Community generosity results in more than $2.8M raised for BC Children’s Hospital Foundation
Golf Canada
Calgary, AB – Canadian Pacific (CP) is proud to announce that fundraising efforts over the past two years for the CP Women’s Open (CPWO) have helped raise more than $2.8 million to support important equipment purchases and research at BC Children’s Hospital, along with an additional $557,000 for Kamloops Royal Inland Hospital.
“CP is honored to support BC Children’s Hospital in their critical efforts to improve cardiac care for children,” said Keith Creel, CP President and CEO. “For two years in a row, due to the pandemic, we have not been able to hold the CP Women’s Open, but that has not diminished the incredible generosity of the community. We are grateful for the community’s ongoing participation and support, and look forward to bringing the CPWO back once it is safe to do so.”
The funds will go toward cardiac ultrasound machines, research supporting the catheterization program and two graduate students who will conduct full-time pediatric cardiac research.
“When we set out on our quest to transform cardiac care for kids in BC, we knew we couldn’t do it alone. That is why we are so grateful for the support of partners like Canadian Pacific,” said Malcolm Berry, President and CEO of BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. “We want to extend a huge thank you to CP for being with us every step of the way. From securing innovative equipment to advancing ground-breaking research and training, this partnership has helped us take significant steps forward to ensure that heart disease doesn’t stop children from living full, healthy lives.”
“Every day at the Heart Centre, we see first-hand the transformative impact of CP’s longstanding support of children facing health challenges because of their heart condition,” said Dr. Shubhayan Sanatani, Head, Division of Cardiology at BC Children’s Hospital. “Many of the strides we’ve made have become possible through CP’s generosity. Thank you, CP, for helping us transform cardiac care for kids in BC.”
CP also raised more than $557,000 to support its community partner Kamloops Royal Inland Hospital Foundation. These funds will support a renovation and equipment for a new cardiac department at the hospital.
“The Royal Inland Hospital Foundation is honoured to be the community partner of CP and would like to extend a heartfelt thank you for helping to raise over $557,000,” said Heidi Coleman Royal Inland Hospital Foundation CEO. “Through the matching initiatives they have provided us, we were able to double our impact at Royal Inland Hospital. Through CP’s contribution, we will enhance cardiac care within the Thompson Cariboo Health Service Area.”
Since assuming title sponsorship of the CP Women’s Open, CP has helped raise more than $16.85 million to support children’s heart health in Canada.
“CP’s continued commitment to a make a difference and leave a meaningful legacy in the name of the CP Women’s Open has been extraordinary,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “We are so proud to witness first-hand the special impact of CP on the lives of countless Canadians, and we are thrilled that the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Royal Inland Hospital, and the Vancouver community at large will benefit from their incredible generosity.”
The 2022 CP Women’s Open will be played in Ottawa at the Ottawa Hunt Club from August 22 – 28, 2022.
The 48th playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship is set for August 22-28, 2022 in Ottawa.
Golf Canada, in partnership with title sponsor Canadian Pacific (CP), is pleased to announce that tickets for the 2022 CP Women’s Open are now available.
The 2022 edition of the CP Women’s Open will be held August 22-28, marking the championship’s fifth visit to the nation’s capital, as well as the fourth playing at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, which previously hosted in 1994, 2008 and 2017.
As the only Canadian stop across 34 official LPGA Tour events, the week-long tournament will draw the world’s best players including 10-time LPGA Tour winner and CP Ambassador Brooke Henderson. Born and raised in nearby Smiths Falls, Ont. Henderson will be backed by the hometown crowd as an honorary member of Ottawa Hunt.
Title sponsor Canadian Pacific will once again be making a charitable donation to the host community through its CP Has Heart campaign. In the first six years of CP’s title sponsorship of the event, more than $10.7 million has been raised in support of children’s heart health across Canada.
The week-long national championship features something for everyone including the ultimate food experience at the Recipe Unlimited Fare Way, premium partner activations, photo-ops, and more!
