TOP WOMEN IN DEFENCE 2021: The Award Ceremony That Once Again Wasn't

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IN OUR MARCH EDITION we published the profiles of twenty five incredible women who had been peer nominated and then selected by our judging committee to be recognized as the Top Women in Defence in 2021. In previous years it had become a tradition for us to host a large award reception wherein we presented commemorative plaques to all of the winners, followed by a gala cocktail party. Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the country just days before we were to host that event and as a result we had to find creative ways in which to get these plaques into the hands of the recipients. We were fortunate that DND ably assisted our efforts by ensuring that those serving personnel were presented the plaques by members of their chain of command. No one would have foreseen that COVID-19 would once again preclude us from gathering for an in-person award night in the Spring of 2021. However that regrettably turned out to be the case. So once again we enlisted the aid of DND to assist us with distribution and photography. Recipients received their plaques in a customized, red cloth loot bag courtesy of the Commissionaires. It was unfortunate that the pandemic once again shut down the cocktail reception, however what is important is that the incredible accomplishments of these top women do not go unheralded.

 

Editor’s note: The deadline for Top Women in Defence nominations for 2022 is January 1st, 2022.

Top Women In Defence 2020: The Award Ceremony That Wasn’t

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It was six years ago that Esprit de Corps began the initiative known as Breaking Down the Barricades: Women in the Defence World. The genesis for this program of recognition was to profile those women who are role models within the defence sector.

It was meant to be a one-off feature story, but as soon as it published we were contacted by readers wishing to nominate their co-workers and colleagues. As a result the second year this became a peer nominated, committee selected process. As more people become aware of this award our annual list of nominations has steadily increased. Each of the Top 20 recipients is profiled in the March edition of the magazine and they receive a customized plaque featuring the montage design produced each year by artist Katherine Taylor. For the past three years, these plaques were presented at a Gala award ceremony in Ottawa wherein current and past winners and their guests were in attendance. This year was to be the largest such award reception yet and was to take place on Monday 6 April at the Beechwood Commemorative Centre. The Corps of Commissionaires was the main event sponsor which was to include exotic food and beverage donated by a number of Embassies in the National capital. As in previous years, the VIP guest list was to include politicians, ambassadors, senior military officers, military attaches and media. The keynote speaker was to be the CDS’ wife Mrs. Kerry Vance. We had confirmed the attendance of 18 of this year’s top 20 women and upwards of 60 previous winners. Most of the out-of-town guests had made their travel plans and booked hotel rooms. 

Then COVID-19 hit Canada. When the lockdown was first announce on 17 March is was to be for 14 days and we breathed a sigh of relief. “The party will not be affected” we thought optimistically. Hindsight shows us otherwise and in early April the decision was made to first postpone and eventually to cancel the ceremony for 2020. The custom plaques still needed to be delivered to the winners and this posed a bit of a pandemic problem. However the Canadian Armed Forces rose to the challenge and offered to assist with the presentations and photos. As you will see in our photo feature on the following pages, a lot of creativity was used to create the social distancing required in order for the recipient and the presenters to remain safe. In one instance the plaque itself became misplaced so 8 Wing, Trenton improvised by framing the pages of the magazine to present Major Skye Simpson with a reasonable facsimile of the actual award. 

Each recipient also got a red loot bag sponsored by the Corps of Commissionaires along with a bracelet and a signed congratulatory note from Harry Harsch, national Chief of Staff. The remaining 400 loot bags were stuffed with magazines and books courtesy of Esprit de Corps and distributed to the locked down veterans at the Perley Rideau Residence in Ottawa and distributed in support of an initiative led by Major (ret’d) Sandra Perron to support those troops of the CAF deployed into long term care facilities in Ontario and Quebec as part of Operation Laser. 

It was unfortunate that the pandemic shut down this year’s cocktail reception, however what is important is that the incredible accomplishments of these 20 women did not go unheralded. Their profiles appeared in full in Esprit de Corps volume 27, issue 2 (March) and can be read online at www.espritdecorps.ca along with all the previous winners’ profiles. We wish to thank Major Mike Wiesenfeld for acting as our point of coordination for plaque distribution within DND. The image techs included Jean-Roch Chabot, Olivia Manville and Camden Scott. Esprit de Corps’ photography by Richard Lawrence. 

