PORT HAWKESBURY: Three weeks out from the Female Leadershhip School in the Cape Breton/ Unama’ki/ Strait region, the organizer has announced that unfortunately, the event needs to be postponed.
Port Hawkesbury Mayor Brenda Chisholm-Beaton confirmed the decision following the Town of Port Hawkesbury’s virtual council meeting on April 7.
“Our government focus group has decided to postpone the [Female Leadership School],” she told reporters. “We haven’t chosen a date yet. We’re looking at potentially resetting it for the summer, but that again could be reconsidered.”
Originally scheduled for the first weekend in May at the NSCC Strait Area Campus, the school for is intended to engage, support and educate women about First Nation and municipal councils in the region. It would also educate women about local government; how it functions and what municipalities and First Nations are responsible for; the expectations of councillors, mayors and wardens; and how and why to get involved – not just as candidates, but as volunteers and informed voters.
Chisholm-Beaton said she wants to take at least the next month to see how the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds before making any final decisions.
“I think we’re in for a longer than anticipated time where we’re going to have to continue to be careful, continue to respect that physical and social distancing,” she said. “So we are just going to continue to monitor the situation.”
On the other side of the coin, Chisholm-Beaton indicated they’re also playing around with the idea of having perhaps a virtual version of the Leadership School for Women.
“We have two options that we’re looking at; re-scheduling so we can go forward with the original plan,” she said. “Or to have a virtual version of the leadership school so we can still provide women with the leadership information that they need.”