January 27, 2010 (Ottawa, ON) – From organizing the winning bid for the 2015 Pan American Games, to staging the 2009 Canada Games, to preparing Canada’s athletes and support staff for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, and ensuring Canadians participate in physical activity, the wide variety of roles that women leaders fulfill throughout Canada is evident on this year’s list of Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity.

The list is compiled by the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS). Twenty women were named to the 2009 edition, which recognizes women who have made a significant impact as administrators, advocates, coaches, executives, fundraisers, managers, producers, psychologists and volunteers. Their selection to the list reflects their influential activity in the calendar year 2009.

This is the eighth Most Influential Women list announced by CAAWS. Fredericton, NB’s Nicole Smith, Chair of the CAAWS Board of Directors outlined how the list is indicative of the diverse roles that Canadian women fulfil, “This year’s list reflects the reality of how women are influential throughout our country at many different levels, and in a wide variety of activities. It is really quite remarkable to see the significant spectrum of women who bring their considerable talents to encourage, direct and manage at provincial, national and international levels.”

Smith also paid tribute to the unofficial 21st woman on this year’s list, the late Dr. Gene Sutton of Hamilton, Ontario. “Gene had been named to our list previously, and right up until she passed away in August, she was contributing to sport in our country. She was involved in the successful 2015 Pan Am Games bid and the 2009 Canadian Gymnastics Championships as well as plans for the Hamilton leg of the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay. She is sincerely missed by all of us in the sport and physical activity community.”

Named to the list for the first time in their careers are:

Dr. Kimberly Amirault, the Sport Psychology Lead for the 2010 Canadian Olympic Team, Marie-Claude Asselin, the Executive Director and CEO of the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada, Sandra Bezic, the producer of the highly successful television show, Battle of the Blades, Michelle Carinci, the President and CEO of the Atlantic Lotteries Corporation for its support of sport in Atlantic Canada, Cathie Kryzanowski, for her leadership of Saskatchewan In Motion, Betty Dermer-Norris, who is the Director of Team Operations for the Canadian Olympic Committee, Nathalie Lambert, the Chef de Mission who has been helping prepare the Canadian athletes and support staff for the 2010 Games, Jagoda Pike who headed up Toronto’s successful 2015 Pan Am Games bid and Liz Pace who is taking a provincial coaching policy and standards to a national level. Two groups were cited for their collective work: the women of the Canada Games Host Society who staged the successful province-wide games in PEI and Canada’s Women Ski Jump Team for their pursuit to have their event included in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Returning to the list are:

Stacey Allaster, named as new chair and chief executive officer of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. Charmaine Crooks, who played a key role in the Toronto 2015 Pan Am delegation; Melody Davidson, General Manager and Coach of the National Women’s Hockey Team; Allison McNeill who coaches Canada’s National Women’s Basketball team; Anne Merklinger, who has been appointed as the Director of Summer Sport for Own the Podium; Kelly Murumets for her leadership of ParticipACTION; Carla Qualtrough, the President of the Canadian Paralympic Committee; skier and climate change advocate Sara Renner; and Beckie Scott who continues her influential work on boards of directors.

CAAWS names young women whose influence is being noticed as “Ones to Watch”. This year the Woodstock High School Lady Thunder ice hockey team from Woodstock, New Brunswick was chosen. They were cited for the positive approach they took to anti-lesbian homophobic taunts, messages posted on Facebook, and the refusal of another team to shake hands after games after two teammates made it public knowledge they were lesbians. In a strong display of solidarity all 18 team members wore rainbow-striped pins, with the words “No Homophobia,” to their games, opening up dialogue with other teams in the province and sharing the pins with a team from northern New Brunswick.

The 2009 Most Influential Women (in alphabetical order) are:
– 2009 Canada Games Host Society Women
– Stacey Allaster, St. Petersburg, Florida
– Kimberley Amirault, Calgary, Alberta
– Marie-Claude Asselin, Montreal, Quebec
– Sandra Bezic, Toronto, Ontario
– Canada’s Women Ski Jump Team
– Michelle Carinci, Moncton, New Brunswick
– Charmaine Crooks, Vancouver, British Columbia
– Melody Davidson, Calgary, AB
– Betty Dermer-Norris, Fredericton, New Brunswick
– Cathie Kryzanowski, Regina, Saskatchewan
– Nathalie Lambert, Montreal Quebec
– Allison McNeill, Surrey, BC
– Anne Merklinger, Ottawa, Ontario
– Kelly Murumets, Toronto, Ontario
– Elizabeth (Liz) Pace, Halifax, Nova Scotia
– Jagoda Pike, Toronto, Ontario
– Carla Qualtrough, Vancouver, British Columbia
– Sara Renner, Canmore, Alberta
– Beckie Scott, Panorama, British Columbia

In Memoriam
– Dr. Gene Sutton, Hamilton, Ontario

Ones to Watch
– Woodstock High School Lady Thunder ice hockey team, Woodstock, New Brunswick

Many of the women named to the CAAWS list were nominated by colleagues and the general public. The final list was compiled by the CAAWS selection panel from both public nominations, and contributions from knowledgeable sport and physical activity leaders. The panel reviewed the submissions and based its decision on the scope of activities in the 2009 calendar year.

Photos and individual bios are available here.