Honouring International Women's Day in St. Albert

There’s no shortage of ways to mark International Women’s Day in St. Albert this year. 

A number of local organizations have come together with a wealth of programming that empowers women, girls, two-spirit, trans, and non-binary people, and challenges the barriers they face. A wide range of events are running all month long—both online and throughout the city’s downtown core—which seeks to go beyond the day’s usual celebratory tones. 

“The organizations in St Albert work really, really well together,” explains Leanne MacMillan, Community Development Coordinator with Family Community & Support Services. “A couple of us were just talking about how we could work together and do some different things [...] We're trying to expand people's idea of Women's Day.” 

That means an inclusion-focused mix of conversations, art, and opportunities to engage. Some events are skill building—A Ready To Rise webinar is a free, self-paced federal program looking to support and empower women looking to enter or re-enter the workforce—while others are designed for deeper considerations. 

“We're trying to be able to have something for everybody, like a pick-your-own adventure,” MacMillan says. “Everybody has different styles of engaging and learning and comfort.” 

Have A Seat At Our Table is a collaboration between St. Albert Food Bank and Community Village, Cultural Services, Family and Community Support Services, and artist Nadia Dzyakava. The art installation, going up in St. Albert Place, will explore the root causes of why women use the food bank more frequently than men. 

“We're really trying to get people to go, ‘Okay, let's just go a little bit deeper around what are some of the things we have to change’ to make sure that women can survive and they can thrive,” MacMillan says.  

With Queering Femininity, Outloud St. Albert is inviting youth to share art or writing that reflects their own relationships with femininity, to be displayed in their physical space and online social media channels. 

The St. Albert Public Library and the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women are presenting a screening and talk around the film Mary Two-Axe Earley: I Am Indian Again, about an activist who fought against gender discrimination in the Indian Act for two decades. 

The Art Gallery of St Albert will host Arts Exchange: Elevating Women In the Arts, a panel discussion that will celebrate women’s work in the field. There will also be an Art Nook activity inspired by the gallery’s current exhibit, Tethers. And the Musée Héritage Museum is hosting an exhibition called A Woman’s Place, exploring the lives of women who helped build St. Albert. 

“We can create a conversation around social change utilizing art,” MacMillan says. “Art is a social tool—we wanna touch people's hearts, right? We sometimes bump into people's brains, so I would really like to get into their hearts so that they can help with the change. They can make some changes.” 

Article written by: Paul Blinov

A full list of International Women’s Day Events can be found at stalbert.ca/women. 

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