International Women’s Day: 1) WOMEN IN BUSINESS PRESS RELEASE (WINNERS); 2)Everything you need to know about International Women’s Day on March 8; 33) KOOL FM celebrates International Women’s Day over the airwaves
1)Women In Business Winners – Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Barrie Chamber of Commerce Celebrates 2026 Women in Business Award Winners
Barrie, ON – March 6, 2026 – The Barrie Chamber of Commerce proudly celebrated the achievements of outstanding leaders at the 2026 Women in Business Awards presented by Meridian, held Friday afternoon at Liberty North. The sold-out luncheon brought together more than 300 members of the local business community to recognize women whose leadership, innovation and dedication are shaping Barrie and the surrounding region.
The Women in Business Awards highlight entrepreneurs, professionals and community leaders who demonstrate excellence in their industries while contributing to a stronger and more vibrant community. Since launching in 2018, the awards have grown into one of the Chamber’s premier celebrations of leadership and achievement.
“Every year the energy in the room reminds us just how remarkable this community is,” said Salim Bardai, President of the Barrie Chamber of Commerce. “These leaders are not being recognized simply because they are women. They are being recognized because they are among the very best in business, leadership and community impact.”
The 2026 Women in Business Award winners are:
Young Entrepreneur Award
Presented by Invest Barrie
Kylee Henson, Boreal Health: Bodies in Motion
Healthcare Hero Award
Presented by Superior Home Health Care Barrie
Dr. Whitney Young, Rooted Naturopathic Clinic
Creative Visionary Award
Presented by RBC Royal Bank
Andrea McMullen, ADM Design Inc.
Woman in Trade Award
Presented by Georgian College
Michelle Dada, MNT Consulting Group Inc.
Intrapreneur Award
Presented by Doane Grant Thornton
Gillian Vincent, BMO Private Wealth
Community Impact Award
Presented by Alectra Inc.
Amber Sperling, Amber Sperling Social Work & Psychotherapy Services
Entrepreneur Award
Presented by Bill Gosling Outsourcing Corp.
Sophie Rennie, Sweet & Sassie Bake Shop
Visionary Award
Presented by TD Bank
Nicole Norris, Georgian College
The awards presentation followed a keynote address from Dr. Béatrice Séguin, a global health and innovation leader and founder of Estra and co-founder of MOB Beauty, who spoke about leadership, resilience and empowering women in business.
The Chamber congratulates all nominees, finalists and winners whose achievements continue to inspire the business community.
2)Everything you need to know about International Women’s Day on March 8
Source Barrie 360
By Marie Gagne
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International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated every year on March 8. It’s a day to recognize and celebrate the achievements and contributions of women throughout history and across the world. It’s also a day to advocate for women’s rights and gender equality.
But how exactly did IWD get started, why is it still observed and how can you celebrate it this year?
The history of International Women’s Day
The origins of International Women’s Day are somewhat controversial and a little hazy. Depending on your source, details will change here and there. Still all stories date back to the early 20th century when women’s rights activists across the world were campaigning for suffrage, better working conditions, and equal rights.
The most common origin story for International Women’s Day starts with a march that took place in 1908. 15,000 women marched together through the streets of New York demanding better pay, voting rights, and shorter hours. However, research from the 1980s suggests this story was made up to separate International Women’s Day from its socialist roots.
What’s clear is that in 1909, the Socialist Party of America declared February 28 the first National Woman’s Day in the US. It was observed on the last Sunday of February so that working women could join the march.
On February 28, 1909, suffragists and socialists, who had previously been at odds, united. Thousands of women congregated at Murray Hill Lyceum at 34th Street and Third Avenue. Many stood to speak to the gathered crowds. This included labour organizer Leonora O’Reilly and author of The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
The first International Women’s Day
Two years later, Woman’s Day caught on in Europe when women marched on March 19, 1911. It was an international event with more than 1 million men and women rallying for women’s rights. Today, this is seen as the first International Women’s Day Event, though the holiday was not yet recognized by the UN.
When World War I broke out in 1914, most social reforms experienced a freeze. Still, women gathered and marched on Woman’s Day.
Why do we celebrate on March 8?
On February 23, 1917, thousands of Russian women took to the streets of Petrograd. They demanded bread and more rations for families of soldiers. The result of this has been tied to the abdication of Czar Nicholas II and the start of the Russian Revolution. The provisional government that formed in the wake of the abdication granted women the right to vote. It was the first government of a major power to grant these rights.
In recognition of the events on February 23, Vladimir Lenin, the founder of the Communist Party in Russia, declared the 23rd as Woman’s Day and an official Soviet Holiday. Communists in Spain and China followed suit.
At the time of these events, Russia was using the Julian calendar, which was 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar used by western countries. In 1918, when Russia adopted the Gregorian calendar, Woman’s Day shifted to March 8.
BONUS FACT: You may have noticed that up until this point, the holiday has been referred to as Woman’s Day. That’s because it wasn’t changed to Women’s Day until sometime after 1945.