First conducted in 1973, Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship has allowed the brightest stars of the LPGA Tour to shine on Canadian soil and has inspired the nation’s next generation of female golfers.
Join us to witness world-class LPGA Tour golf, activities for all ages, local food and patio experiences and more. Get your tickets today and be a part of one of Golf Canada’s signature events.
* Youth 13-17 years of age receive a 15% discount, while juniors aged 12-and-under gain FREE grounds admission all week long. Some conditions apply. Cannot be combined with additional offers.
CP Women’s Open shines as only Canadian stop in LPGA’s record-breaking 2022 schedule
Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club, host of the 2022 CP Women's Open
LPGA Tour Communications
World’s best female golfers to compete for nearly $86 million in official prize money
Nine tournaments announce elevated purses, with the CME Group Tour Championship increasing to $7 million
NAPLES, Fla., – The 2022 LPGA Tour season is set to present yet another year of record-setting purses and playing opportunities. Thanks to the support of new and long-time partners, LPGA Tour Members will compete for $85.7 million in official purses in 2022, the largest total ever presented to the world’s best female golfers, across 34 official events.
“The stage is set for 2022 to be one of the most exciting years in the history of the LPGA Tour, with the addition of new events, the largest total purse ever, over 500 hours of broadcast television and a collective commitment to being the leading women’s professional sports property in the world,” said LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. “We have never had such a robust team of partners from around the globe who see both the commercial value in investing in the LPGA and the opportunity to utilize the partnerships to have a positive impact on their communities and on the world. As the home to the best female golfers in the world, we will continue to focus on offering a dynamic schedule that allows players to reach their peak performance in golf and in life and that provides the platform to inspire young girls and women around the globe to dream big.”
So far, nine tournaments have announced purse increases for the 2022 season, including The Chevron Championship ($5 million, up $1.9 million from 2021) and the AIG Women’s Open ($6.8 million, up $1.3 million from 2021). As announced on Wednesday, the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship purse will grow to $7 million, up $2 million from 2021. The winner will receive $2 million, the largest first-place prize in professional women’s golf history, and all players who complete in the championship will receive at least $40,000.
The 2022 LPGA Tour schedule is here! ⛳️
– 34 official events – $85.7 million in official purses, the largest total in women’s golf history – Nine tournaments with purse increases – Over 500 hours of broadcast television
Other tournaments to announce elevated purses are the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open ($2 million, up $500,000 from 2021), the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship ($1.8 million, up $300,000 from 2021), the Pelican Women’s Championship ($2 million, up $250,000 from 2021), the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational ($2.5 million, up $200,000 from 2021), the Meijer LPGA Classic ($2.5 million, up $200,000 from 2021) and the HSBC Women’s World Championship ($1.7 million, up $100,000 from 2021). Additional purse increases are expected to be announced throughout the season.
The 2022 season will open with three weeks in Florida, leading off with the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, moving to a new host venue at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando. The Gainbridge LPGA will return to Boca Rio Golf Club in Boca Raton after a one-year stop at Lake Nona, and the Florida trio will culminate at the fourth playing of the LPGA Drive On Championship, with a date and venue to be announced in the coming weeks.
Following the usual early-season swing through Asia, with stops in Singapore and Thailand, the Tour will spend five weeks in the Western region of the United States. In early April, the golf world will celebrate Mission Hills Country Club and its 50-plus years of LPGA Tour history with The Chevron Championship, the first major of the golf season, with a new title sponsor. The LPGA announced in October that 2022 will mark the major’s final playing in Rancho Mirage, Calif., and the week promises to be an exciting celebration of Dinah Shore, Mission Hills and the famed jump into Poppie’s Pond.
After beginning with The Chevron Championship, the 2022 women’s major championship season will continue at the U.S. Women’s Open, which returns to Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in North Carolina, the venue for Cristie Kerr’s 2007 national championship title. The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will head to Congressional Country Club in Maryland, a five-time men’s major venue that is set to welcome its first major women’s event.