Editor’s Note: Nominations for Top Women in Defence 2021 close 15 January 2021. 

Celebrating Canada's Top Women in Defence 2019

Mateo Peralta

Esprit de Corps’ 2019 Breaking Down the Barricades: Women in Defence World awards ceremony saw a diversity of dignitaries and military professionals come together to recognize and celebrate the achievements of this year’s 21 award recipients.   

A warm spring breeze welcomed the winners and contributed to the swelling sense of pride that was evident in the Sacred Space room at Beechwood National Memorial Centre. 

Beechwood representative Nicolas McCarthy and magazine publisher Scott Taylor kicked the night off and were followed by a video presentation of the history of women in the Canadian Armed Forces. 

The awards from Esprit de Corps, based on nomination submissions and peer review, are now in their fifth year running and Taylor commented on this milestone in his opening remarks.

“As soon as we did it, word came back and said we can’t not do it again because I know somebody who’s my colleague, I know somebody who’s my mentor who had to be nominated.” The awards and their importance only grew from that point, with the numerous women nominated receiving their own recognition and certificates as of last year.

One by one, the women took to the stage to receive their 2019 Women in Defence plaques, while representing nearly all of the nation’s provinces in the process. From advocating for veterans, to innovating defence-related technology in the business world, and standings on guard for their country and serving in all three service branches the women featured at the event came from a diversity of backgrounds.

In a first for Esprit de Corps and the women in defence awards, Maj Ann Lockhart and MWO Margaret Stawarz were nominated and awarded as a duo of women that have broken down barriers in the defence world. While receiving their awards, the two women along with the crowd laughed as they shuffled about and accommodated one another on the stage for a photo. 

MGen (Ret’d) Lewis MacKenzie and LGen Charles Lamarre addressed and thanked the award recipients for their dedication to Canada both inside and out of their professional lives.

Following the lively performance of an original song titled “Honour and Pride” by Jean Miso, an award-recipient herself, event sponsor Commissionaires closed the awards ceremony. 

The night was only just beginning as guests enjoyed a diversity of food and drink, generously donated by various high commissions and embassies. The reception dinner featured Serbian cevaps, German pretzels, South Korean bolgogi, Polish kielbasa, Turkish baklava, and fine Chinese whiskey.  

The event saw individuals from incredibly different backgrounds enjoying traditional foods from all over the world.  

The one thing that everyone attending had in common, however, was a shared pride in the women who had worked so hard and in their own unique ways, broken down barriers in the defence world.

For more photos go to: https://www.richardlawrencephotography.ca/clients/edec/bdb2019/index.html

Women In Defence Awards 2018

By Leah Woolley

This year's Women in Defence awards initiative by Esprit de Corps was the biggest yet, culminating in an award ceremony and cocktail reception attended by dignitaries and family members alike. The evening event included speeches from Governor General Julie Payette and Chief of Defence Staff General Jonathan Vance. A highlight of the night was a heartfelt toast to the winners, given by Maj (Ret'd) Sandra Perron, the first female infantry officer in the Canadian Military. 

We are proud to present video footage of both speeches, as well as a video tribute to all the award recipients. 

Governor Gen. Julie Payette delivers a speech to the 2018 winners of Esprit de Corps Women In Defence awards. The annual award ceremony and celebrating cocktail reception were held in Ottawa's city hall on April 9, 2018.
Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Jonathan Vance delivers a speech. Regrettably, the French portion of the CDS speech is unavailable due to a technical issue. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Maj (ret'd) Sandra Perron toasts the 2018 winners of Esprit de Corps Women in Defence awards. The annual award ceremony and celebratory cocktail reception were held in Ottawa's City Hall on April 9, 2018

Breaking Down the Barricades: Celebrating Extraordinary Women in Defence

Recipients sit for a group photo with Gen. Jonathan Vance and Esprit de Corps founder Scott Taylor.

