LAC LA BICHE - The annual Rural Women’s Conference for the region was in full swing last week at the Bold Center, with keynote speakers from across the county, surrounding rural communities and the local area engaging and empowering more than 200 women on topics including mental and physical health, motherhood, and support systems.
“We have people from all the outlying communities that get together, brainstorm, contact people and try to get a variety of different topics and it comes together and has for us every year,” says organizer Gwen Beniuk.
The two, five-hour-long sessions — one in the daytime on November 17, and another that night, she says, were an opportunity for women to connect with one another in a safe space dedicated to them.
“Our motto is empowering women in rural life, and that’s kind of what we do. We have a good cross-section of all ages and backgrounds and I think that’s part of it; just seeing different people and connecting with them.”
Connections
Author and child psychologist Jody Carrington headlined this year’s event discussing the shift her life has taken from traditionally assessing and treating children in Alberta—throughout her clinical career—to becoming an author who speaks about the ever-revolving need for vulnerability and connection that it takes to live.
“We're all in such different places in our lives. Somebody just lost a child; somebody buried their dad or their partner, or they were wondering if they should stay married. It all speaks to the same thing; because it’s all about relationships and connections,” Carrington told women attending her session.
Although the challenges are ultimately difficult and force people to question their capabilities and goals, says Carrington, vehemently women are “exactly where we need to be” and through that understanding, special bonds are built—especially in rural communities.
“It is really about remembering that it’s the sisterhood, it's the connections that get us through the hard things. The more divisive we become in this tired world, we’re going to lose that quick. That reminder—particularly in our small communities—where sometimes the resources are less, or the access to supports are difficult to come by, we actually do need to lean on each other even more. “
Mental Health
Grasping and implementing mental health strategies isn’t only beneficial for women, but vital for communities where the topic might be taboo or hard to address, said keynote speaker Lesley Kelly, the founder of High Heels & Canola Fields, and co-founder of Do More Agriculture.
After Kelly’s husband suffered a panic attack from the worries of a failed crop season and the long hours he endured while working on their family’s 7,000-acre grain farm in Saskatchewan, she recognized that mental health was often dismissed as an excuse for weakness by the farming community. She knew that misconception was something she had to shed light on.
Throughout her experience, Kelly told Lakelandtoday.ca after the conference, it continues to be a daily task that requires work and understanding in order to provide support.
“My whole message was what we can do—the tiny things— in our lives that can make an extraordinary impact on those around us; in our families, on our farm, in our communities, and I hope my message of hope, love, inspiration and connection was felt and can be shared tomorrow and keep on going.”
Her friend Kelly Scanlan, a Bell Let’s Talk ambassador and a military veteran who served in Afghanistan, has suffered from insomnia and other mental health issues. Her presentation at the conference focused on the idea that no matter their degree or experiences, everyone should know that someone is suffering.
“Mental health is not a competition, people drown in oceans, and people drown in pools, and people drown in bathtubs and everyone just has to stop worrying about how much water someone’s drowning in, and just focus on the fact that someone’s drowning,” she said.
Physical Health
Sue LaPierre, a well-known Lac La Biche area fitness instructor, says mental struggle can be assisted by physical well-being. LaPierre shared her own person struggles and suggestions for physical health strategies with the conference attendees.
Throughout her life, Lapierre says, taking care of her physical health has allowed her to cope and deal with her struggles, loss, and day-to-day life. Allowing others to see the benefits of moving your body around and eating unhealthy foods in moderation, she says, is a tool that allows you to live a fuller life with the one body you get.
Transplant recipients
Other presenters at the conference included Elk Point-based 2nd Chase Trail Ride members Tammy Baker—a kidney recipient—along with Moe Irving and Tom Matthews, who both received double lung transplants. The survivors shared their stories and the challenges transplant recipients and their donors face. The organization aims to bring awareness and resources to individuals in need of vital organ donations.
Laughter
Lac La Biche’s Kristin Shewchuk presented the women with a session on ‘Laughter Yoga’ as a means to tackle mental health challenges through laughter and movement. The program which was originally popularized by Mumbai-based doctor Madan Kataria, says Shewchuk, is a great way to get people feeling good about themselves and not be so serious.
Finances
Tammy Girard, a Plamondon resident and Servus Credit Unions first female manager, shared tools and tips on how to save money for emergencies. Promoting important financial stability concepts for women and their families, she says, is a strategy that better prepares them for the future. One of the most important financial endeavors for women is establishing their own credit base throughout their life, says Girard, because financial independence is crucial for women’s success.
Impact
The overall conference, says Beniuk, would not be possible without the volunteers, sponsors, speakers, and attendees. After canceling last year’s event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she says, it was awesome to see the annual event happen again, and to have Lac La Biche County host the conference.
“We had to cancel last year’s event, so it was awesome to be able to have it this year. We don’t normally do two sessions, but we wanted to keep smaller numbers to keep people safe, and it worked.”
Next year’s event is already scheduled for mid-November, she says. Ultimately, it was a lot of hard work that paid off.
“We hope that everyone left here more empowered than they came.”
A local group of volunteers have been organizing the conferences since the first event in Craigend in 2016.
