Change Makers Collection
We are celebrating International Women's Day with a collection focused on highlighting Canadian change makers. Purple is the official colour of IWD and we carefully curated a list of empowering female go getters from past & present that will open up conversation and learning for yourself, your little babe and those around them.
Paired with one of our favourite collections, I Am One, you will have so much to talk about with your little babes or students. I Am One focuses on all the small actions that you can do on a daily basis which can have a lasting effect. All it takes is one small stone in to cause a ripple, one hello to start a conversation, one brick to take down a wall, to create and inspire change in your surroundings. Beautifully illustrated, with simple text, this story has made an impression on all ages. It is a favourite that we keep going back to on our shelf.
- Viola Desmond -- Civil Rights Activist whom challenged racial segregation at a cinema out east by refusing to leave the "whites only" section. Convicted of depriving the government of one cent of tax, Viola's trial case became one of the most notorious racial segregation cases in Canada.
- Nellie McClung - Social Activist and Feminist. It was because of her that women earned the right to vote in Manitoba, she was instrumental in opening Canadian boarders to Jewish Refugees, as well as championed enfranchisement for Japanese Canadians
- Hailey Wickenheiser - One of the greatest female hockey players of all time and the first to play full time professional men's hockey, currently a physician and head of player development for the Toronto Maple Leaf's. Hailey is a widely respected voice for her contributions to women's hockey both on and off the ice.
- Angela James - Consider to be the 'Wayne Gretzky' of women's hockey, Angela James was a pioneer of the sport in the 80's & 90's. Having led Canada's women's team to four world championships, she was one of the first three women inducted into the International Hockey Hall of Fame, as well as being the first black female, and openly gay, hockey player to be inducted into the Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame.
- Margaret Atwood - You may recognize her name as a result of the popular TV series the Handmaid's Tale, but Atwood is a decorated poet and author. She has received numerous honours and awards for her writing. However, Atwood is also a strong environmental activist, involving herself various campaigns bringing awareness to and encouraging rethinking of global practices. Check out her website for some of the ways she has committed to being "green" within her spaces.
- Autumn Peltier - An Anishinaabe Indigenous rights advocate from the Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island. In 2018, at 13 years old, Autumn addressed world leaders at the UN on the issue of water protection. In 2019 Autumn was named was named Chief Water commissioner for the Aniishnabek Nation. She advocates for the Universal Right of Clean Drinking Water driven by her cultural understanding of the purity within water.