Recipients sit for a group photo with Gen. Jonathan Vance and Esprit de Corps founder Scott Taylor.

By Leah Woolley

On Monday, April 9, Esprit de Corps magazine hosted a cocktail reception to honour this year’s winners of Esprit de Corp’s annual Top Women in Defence Awards.

The venue was near capacity with over 400 attendees, including guest speakers Governor General Julie Payette, General Jonathan Vance (Chief of Defence Staff) and Major (Ret’d) Sandra Perron, Canada’s first female infantry officer.

To kick off the night, twelve-year-old Mia Jovanovic serenaded the audience with the national anthem. Mia is the daughter of Biljana Jovanovic, who was a recipient in 2016.

General Vance said he was delighted to be on hand to present an honourary plaque to each recipient.

Mia Jovanovic sings the national anthem.

Mia Jovanovic sings the national anthem.

“What you have accomplished makes you inspiring not just in the eyes of young women and girls, but also young men and boys,” he told recipients in a short speech.

Governor General Julie Payette also made a speech, congratulating the winners on their contributions to the field of defence.

“We are honouring you tonight, not for diversity but because you are good, because you are competent, and because you have done extraordinary things,” she said.

Last, but not least, Major (Ret’d) Sandra Perron spoke to the crowd. “When I look at these recipients, I see beauty, grace, nobility, and softness (…) despite all the storms you’ve weathered because of what you are, what you represent,” she said.

Perron raised a toast to the winners: “Long live strong women!”

It was a night to remember for many, including several past recipients. One such guest was Jana Lee Murray, President of Women in Defence and Security (WIDs), who won the award in 2016.

Recipients applaud the anthem and introductory remarks.

Recipients applaud the anthem and introductory remarks.

“There are so many women who are deserving of this recognition. I think it’s neat that this event and this award is bringing all the women who have been contributing for a long time to the table,” said Murray. “It’s a very big deal.”

Another 2016 recipient Major (Ret’d) Cindy Tessier was happily surprised to find that she shares connections with two of this year’s recipients. She not only nominated one of this year’s winners herself but was reunited with another winner who turned out to be an old friend from Basic Training, Lieutenant-Colonel Rebecca Sabourin.

The two women joined the military in the same year and attended RMC together in the 90s. They had not crossed paths since until Esprit de Corps brought them together again on Monday night.

LCol Sabourin now works as the Mission Support Chief for 1 Canadian Air Division Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) in Winnipeg, Manitoba. “The award is a huge honour, I totally wasn’t expecting it,” she said.

“I think it’s amazing to have an award that recognizes achievement and competence, especially when it’s for women,” said Sabourin.

“It makes you feel like your achievement is a big deal, and it’s also a recognition of all the people throughout your career who have helped you get here,” she said.

Gen. Jonathan Vance congratulates the 2018  Women in Defence award winners.

Gen. Jonathan Vance congratulates the 2018  Women in Defence award winners.

Many people came together to make the night a success. We would like to thank the 15 embassies (Turkey, Serbia, Poland, Pakistan, Australia, U.S., China, Azerbaijan, Germany, Netherlands, France, South Korea, Chile, Russia, Kazakhstan) for contributing an exotic assortment of food and beverages to the reception, from baklava to Chinese whiskey.

We would also like to thank the Commissionaires for their sponsorship and support, as well as the local musicians of the Ottawa Jazz Orchestra for providing entertainment.

This year was the second time the magazine has held a formal event to celebrate the recipients. Esprit de Corp’s Women in Defence awards began in 2015 as a way of recognizing the positive impact so many women have had in what is largely considered a male-dominated field.

The initiative continues to grow – in early years the magazine received between 30-40 nominations for recipients. This year Esprit de Corps received over 70 nominations for Top Women in Defence.

The awards are presented to women who have made an outstanding contribution across the Canadian Defence sector. That includes regular and reserve personnel, veterans, cadets, defence industry, science, politics and media.

