Tomorrow, Feb. 18, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound Liberal candidate Kimberley Love will spend a day in Owen Sound with MP Carolyn Bennett -- and you too can take part.
 Dr. Bennett, a former federal health minister and founder of the Public Health Agency of Canada, will lead an afternoon forum exploring women's and other community issues. The dialogue will be non-partisan and open and will focus on issues that are important to the women of Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound. The evening event will celebrate women in politics.
The series – cheekily called the Red Shoe Dialogue sessions – is intended to explore issues such as poverty, health and health care, and the special challenges facing rural women. The discussions will run from 1until 5:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Stone Tree Golf and Fitness facility.  At 6 p.m., following the dialogue sessions, Liberal supporters will have the opportunity to spend some time with Dr. Bennett at a fundraising dinner at the Stone Tree.
Kim Love has developed the sessions with Liberal Riding Association President, Judy Gay. The dialogue will focus on key areas of interest for women in this riding.
“Coming from a long line of rural women myself, I wanted to ensure we had a session which explored the special challenges facing this group,” Ms. Love said.  “They have a very clear-eyed view of some of the issues facing rural Canada, and yet they are not adequately consulted, in my view. I think these women understand the issues, and I think they can point us to solutions.
”The session on Women and Rural Policy will be led by Joan Brady, Women’s President for the National Farmers Union.
“We’ve secured some excellent presenters for our Red Shoe sessions,” Ms. Love says. “We’re really looking forward to Joan’s session.  Our session on Women, Families and Poverty will be led by Francesca Dobbyn, who has some excellent insight into this issue in the riding.”
“Our final session begins at 4 p.m., and it will focus on Health and Health Care. Carolyn will be leading this session herself, and if you know anything about Carolyn, you’ll know this will be a very lively discussion.  She’s a family physician herself, and a tremendous advocate for wellness care. We have some real challenges in health care delivery – particularly in our rural areas – and we’re really looking forward to exploring that with Carolyn who, of course, is a former Minister of Health and current Health Critic.  So she has a realistic view of how to build solutions.”
Ms. Love says that the group has extended invitations to several local organizations to participate in the discussion, and they hope the free afternoon sessions will also attract interested women from the area.  Anyone interested in registering for the free sessions can contact Nicole at 226-664-0228.
Ms. Love has returned home for the upcoming community sessions, but will be returning to represent the riding in Ottawa next week, and until Parliament reconvenes early next month.
She has been posting some of her Parliament observations on her Facebook page, and will continue consulting this winter with people in the riding on her findings from Ottawa.