A four-event European Swing will feature two major championships, starting with the Amundi Evian Championship, the Tour’s annual visit to the French Alps. The first week in August will bring the much-awaited AIG Women’s Open visit to Muirfield, marking the first time in its illustrious history that the famed links will host a major women’s championship.
The season will include two tournaments making their LPGA Tour debuts on the calendar. The JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes will be held at Palos Verdes Golf Club in late April, joining the previous week’s JTBC LA Open at Wilshire Country Club for a two-week tour through suburban Los Angeles. In September, the Tour will visit Kenwood Country Club for the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G, marking a return to Cincinnati for the first time since 1989.
After a two-year absence due to the pandemic, the LPGA Tour will return to Canada in late August for the CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club in Ontario. It will kick off a summer sprint across the United States, ending with the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship being held for the first time at The Saticoy Club, located outside Los Angeles. The Tour will then return to Asia for its Fall Swing, making appearances in the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, Chinese Taipei and Japan, before ending the season at the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Fla.
Ace Beverage Group becomes Official Ready-To-Drink Beverage Partner of Golf Canada
Golf Canada
Golf Canada and Ace Beverage Group announced today a multi-year integrated partnership that will see Ace Beverage Group become the official ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage partner for the RBC Canadian Open and the CP Women’s Open.
Through the partnership, Ace Beverage Group will offer a selection of their RTD beverages, including the highly popular Cottage Springs brand, at Golf Canada’s two National Open Golf Championships beginning in 2022. The Canadian-based Cottage Springs brand will become the new sponsor of the spectator grandstand at the RBC Canadian Open’s famous “Rink Hole”. Spectators at the RBC Canadian Open and CP Women’s Open will also enjoy a range of Ace Beverage Group products at the Fare Way food and beverage experience as well as sampling within the fan village.
“We are very proud to partner with Ace Beverage Group to deliver their premium portfolio of ready-to-drink beverages to the RBC Canadian Open and CP Women’s Open” said John Sibley, chief commercial officer of Golf Canada. “This partnership across our two flagship properties provides a tremendous opportunity for Golf Canada to align with a leading brand in the RTD category and deliver a premium spectator and hospitality experience.”
Ace Beverage Group is a fast-growing and innovative beverage alcohol company based in Toronto. Ace Beverage Group holds market leadership positions across hard seltzer, craft beer and cider, and has a highly engaged consumer following around its brands. The company’s unique, premium portfolio features numerous popular brands, including Cottage Springs (the #2 hard seltzer brand in Canada), Ace Hill, Liberty Village and Cabana Coast.
“The RBC Canadian Open and CP Women’s Open are among the most exciting events in all of Canadian sports and we are extremely proud that event fans will have the opportunity to experience and enjoy our products,” said Mike Wagman, CEO of Ace Beverage Group. “We are thrilled to partner with Golf Canada to share our unique portfolio of beverages with spectators, and to continue to grow our brands among golf enthusiasts across the country.”
The 2022 RBC Canadian Open will be held June 6-12 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto, Ont., with the CP Women’s Open being contested August 22-28 at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont.
theScore Bet Becomes Official Gaming Partner of Golf Canada and its Marquee Golf Championships, the RBC Canadian Open and CP Women’s Open
Golf Canada
TORONTO – Score Media and Gaming Inc. (TSX: SCR; Nasdaq: SCR) (“theScore” or “the Company”) announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Score Digital Sports Ventures (Canada) Inc. (“theScore Bet”), has entered into a multiyear agreement with Golf Canada to become its Official Gaming Partner. The exclusive partnership makes theScore Bet the first ever gaming partner for Golf Canada and its prestigious National Open Golf Championships – the CP Women’s Open and the RBC Canadian Open.
The partnership, which begins in 2022, provides theScore Bet with access to activate across Golf Canada’s high-profile events and large digital footprint. As an exclusive gaming partner of the RBC Canadian Open and the CP Women’s Open, theScore Bet will be able to engage fans through a variety of on-site activations, including creating members club experiences for theScore Bet users, as well as digital activations through both tournaments and Golf Canada’s channels.