Nominees are evaluated based on achievements, commitment and dedication to service, leadership, impact in breaking down the barricade/inspiring others through advocacy, and additional activities.

A volunteer server offers food to guests at the reception.

A volunteer server offers food to guests at the reception.

 If you would like to nominate an individual for consideration next year, the nomination deadline is January 15, 2019. Please include the candidate’s name, contact information as well as a brief outline describing their achievements in their field and any other pertinent information including, but not limited to, commitment to duty, role as a mentor or leader, community involvement, etc. to nominations@espritdecorps.ca.

 

 

 

For more photos go to: http://www.richardlawrencephotography.ca/clients/edec/bdb2018/

 

To see the list of all past recipients of Esprit de Corps Magazine’s Women in Defence Award, please go to:

For 2018: http://espritdecorps.ca/women-in-defence/breaking-down-the-barricades-women-in-the-defence-world-2018

For 2017: http://espritdecorps.ca/women-in-defence/breaking-down-the-barricades-women-in-the-defence-world

For 2016: http://espritdecorps.ca/women-in-defence-2016/?rq=women%20in%20defence

For 2015: http://espritdecorps.ca/womenindefence/2015/10/28/breaking-down-the-barricades-women-in-defence-201

Breaking Down The Barricades: Women in the Defence World 2018

(Volume 24-02)

By Sarina Bhaiwala, Hayley Kirsh, Jasmine Law, Adam Peace & James G. Scott

Celebrating Success: Breaking Down the Barricades: Women in Defence

By Scott Taylor

On Monday, April 10, Esprit de Corps Magazine hosted a cocktail reception in honour of those women we have profiled for their tremendous contribution to the Canadian defence sector.

On hand was a near-capacity crowd of 500 at Ottawa City Hall, including a total of 43 recipients selected in the last three years of our annual Top Women in Defence Award. The initiative began in 2015 as a way of recognizing the positive impact so many women have had in what is largely considered to be a male-dominated field. This year was the first time the magazine held a formal event to celebrate the recipients.

Although unable to attend in person as they were overseas at the Vimy ceremony in France, both Minister of Defence Harjit Sajjan and Chief of Defence Staff General Jonathan Vance sent personal congratulatory messages. Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd was on hand to deliver a salute to these remarkable women.

We would like to thank the 14 embassies (Germany, China, Venezuela, Turkey, Serbia, France, Australia, USA, South Korea, Poland, Russia, Chile, Netherlands and Azerbaijan) that contributed an exotic assortment of food, booze and beverages to the reception. Local Celtic band Jiggs Boson created a festive atmosphere throughout the entire three-hour event.

One highlight of the evening was when former Ottawa news anchor and Second World War veteran Bill Luxton serenaded the two Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRCNS or WRENs) veterans who were present, Mary Owen and Elsa Lessard, with the WWII wartime hits We’ll Meet Again and (There’ll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover. The WRENs gustily sang along and danced while some in the crowd were moved to tears.

Recipients are peer nominated for their positive influence within the defence field. This of course includes regular and reserve personnel, veterans, cadets, defence industry, science, politics and media. If you would like to nominate an individual for consideration next year, the nomination deadline is January 12, 2018. Please include the candidate’s name, contact information as well as a brief outline describing their achievements in their field and any other pertinent information including, but not limited to, commitment to duty, role as a mentor or leader, community involvement, etc. to nominations@espritdecorps.ca.

To see the list of all past recipients of Esprit de Corps Magazine’s Women in Defence Award, please go to:

For 2017: http://espritdecorps.ca/women-in-defence/breaking-down-the-barricades-women-in-the-defence-world

For 2016: http://espritdecorps.ca/women-in-defence-2016/?rq=women%20in%20defence

For 2015: http://espritdecorps.ca/womenindefence/2015/10/28/breaking-down-the-barricades-women-in-defence-2015

BREAKING DOWN THE BARRICADES 2017| WOMEN IN THE DEFENCE WORLD

By Scott Taylor, Sandrine Murray, Micaal Ahmed & Les Peate

(Volume 24-02)