Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk joins AC panel on women in non-traditional fields

Posted on Monday, October 31st, 2016

The Honourable MaryAnn Mihychuk, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour was on the AC campus Friday afternoon to take part in a conversation to mark the end of Women’s History Month.

Mihychuk joined Algonquin College President Cheryl Jensen and three other women on a panel discussion held in The Hub on women in non-traditional fields. About 60 people gathered for the panel and 1,000 others watched online.

The minister spoke about how she was one of the first women hired as a geologist under a government “affirmative action” program, and yet some 30 years later sees that women are still underrepresented in non-traditional fields.

“It just doesn’t make sense to exclude 50 per cent of our people from the STEM sector,” she said, referring to the science, technology, engineering and mathematics streams.

Cheryl, who trained and worked as a chemist, said we should be used to women taking their places in leadership in government, industry, academia and elsewhere, and she pointed as examples to many of the women leaders here at Algonquin College.

“We believe that the best person for the job is the best person for the job,” she said. “We want everyone to sit at the table.”

Also on the panel were Nathalie Méthot, manager of the Office of Research and Innovation at La Cité, Algonquin College Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning student Joan Bailey, and Crystal Michaud, Algonquin College alumna from the School of Hospitality and Tourism and an entrepreneur.

The panel was emceed by Kathryn Rielander, Professor and Coordinator, Electrical Engineering Technology Program.
Women’s History Month, which ends Monday, celebrates the achievements of women and girls as trailblazers throughout our history.

Read a release about the event here.

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