Bill C-218, which legalizes single event sports betting, was proclaimed to come into force on August 27, 2021, with regulated online iGaming and sports betting offerings from private operators expected to commence in Ontario later this year. Both the RBC Canadian Open and CP Women’s Open will be held in Ontario in 2022. The RBC Canadian Open is scheduled to be held in the Greater Toronto Area in 2023 and 2024.
“We are thrilled to welcome theScore Bet as Golf Canada’s first Official Gaming Partner,” said Golf Canada’s Chief Commercial Officer, John Sibley. “theScore brand is already synonymous with sports coverage in Canada and we’re enthusiastic about the opportunity to team up to help build awareness for theScore Bet. Through Golf Canada’s entertainment properties and channels, theScore Bet will have direct access to engage with our large membership of devout Canadian sports fans.”
“We are proud to be Golf Canada’s first ever gaming partner and align theScore Bet with their organization and Canada’s marquee professional men’s and women’s golf events,” said Aubrey Levy, Senior Vice President of Content and Marketing, theScore. “This partnership provides us with highly engaging access points to introduce theScore Bet to a broad and endemic audience of golf fans. With the RBC Canadian Open taking place in Ontario for all three years and the CP Women’s Open in the province for at least the coming year, it provides us an amazing foothold to interact with Canada’s passionate golf community around two of the most popular golf events in the country.”
The 2022 RBC Canadian Open will be held June 6-12 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto with nearby Islington Golf Club hosting the championship’s practice facility. The 2022 CP Women’s Open takes place August 22-28 at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club in Ottawa.
In March 2021, theScore Bet was named Official Betting Operator of the PGA TOUR across the United States and Canada, pending the enactment of enabling legislation and regulation, and receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals.
theScore Bet is an immersive and holistic mobile sports betting platform which includes a wide range of pre-game and in-play betting across all major sports leagues and events, and a comprehensive variety of bet types. When paired with theScore’s flagship mobile app, theScore Bet offers a deeply personalized user experience and uniquely integrated media and betting ecosystem.
Hosted by TSN’s Lindsay Hamilton, the virtual Summit features dynamic speakers across sport and business including PGD Global executives the Sadekar sisters, LPGA Tour athletes Cheyenne Woods and Lydia Ko, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, and more.
Canadian Pacific has triple-matched donations made during the summit in support of the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation.
2021 CP Women’s Leadership Summit to be held virtually
Golf Canada
OAKVILLE, Ont. (Golf Canada) — Golf Canada in partnership with Canadian Pacific (CP) and LNG Canada has announced the fourth annual CP Women’s Leadership Summit presented by LNG Canada will take place virtually on Tuesday, August 24, 2021, with complimentary access.
The intent of the Summit is to bring together like-minded female leaders across business and sport to have important conversations about gender equity, representation, diversity and intersectionality. This year’s Summit will feature four sessions, running from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET, and will be hosted by TSN personality Lindsay Hamilton.
The CP Women’s Leadership Summit presented by LNG Canada will also help raise funds for the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. This year, CP has generously offered to triple-match all online donations, meaning donor gifts go three-times as far towards benefiting BC youth.
The opening-session of the Summit will focus on changing the status quo in golf and will be led by PGD Global executives, Nisha and Seema Sadekar, former professional golfers and founders of the “Bigger Than Golf” and “Project Fairway” initiatives designed for women and girls to use golf as a tool for life.
The second session will discuss leveling the gender playing field in business and will feature Alison Twiner, Digital Marketing & Strategy Advisor and Chair of the Heart & Stroke Foundation Board along with Caryna Pinheiro, Assistant Vice-President, Application & Digital Services at CP.
LPGA Tour athlete Cheyenne Woods and three-time CP Women’s Open champion Lydia Ko will head up the third session touching on representation in sport.
The final session of the Summit will focus on leadership utilizing the strength of your diversity and will feature Cathy Engelbert, Commissioner of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and USGA Executive Committee member.
