We need more women in politics: John French

We need more women in politics. What I learned from my trip to the Canadian Federation of Municipalities (FCM) conference in Ottawa is that we’d do well to elect more women. In my ideal world, more councillors, mayors, regional district area representatives, MLAs and MPs would be women.

From my experience being on this planet for more than 50 years, I’ve concluded women are generally more thoughtful, more caring, more empathetic, more logical and more reasonable. Women think differently from men, and that slightly different perspective makes them better policy makers. For instance, when women find themselves in conflict with another individual, their first reaction is rarely to suggest the dispute be taken outside to the parking lot.

Regulating anger and maintaining respect is something women do better than men. In the world of policymaking, this is crucial. When tempers are high and discussion breaks down, it isn’t easy to create sensible policy.

As I sat in the front row at a FCM session entitled Empowering Women in Local Government Leadership: Breaking Barriers and Building Inclusive Communities I listened to Union of BC Municipalities president Trish Mandewo, Annie Kapandula from Zambia, and Arouna Adizatou from Benin share their experiences of being local elected officials.

Zambia and Benin have only a small number of women in elected office. In those countries, the culture doesn’t support women in political leadership positions. The two international visitors shared how they work hard to shed light on how policies affect mothers, grandmothers, and children. According to Annie, the things women need in Zambia are being pushed by a few elected leaders.

“Only women are pushing to have these things on the agenda,” she told the audience of elected officials from across Canada. Moderator Gaby Senay, the FCM Director of International Programs, noted that women are problem solvers. “We work together to find solutions,” she said.

The session confirmed for me that I’d be happy with fewer men and more women sitting at the horseshoe here in Squamish. The 2014-2018 council featured three women, with one serving as mayor. The 2018-2022 council included Mayor Karen Elliott and Councillor Jenna Stoner. In 2022, Mayor Elliott left public life, Councillor Stoner was re-elected and Lauren Greenlaw was elected as a councillor meaning the current council has two women.

How cool would it be if the 2026 to 2030 council were made up of four women and three men? Or, three men and four people who aren’t men. I prefer to express it this way because it leaves open opportunities for both the LGBTQ+ community and women. A council dominated by people who don’t think like old white men would give me great satisfaction.

In addition to the FCM session on women in politics, I attended sessions on mis/disinformation, speeches from the various federal political party leaders, a discussion on partnering to create housing and climate goals, a talk on how to unleash rural economies, plenary sessions and I toured an innovation hub area called the Bayview Yards.

The connections I made were vast.

The flight to Ottawa was filled with elected officials, including Councillors Bill Sarai and Mike O’Reilly of Kamloops who were ahead of me in the boarding line. They brought me up to speed on what’s happening in Kamloops. Two mornings, I ran 5 kilometres with a run group and jogged alongside Councillor Madonna Stewart-Sharpe of Portugal Cove, Newfoundland and Mayor Alan of Harrison of Salmon Arm. It’s amazing how much we were able to discuss while maintaining a jogging pace.

During the session on misinformation, Mayor Hurford was at the table with me, along with Councillor Kevin Flynn of Salmon Arm. We compared notes on the similarities shared by Salmon Arm and Squamish. Like me, Councillor Claude Charron of Sherbrooke likes to sit up in the front rows at sessions. We found ourselves sitting close to each other three times by chance, which sparked many discussions about our work in our communities.

Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners were eaten with a long list of people, which included Mayor Herb Pond of Prince Rupert, Mayor Sharillyn Knox of Portage La Prairie, and Councillor Darrell Penner of Port Coquitlam. Two colleagues in Canmore proved to be great connections. I chatted briefly with Councillor Tanya Foubert when we bumped into each other in the trade show area. Some will remember the days when she was a reporter with the Whistler Question.

The trade show, by the way, was an excellent source of information on everything from the construction of municipal structures, signposts, traffic lights, council chamber technology device options, and governance support services to ports, ideas for the future of Canada Post, fireworks, rail safety, and communications.

One person I wanted to meet was Councillor Jeff Mah of Canmore. What was supposed to be a brief meeting ended up being a bit longer than brief as we swapped ideas for nearly an hour. We’re going to stay in communication because Squamish and Canmore are alike in many ways. The 2025 FCM is planned for Edmonton. I’ll be seriously considering attending because I gained so much from the 2024 FCM.

John French is a District of Squamish Councillor.