Toward Parity in Municipal Politics

Claiming Spaces is a project created in partnership through UNBC’s Inspiring Women Among Us, The Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and The City of Prince George.

In 2018, The Federation of Canadian Municipalities announced the Toward Parity in Municipal Politics initiative—a program created with the goal of involving more women in local politics through pilot projects among municipalities throughout Canada. Claiming Spaces is one of the 2019/2020 Toward Parity Demonstration Projects.

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Check out the Toward Parity Knowledge Hub for resources focusing on equality in representation in municipal politics:

Our partners

 

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Consisting of over 2,000 municipalities, FCM is an advocacy group that negotiates with departments and agencies of the federal government on behalf of municipalities. Current FCM programs include the Green Municipal Fund, the Municipal Asset Management Program, Municipalities for Climate Innovation, First Nations-Municipal collaboration, International programs, Partners for Climate Protection, the FCM Innovation Network, Global Covenant of Mayors in Canada, Covid-19 Community Response Fund for Vulnerable Populations, and Women in Local Government.

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The City of Prince George

Situated on the unceded traditional lands of the Lheidli T'enneh First Nation, Prince George is a city of over 74,000 people in northern British Columbia. “Lheidli T'enneh” means “people where the rivers come together,” signifying the natural landmarks of the Fraser and Nechako rivers. Prince George is home to two educational institutions: UNBC and The College of New Caledonia. The city’s economy is primarily forest products (saw and pulp mills), energy, minerals and metals. An expanse of outdoor recreation opportunities and public green spaces make Prince George a city with a high quality of life and community spirit.

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Inspiring Women Among Us (University of Northern British Columbia)

Inspiring Women Among Us is an initiative based out of UNBC in Prince George that supports the inclusion and advancement of women (and other minorities), recognizes the achievements of women in sciences (and academia), provides inspiration for women and girls to pursue their goals, engages the larger community in thinking about cultures of support and inclusion, and provides practical skills-building and personal development events in addition to reflective practices.

 

The Claiming Spaces Team

 
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Dr. Zoë Meletis

Zoë is a human geographer of the environment and an Associated Professor in the Geography Program at the UNBC.  She is also the current Chair of the Feminist Intersectional Solidarity Group of the Canadian Association of Geographers. Originally from Montreal, Zoe has lived in 3 provinces and the US, speaks several languages, and her father was an immigrant.  She co-founded IWAU in 2015, and sometimes considers running for office. In the meantime, she pushes for equity in the academy, and tries to support women and others facing structural barriers to success.  She believes that representation matters.

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Dr. Annie Booth

Annie Booth is a professor in Environmental and Sustainability Studies at the University of Northern British Columbia and the co-founder of Inspiring Women Among Us. She works in the areas of human-environment interstices as well as social and environmental justice. She teaches environmental ethics to the UNBC environmental and natural resources undergraduates.

As a dual American/Canadian citizen, she is very aware of how important it is to encourage women, and BIPOC folks to run for political office or to otherwise serve in a leadership capacity. And for younger people to so do. So she was delighted to work on the Claiming Spaces Project in the hopes of helping to see Canada and the world change for the better.

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Penína Sara-Lynn Harding

Penína is a Ph.D. Student in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies at UNBC and an accepted member of the Secwepemc (Shuswap) Nation. Penína is a recipient of the 2017-18 IWAU Award; received the UNBC Senate Student Leadership Award – Campus Community category in 2017-18 and 2018-19. In 2019-20, she was elected as the President for the Northern BC Graduate Student Society (NBCGSS) and has been a Graduate Teaching Assistant since Fall 2016. She is an intergenerational survivor of the Canadian Residential School System; three generations of her family have attended the St. Joseph’s Mission. “Penína” means “a female of high ranking” in Secwepemctsín (Shuswap Language), this name was gifted to Sara-Lynn by her great-grandmother, Alice Belleau, at birth and is her preferred name. She is a mother of 4 children and the first Indigenous student to have been fast-tracked from a master’s degree to a doctoral degree program at UNBC. Penína convocated from UNBC in May 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts – Public Administration & Community Development degree.

 
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Annie Pumphrey

Annie is a Masters student in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies at UNBC, with her research and previous work concentrating in communications and management of parks and protected areas. Annie has spent over six years working in provincial and federal parks in British Columbia, Alberta, and New Zealand. Holding a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Sciences from the University of Alberta (2015), Annie has had a glimpse into the historic underrepresentation of marginalized groups in Canadian politics and the need for more female and BIPOC and LGBTQ2+ leaders. She pursues projects that work to amplify underrepresented voices.

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Dyra Pridham

Dyra Pridham is the Senior Executive Assistant to Mayor, Council and City Manager at the City of Prince George and is also a Masters student in Business Administration at UNBC. In her capacity at the City, she leads the programming and coordination of the City's student tour program, student scholarships, and other Council led initiatives geared toward increasing civic participation through celebration and community engagement. As woman of colour, she believes in the importance of helping and encouraging women to step up and take their place in leadership.

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Garth Frizzell

Garth Frizzell is a councillor for the City of Prince George, British Columbia and is the President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). He was first elected to council in 2008, and is currently serving his fourth term. Garth is a strong advocate for empowering women in leadership. He recognizes the importance of increasing women's participation in the political environment and on September, 2019, Garth was honoured to take part in pre-conference UBCM panel: Toward Parity: Breaking Down Barriers, Building Momentum. Garth lives in Prince George with his wife Sue and their three sons. A former president of the Prince George Chamber of Commerce, he also teaches business, economics and technology at the College of New Caledonia.