In July of 2019, Engelbert was named the first-ever Commissioner of the WNBA and has since led the league through the COVID-19 pandemic and executed the historic player-first Collective Bargaining Agreement. A former CEO of Deloitte, Engelbert has been named one of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women for consecutive years, is ranked on Glassdoor’s annual Employees’ Choice Awards honouring the 100 Highest-Rated CEOs and is among Crain’s 50 Most Powerful Women in New York.
“The CP Women’s Leadership Summit is an exciting opportunity to share, hear and learn from some amazing female leaders,” said Caryna Pinheiro, CP’s Assistant Vice-President, Application & Digital Services. “I am honoured to participate in the Summit and help raise funds for BC Children’s Hospital Foundation to leave a lasting legacy for the hospital, children and families who need it.”
For Golf Canada, hosting the CP Women’s Leadership Summit presented by LNG Canada aligns with the organization’s commitment to developing a more inclusive culture in Canadian golf.
“The CP Women’s Leadership Summit is an important event to provide a forum to discuss meaningful topics that can offer change within sport and the workplace,” said Golf Canada President Liz Hoffman. “Our speakers are true leaders, both in their respective industries and as women’s empowerment advocates. While we unfortunately cannot gather in person this year due to circumstances around the pandemic, we are excited to bring our expert speakers together virtually to provide participants with an inspiring experience and wide array of perspectives.”
The CP Women’s Leadership Summit presented by LNG Canada typically takes place in conjunction with CP Women’s Open tournament week. In early June, Golf Canada, CP and the LPGA jointly announced the 2021 CP Women’s Open would be cancelled due to logistical challenges and border restrictions related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2022 CP Women’s Open will be held August 22-28, at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club in Ottawa.
The CP Women’s Leadership Summit is proudly supported by Audi.
2021 CP Women’s Open cancelled due to ongoing COVID-19 challenges
AURORA, CANADA - AUGUST 22: Tee Marker on the 15th tee during the first round of the CP Women's Open at Magna Golf Club on August 22, 2019 in Aurora, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
Golf Canada
VANCOUVER – Due to logistical challenges and continued border restrictions related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Golf Canada, title sponsor Canadian Pacific (CP), and the LPGA Tour have announced that the 2021 CP Women’s Open, scheduled for August 23-29, 2021, at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, has been cancelled.
Golf Canada had been working with local, provincial, and federal government health officials towards a comprehensive health operation plan for the tournament. With a decision timeline established, Golf Canada engaged a number of stakeholders to navigate the impact of current provincial restrictions as well as federal quarantine measures in effect, given the number of players and event personnel required to cross the border for the event.
Despite the disappointment of cancelling the 2020 and 2021 events, Golf Canada and CP have confirmed that Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club will pivot to host the 2023 CP Women’s Open, August 21-27, 2023. Both the Province of British Columbia and Sport Hosting Vancouver have already confirmed their commitment to support Canada’s National Women’s Open Golf Championship in its return to British Columbia.
CP also confirmed that they have extended their partnership with Golf Canada an additional year through 2024 which includes title sponsorship of the CP Women’s Open.
“Together with CP, the LPGA Tour, and our friends at Shaughnessy, we share in the deep disappointment of the players, volunteers, partners, and golf fans with the cancellation of the 2021 CP Women’s Open,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “Even with our extensive health and safety plan, we continued to face a number of significant logistical challenges that led to this unfortunate decision for a second year. As we focus on moving forward, I want the thank Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club and the Musqueam First Nation as well as the Province of British Columbia and Sport Hosting Vancouver for their swift decision to get behind the event coming back in 2023 and we know that it will be an incredible showcase when we bring the world’s best golfers back to Vancouver. I also want to thank CEO Keith Creel and the entire team at CP for their continued partnership and meaningful support of Canadian golf.”
“CP is committed to leaving a positive impact on the communities that host the CP Women’s Open, and we look forward to bringing the tournament back to Vancouver in 2023,” said Keith Creel, CP President and Chief Executive Officer. “We now set our sights on bringing the world’s best golfers to Ottawa in 2022 and continue our giving legacy in that community.”
