’S CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING LEADERS

From 1972 to 1984, twins Sharon and Shirley Firth dominated the Canadian women’s cross-country skiing scene. Throughout their memorable careers the Firth sisters were members of Canada’s national cross-country team for an unparalleled 17 consecutive years, won 79 national championship medals between them, and represented Canada in four consecutive Winter Olympic Games.

Sharon and Shirley were born in 1953 in Aklavik, NWT and lived with 11 other siblings in a rural Gwich’in First Nation community. They were taught by their father, a Loucheaux-Metis trapper, to live off the land and developed a strong connection with nature.

In 1959, due to severe flooding and erosion problems, the family was relocated by the government to Inuvik, 200km north of the Arctic Circle. It was here, in one of the coldest and harshest climates in the world, that Sharon and Shirley were first introduced to cross-country skiing by Father Jean Marie Mouchet, a Roman Catholic missionary who served in the ski troops during World War II and began a skiing program for the children living in Inuvik. ¹

To learn more, visit http://www.caaws.ca/e/milestones/30_years/firth_sisters.cfm

¹ Government of Canada; Canada’s Games. Retrieved from www.canada2010.gc.ca/101/athletes/010504-eng.cfm

4. UPCOMING CAAWS WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS

CAAWS will be involved in two sessions at the Canadian Public Health Association Conference in Montreal QC from June 19-22, 2011. On June 20th CAAWS will be delivering session on the Newcomer On the Move project and Physical Activity for Women 55-70+ project.

CAAWS will be hosting a display booth at the Community Cup in Ottawa ON on Sunday, June 26, 2011. Hosted by the Catholic Immigration Centre (CIC), the Community Cup began in 2005 and has become an inspiring and engaging multicultural, intergenerational and inclusive event where community stakeholders, newcomers, and residents come together to make new connections and friendships. While the primary focus has been a co-ed soccer tournament, the event also features international food, music, demonstration sports, a citizenship ceremony, kids’ activities, live entertainment, and much more! If you are in the Ottawa area and/or want more information, visit www.communitycup.ca.

For more CAAWS events and details, visit http://www.caaws.ca/e/calendar/.

5. STEP UP! SPEAK OUT! ALLY CAMPAIGN FOR INCLUSIVE SPORT

The Step Up! Speak Out! Ally Campaign for Inclusive Sport is a partner initiative led by national sport organizations designed to encourage athletes, coaches, officials, sport administrators, parents, fans and other members of the Canadian sport community to respect all individuals involved in sport, regardless of perceived or actual sexual orientation.

"It's really important for me as an athlete and now as a coach to speak out against homophobia in sport because the concept of total inclusion within all levels of Canadian sport needs to apply to each and every single Canadian, irrespective of sexual orientation. I'm proud to be a Step Up! Speak Out! Champion because I am 100% committed to making sport a no tolerance domain for homophobia. We are privileged in Canada to enjoy a very high standard of personal and group rights compared to most of the world, but that doesn't mean we should be complacent. Homophobia in Canadian sport is real and needs to be kicked off the court for good." - Anna Rice, two-time Canadian Badminton Olympian

You can help make sport more welcoming to sexual diversity and support the campaign by:

1. Making a commitment to being a Step Up! Speak Out! Ally.
2. Becoming a Step Up! Speak Out! Champion.
3. Posting the web button for the Step Up! Speak Out! Ally Campaign to your website.

For more information, visit the website at www.stepupspeakout.ca.

6. CAAWS LAUNCHES NEW TOBACCO PREVENTION AND CESSATION TOOLS

To celebrate World No Tobacco Day, new tobacco prevention and cessation tools and resources designed and tailored specifically for youth and teenage girls (ages 9-18) have been posted on CAAWS’ Active & Free website. On this website, you will find resources about the negative effects of smoking, tips for resisting peer pressure, and personal stories and messages from girls who choose to stay physically active and tobacco free. Girls and young women can also find out how much smoking is costing them with the interactive cost-calculator, and make a healthy living pledge to stay Active & Free.

Sport and physical activity leaders can have a positive, life-changing influence on the health of girls and young women. It is important to encourage them to consider the negative effects of smoking as either a prevention or cessation measure, and explain how active living is a healthy and positive alternative to tobacco use. CAAWS invites you to explore and share the Active & Free resources with your colleagues, and encourage girls and young women to use the online information and tools to make positive and responsible decisions about physical activity, tobacco use, and their overall health and well-being.

To learn more about Active & Free and check out the new tools and resources, visit CAAWS’ website at www.caaws.ca/activeandfree.

7. STAY CONNECTED WITH CAAWS

Did you know that CAAWS is on Facebook and Twitter? Well now you do! Stay “In the Loop” with CAAWS and up to date on the latest news and issues related to girls and women and sport and physical activity through social media.

Right now, CAAWS has 966 followers on Twitter, and 277 Facebook friends. We only need 34 people to help us reach our goal of 1,000 Twitter followers by June 30th.

Once we hit 350 “likes” on Facebook and 1,000 Twitter followers, 2 lucky readers will be chosen at random to win a CAAWS prize package! Help us spread the word, and invite your friends and colleagues to follow us on our Twitter and Facebook pages!

8. CELEBRATIONS

Barb MacDonald, Skate Canada’s Director Corporate Communications and former CAAWS Communications Consultant, received a Gold Quill Award of Excellence for her story “The Bravest of Faces: The Joannie Rochette Story”. Dr. Dru Marshall, CAAWS Board Chair, was appointed the University of Calgary’s new Provost and Vice-President (Academics).

High jumper Debbie Brill will be one of five athletes inducted into Athletics Canada’s Hall of Fame. Diane Clement will be inducted into the Builder category. Rower Marnie McBean was named to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame Board of Governors.

Many women were honoured by Skate Canada at their annual convention and general meeting including Sally Rehorick (Officials Award of Excellence), Lee-Anne Cross (Club and Recreation Coach Award of Excellence), Megan Wing & Aaron Lowe (Competitive Coach Award of Excellence), Mary Ellen McDonald (Elizabeth Swan Memorial Award), Jayda Pickett (BMO Financial Group CanSkater of the Year Award), and Monica Locki (Billie Mitchell Award).

Isabelle (Izzy) Beisiegel became the first woman ever to qualify for a major men’s professional golf tour.

Wheelchair Basketball Canada Hall of Fame Inductee Danielle Peers was honoured with the prestigious Trudeau Scholarship. Up to 15 Trudeau Scholarships are awarded each year to support doctoral candidates pursuing research of compelling present-day concern, touching upon one or more of the four themes of the Foundation. For more information on the Trudeau Scholarships and Danielle’s project, visit www.trudeaufoundation.ca/program/scholarships

Get Social!
Did you know you can connect with CAAWS to find out the latest news? Become a fan of CAAWS on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter for another way to stay “In the Loop.”