To the MSVU community,
Tomorrow, March 8, is International Women’s Day (IWD). The Government of Canada’s theme for IWD 2025 is Strength in every story. They note that “This year’s theme highlights the importance of amplifying the voices of all women, particularly those who continue to face barriers to success.”
You don’t have to look far at MSVU to find women’s stories on display.
In the Elizabeth and Fred Fountain Atrium within the Margaret Norrie McCain Centre for Teaching, Learning and Research, you’ll find a one-of-a-kind installation featuring 18 inspiring women. Throughout the McCain Centre, you’ll also find many named spaces, each marked by a plaque that tells a woman’s story. And just outside the building’s main doors, you’ll find the Women’s Wall of Honour that features hundreds of tributes to special women (you can read those tributes on the virtual version of the wall too).
The McCain Centre itself is named for its lead donor The Honorable Margaret McCain, CC, ONB, whose dedication to early childhood education has been transformative at MSVU and beyond. She was also the first woman to serve as the Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick, a distinction held in Nova Scotia by The Honourable Myra Freeman, CM, ONS. Both Dr. McCain and Dr. Freeman hold honorary degrees from MSVU, as does The Honourable Mayann Francis, ONS, who was the first Black Nova Scotian and the second woman to serve as Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia.
It’s hard to believe that it has been 10 years since we opened the McCain Centre at MSVU. A decade on, it remains the only building on a Canadian university campus dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of women.
And while we have seen progress on issues related to the advancement of women in these past ten years, I sometimes worry that such progress is slowing – or worse, being undone entirely in some areas. The increasing incidence of gender-based violence is of serious concern, as are efforts to dismantle equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility (EDIA) programs.
Perhaps never before has MSVU’s unique commitment to the advancement of women and to EDIA been more critical.
In her address to graduates when she received an honorary degree from MSVU, The Honorable Dr. Wanda Thomas Bernard, CM, ONS, Canadian Senator, spoke of MSVU’s history in supporting women and equity-denied groups. She said, “I am here because the Mount broke barriers to create space for my late sister Valerie Thomas Hodges and our cousin Connie Glasgow-White and I, the first three people from East Preston to attend and complete a university degree. … We were three of the ‘Metro Nine’ in 1969; we were the largest group of African Nova Scotian students to attend university in any one year. Imagine that, 1969, and we’ve been here from the 1600s.”
Ours is important work, rooted in improving the lives of everyone. This has been our focus for a long time and we won’t stop now.
My sincerest thanks to all those at MSVU who are leading important work focused on the advancement of women, including the team in the Alexa McDonough Institute, the Department of Women and Gender Studies, Nancy’s Chair Mary Rita Holland, the Centre for Women in Business, and so many others across teaching, research, and advocacy.
Here’s to generations of empowered women to come!
Joël
Dr. Joël Dickinson
President and Vice-Chancellor
Mount Saint Vincent University