CP’s various charitable activities over the past two years have helped BC Children’s Hospital and Royal Inland Hospital raise over $2 million through different matching programs. BC Children’s Hospital, the primary partner, will use the funds for a fleet of new cardiac ultrasound machines, research, and support for a catheterization program and two new fellowships. Royal Inland Hospital, the community partner in Kamloops, will use the funds to redevelop and vastly improve the cardiac department of the hospital. CP continues to work with these charity partners to raise even more funds.
Among the contributing factors to the 2021 cancellation was the continued uncertainty around international travel restrictions and quarantine requirements that made it most difficult to move forward with the Canadian event.
“We are so grateful to CP and Golf Canada for their continued support of the CP Women’s Open and the LPGA Tour,” said Ricki Lasky, Chief Tournament Business Officer for the LPGA. “While we share in this disappointment, we have no doubt that Shaughnessy, CP and Golf Canada will provide our players with an amazing experience when we are together in 2023, and we look forward to working with these partners for years to come.”
The 2023 CP Women’s Open at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club will mark the sixth time the province of British Columbia has hosted Canada’s Women’s Open Championship, with the last time being in 2015 at The Vancouver Golf Club, where Lydia Ko won her third CP Women’s Open title.
For Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club Board of Directors and membership, pivoting to host the 2023 CP Women’s Open allows the club and its host volunteer committee to refocus on what is sure to be celebration of golf when the LPGA Tour returns to Vancouver.
“While we are disappointed to be postponing the CP Women’s Open once again due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will refocus our efforts and look forward to working with the Musqueam First Nation, Golf Canada, CP, the City of Vancouver, our fantastic group of volunteers, and other partners in preparation of hosting the best players in the world at Shaughnessy in 2023,” said Brian Mossop, General Manager and C.O.O. at Shaughnessy.
The rescheduled return of the LPGA Tour to Vancouver in 2023 will be proudly supported by both the Province of British Columbia as well as Sport Hosting Vancouver. With a global audience reach of over 500 million households across 170 international markets, both bodies are getting behind one of Canada’s signature sports entertainment properties as part of their revitalized tourism platform moving forward.
“I recognize how devastating it must have been for organizers to once again have to cancel the 2021 CP Women’s Open due to the continuation of Federal travel restrictions,” said Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. “However, with the majority of adults vaccinated and COVID-19 case counts steadily declining, I feel more optimistic than ever about B.C.’s restart plan and our ability to welcome the world back to our province once again. I would like to thank the entire CP Women’s open community for your unwavering commitment to the power of sport.”
“As a host destination we are thrilled for the opportunity to re-secure and host the 2023 CP Women’s Open,” said Michelle Collens, Director, Sport Hosting Vancouver. “Major events like the CP Women’s Open will be a critical part of our tourism and economic rebuild, making this great news for our future event portfolio, welcoming back international visitors and fans to Vancouver.”
With the 2021 event officially cancelled, tournament officials with Golf Canada and CP will turn their focus to the 2022 CP Women’s Open, which was previously confirmed to be hosted at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club August 22-28, 2022.
The fourth annual CP Women’s Leadership Summit, which was scheduled to take place on August 24 as part of CP Women’s Open tournament week, will be replaced by a digital experience focused on audience empowerment and inspiring guest speakers. Full details including a schedule and guest speakers will be released in the coming weeks. The Summit, which is a celebration of business leaders, influencers, and community champions, will continue to be part of the CP Women’s Open in 2022 and beyond. Golf Canada, CP and the LPGA Tour would like to thank golf fans across the nation in addition to the many corporate partners, ticket, and hospitality purchasers, as well as the countless volunteers for their continued support through this unprecedented time.
The stars of the LPGA Tour will challenge for the CP Women’s Open from August 22-28, 2022, at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont. Through its CP Has Heart program, title sponsor CP will once again make a substantial donation to the host community of Canada’s National Open Golf Championship by supporting local pediatric care. The 2022 CP Women’s Open is proudly sponsored by CP, Audi, RBC, Steam Whistle, Levelwear, Coca-Cola, Hilton, Ottawa Tourism, and the Government of Canada. For information on volunteer opportunities, tickets, or corporate hospitality, visit www.cpwomensopen.com or call 1-800-263-0009.