Up until 1975, the day was mostly celebrated in socialist countries. However, in 1975, the United Nations General Assembly marked March 8 as International Women’s Day. Two years later, the Assembly allowed Member States to choose their date of observation based on their own historical and national traditions.
Reigniting a movement
Over the next decades, International Women’s Day began to lose traction. By 2000, most countries did very little to celebrate. But gender parity still hadn’t been achieved.
In 2001, internationalwomansday.com was launched. The website existed in a pre-social media era, so its main focus was to provide information, encourage events and celebrate women.
Today, International Women’s Day is celebrated with workshops, luncheons, and other events, centered around an annual theme developed by the IWD website.
The introduction of themes
Themes are not a new element of IWD. In 1996, the UN announced its first theme – Celebrating The Past, Planning For The Future.
Since then, every International Women’s Day has had a specific theme. This year, it is Give to Gain.
About Give to Gain
The 2026 theme for International Women’s Day is Give to Gain. It’s a call to show that when we give our support, knowledge, or resources, everyone benefits. The campaign emphasizes that helping women and girls succeed is not a loss; it multiplies opportunities for communities, workplaces, and society as a whole.
Giving can take many forms: mentoring, sharing expertise, advocating for equality, celebrating achievements, or contributing time and resources. Even small, everyday actions, such as like challenging stereotypes or supporting women’s initiatives, can make a meaningful difference.
How to work for change
Over the years, we have been lucky to sit down with advocates for women in Barrie. One guest, Teresa MacLennan, Executive Director of Barrie Women and Children’s Shelter, took the time to talk to us about how women can continue to work for change, especially in the workplace.
MacLennan shared, “We encourage women to use their voice, to participate, to ask questions, and not be afraid of what the outcomes will be. If we are doing good work, if we are saying the right things, we can’t lose.”
MacLennan also shares the importance of women getting into politics as men still dominate the space. Part of that is many women are unsure about how to go about getting involved; making the decision to run. But that’s changing. MacLennan explains, “What we’re seeing now is that women politicians are encouraging educating and supporting other women to consider running. That is a great first step!”
Celebrating International Women’s Day
There’s no right or wrong way to celebrate International Women’s Day. You could watch a documentary about women’s rights or read articles about women’s achievements. You can take time to learn about the challenges that women and girls deal with in different places around the world, shop from a women-owned business or make donations. The options are truly endless.
Annual International Women’s Day Empowerment Luncheon
If you’re looking for a local event to celebrate, learn, and network with other women, The Barrie Women and Children’s Shelter will be hosting their Annual International Women’s Day Empowerment Luncheon. The event takes place on March 8 from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Barrie Chrysler at 395 Dunlop St W.
Other Local Women’s Day Events
March 6 | 11:00 AM – 2:30 PM – The Barrie Chamber of Commerce is celebrating local leaders at their Women in Business Awards at Liberty North with keynote speaker Dr. Béatrice Séguin.
March 5 | 1:00 PM – Join the Women & Children’s Shelter of Barrie for their Flag Raising Ceremony at City Hall, honoring women in our community.
Regardless of how you celebrate, remember that the true purpose of International Women’s Day is to recognize and honour the achievements and contributions of women throughout history, and to continue advocating for gender equality, equity, and women’s rights.
By working together, we can create a more just and equitable world for all women.
3) KOOL FM celebrates International Women’s Day over the airwaves
KOOL FM will be playing female artists all day long on International Women’s Day
Courtesy Barrie360.com
By Marie Gagne, March 1, 2026
International Women’s Day is on March 8, and the Kool FM crew is celebrating it over the airwaves.
Every year, International Women’s Day celebrates female achievement, raises awareness for bias, and promotes action for equality.
On International Women’s Day, KOOL FM will only be playing songs by female artists to honour the special occasion. That means an entire 24 hours filled with classics and new hits by women.
Amy Aust, the station’s afternoon drive host, says the initiative is a great way to highlight the occasion.
“We’ll be featuring an all-female line-up with some artists that might not be in regular rotation to give you that ‘I remember her! I love this song!’ moment as we celebrate women’s musical contributions all day long for International Women’s day,” she said.
International Women’s Day on Kool FM
KOOL FM CELEBRATES WOMEN EVERY YEAR
The initiative started back in 2021. Matt Cacchione, the station’s brand manager and program director, says the station got a lot of great feedback from listeners and the community. In response, Kool FM has made their all-female line-up an annual event.
“Playing a 100 per cent female playlist for 24 hours on International Women’s Day is a great way to celebrate women, create more awareness of what the day is all about within our community and hopefully contribute towards the conversation of gender equality even further in our country,” he said.
“Our listeners are in for a few surprises too along the way. They’ll hear some gems they probably haven’t heard in a while.”
Kool FM is encouraging listeners to join in honouring the incredible women in their lives and all over the world: those that raised, taught, fought for, and showed the importance of gender equality.
Listeners can tune in on terrestrial radio at 107.5 FM or online.
The station says the day is a time to recognize and celebrate the many achievements of women and girls from all over the world; socially, economically, culturally, and politically.