Nancy Peckford
Moderator
Mayor of North Grenville and past Executive Director of Equal Voice,
Peckford is widely regarded as an influential national advocate for women’s political
representation. Elected in 2018 as North Grenville’s first female Mayor, she also served
as just the fourth female Warden of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville in its
175-year history. Prior to municipal office, Peckford led the groundbreaking Daughters
of the Vote initiative, which brought 338 young women to sit in the House of Commons.
Peckford was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2014, and she
is extremely proud of her current role, viewing the municipal council table as one of the
most impactful forums in Canadian democracy.
Sheila Copps
Panellist
The Honourable Sheila Copps – is an outspoken Canadian feminist, who was
Canada’s first woman Deputy Prime Minister. Serving for a quarter century as an
elected politician at the provincial and national level, Copps held numerous portfolios
with responsibility for the national broadcast system, Canadian culture, parks and the
environment. As Minister of Canadian Heritage, Copps spearheaded the creation of the
UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity. She is a well-known advocate for women’s
empowerment and founding member of Equal Voice, Canada’s non-partisan movement
devoted to the promotion of women’s political participation. The author of two books and
numerous journal and magazine articles, Copps owns a communications company, Hon.
Sheila Copps & Assoc. Inc.
Lisa MacLeod
Panellist
Lisa MacLeod – represented Nepean as a Conservative in the Legislative Assembly of
Ontario. She was a six-term Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP), where she held
multiple ministerial portfolios, leading critical economic and social sectors, she
spearheaded industry-defining policy, managed multi-billion-dollar budgets, and
championed high-impact legislation. She has played a pivotal role in leading or
contributing to parliamentary and trade delegations to Taiwan, Israel, Madagascar,
China, and India and has addressed the United Nations on combatting sex trafficking
and elevated Ontario’s culture industries during a mission to Los Angeles. Following
the pandemic she championed a return-to-play strategy for major sport leagues.