I Went to School in a Rowboat

BY DR. KATHERINE CHUBBS
I went to school in a rowboat.

That’s where my story begins.

I grew up in a remote community in Labrador, about 50 people. My father was a fisherman, and my mother owned the only business in town. We had a summer home and a winter home, and twice a year we would travel inland and then back to the ocean.

I remember when we didn’t have bathrooms. I remember when we didn’t have hot water or television. We were, in many ways, about 50 years behind other parts of the country.

And when you’re 14 or 15 years old, if you want to continue your education, you have to leave.

So I did. I moved away from home to live with strangers. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.

The Feeling I Couldn’t Shake – Part 1

BY CYBELE NEGRIS
When I was named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women, I didn’t feel powerful. I felt exposed.

I remember the moment clearly. Being recognized for work I had poured years into, leading a successful, award-winning tech company in a male-dominated industry.

I should have felt proud. And I did… partially. I felt honored. Grateful. Humbled.

But underneath all of that, there was something else. A quiet, persistent feeling that I didn’t belong there.

20 Years of Bold Banana Badassery

BY JENNY COLEMAN
When I got the email telling me I’d been named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women, my first reaction wasn’t pride. It was disbelief.

Me? Powerful? Really?

That morning had started the same way most mornings do. Changing a poopy diaper. Getting our eldest daughter, who is profoundly disabled, dressed, fed, and onto the school bus. Stripping her bed. Starting a load of laundry. Not exactly the image that comes to mind when you hear “high-powered businesswoman.”