Alright, Now What?

For survivors leaving abusive situations, bringing a beloved pet with them can be an important part of reaching safety.In this episode, host Hillary Leblanc speaks with Carol Latchford, Executive Director of North York Women’s Shelter and a longtime leader in the gender-based violence and family homelessness shelter sector who has spent more than three decades advocating for safer, more inclusive support.They talk about why being able to bring a pet to the shelter can make a meaningful difference for survivors seeking safety, what it takes to create truly pet-inclusive shelters, and why support needs to consider the whole family.Carol also shares what she’s learned about building services around dignity, lived experience, and the individual needs of the people and animals who rely on them.

What happens when the way you experience the world changes, but your drive to keep moving forward doesn't? Today, Hillary is joined by Victoria Nolan, a blind world champion rower, Paralympian, author, executive leader, and motivational speaker. Victoria's story is about much more than elite sport. They get into what it means to adapt when life changes dramatically, what trust and communication can make or break a team, and what high performance sport taught her about leadership and relying on other people. Victoria also talk about the assumptions people make about disability and what becomes possible when we rethink what someone is capable of.

Women's sport in Canada is growing fast, but does that mean women, girls and gender-diverse people now have equal opportunities?Today Hillary is joined by Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, CEO of Canadian Women and Sport and a leading voice for gender equity in sport. In our conversation, Allison shares how sports shaped her own sense of belonging, confidence and leadership, and why those opportunities still aren't equally available to every woman, girl and gender-diverse person.We talk about the systemic barriers built into sport, the growing momentum behind women's professional leagues, and why real progress requires more than simply getting women, girls, and gender-diverse people through the door.Together, we explore what it will take to build a more inclusive system and how all of us can play a role in making that change happen.

Accessibility shapes how we move through the world, but how often do we actually notice it?Hi, I'm Hillary LeBlanc, your host for season 9 of the Canadian Women's Foundation podcast, Alright, Now What? Today I'm speaking with Taylor Lindsay Noel, an accessibility advocate, entrepreneur, speaker, and content creator.Taylor Lindsay-Noel is a Toronto-based entrepreneur, motivational speaker, disability advocate, and content creator. A former Canadian national gymnast, Taylor sustained a life-changing spinal cord injury in 2008 that left her paralyzed from the neck down. Since then, she has built a career centred on entrepreneurship, advocacy, storytelling, and creating greater awareness around disability and accessibility.We talk about the everyday barriers people with disability continue to face, why lived experience matters when creating accessible spaces, and Taylor's return to competitive sport through para-boccia, with the Paralympics now in her sights.

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Elia Lauzon from Kuujjuaq, Nunavik, whose work and experiences reflect the power of community and intergenerational leadership.In our conversation, Elia speaks with Alyssa Carpenter from the Canadian Women’s Foundation about growing up in a remote northern community and how youth leadership opportunities helped expand her sense of what was possible for her future.We’ll also hear how the women and community leaders who came before her helped create pathways for the next generation, and why building stronger communities requires showing up for one another, sharing knowledge, and creating opportunities collectively.