Lessons in leadership: Key takeaways from the 2020 CP Women’s Leadership Summit
In the summer of 2013, at just 15-years-old, a young golf prodigy of Smiths Falls, Ont., was entering the final round of her third LPGA Tour event. A future Canadian golf star, Brooke Henderson was paired with Canadian golf legend Lorie Kane. Walking up to the final hole of the tournament, surrounded by Canadian fans at the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic held in Waterloo, Ont., Kane grabbed Henderson’s hand.
“I remember the feeling I had when I took [Brooke] by the hand,” Kane said. “I was saying to myself, whether I said it to [Brooke], ‘you are the future’.”
Flashforward to the summer of 2020, where Henderson appears alongside Kane at the CP Women’s Leadership Summit, no longer as the rookie and the veteran, but as two Canadian women in golf paving the way for future generations of women in sports.
Kane’s gesture of grabbing her hand was a subtle act, but it’s a moment that’s stuck with Henderson all these years later.
“That was just an incredible moment for me,” Henderson said.
Listening to the Summit, it became clear that moments like these; moments of pure, genuine leadership that may not seem like much at the time, can make dramatic impacts on the lives of the people influenced by them.
On Sept. 1, a diverse panel of women in positions of leadership came together for the third annual CP Women’s Leadership Summit. This year though, things were a little different because of COVID-19. Organizers pivoted to host the event virtually to accommodate safety restrictions with in-person gatherings.
Hosted by TSN anchor Lindsay Hamilton, the goal of the event was to provide inspiring stories and a networking opportunity, while also accepting donations for the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. While the networking component wasn’t able to flourish like it has in the past, the Summit was “a success story for us” according to Mary Beth McKenna, the assistant tournament director of the RBC Canadian Open who has co-led the event since it began three years ago.
The event was divided into four sessions, each with different women discussing their experience as leaders in their respective positions. Speakers included Canadian golfers Kane and Henderson, and Olympians Marnie McBean and Perdita Felicien, among other prominent women in leadership positions.
A three-time Olympic Gold Medalist and Canada’s chef de mission for the 2020 (though postponed to 2021) Tokyo Summer Games, McBean knows a thing or two about leadership.
Though, even McBean indicated she’s always actively learning how to be a better leader. As the Summit’s first speaker, McBean spoke about her early days with rowing teammate Kathleen Heddle, and how it wasn’t necessarily the match made in heaven their later results would make it seem.
“I actually actively worked for a long time to get into a different boat because I didn’t think Kathleen had what it took because she was introverted, she was calm and quiet,” said McBean. “I was like, well, that’s not what a champion is.”
It was encountering someone with a personality and working style different to her own that McBean said taught her an important lesson on teamwork and leadership. McBean quickly learned that welcoming “the diversity of the personalities in the boat” would be crucial to their success.
“I learned to accept that as long as I stopped trying to make Kathleen me, and I let her be her authentic self, she’s extraordinary,” McBean said.
“Leadership isn’t about meeting in the middle with people, it’s about earning trust and respect. I give 100 per cent of what I have to give, and if I’ve earned it, I’ll get 100 per cent of what the people I’m working with, who I’m leading, what they have to give,” McBean said.
The overarching message on leadership from McBean was this: humility and communication. It was a theme that seemed to find its way into separate discussions by all the speakers throughout the two-hour Summit.
Humility and the openness to continue learning and growing was a key aspect of Olympian Perdita Felicien’s discussion on overcoming adversity and her experience as a black athlete.
“It’s lifelong learning, it’s lifelong commitment,” Felicien said on how to be an ally. “I’m also learning, I’m also figuring it out.”
Felicien said she’s had conversations with friends who are white, who’ve called or texted her to say that they want to listen and learn about being an ally.
“They want this to change. They might not know exactly how, but they are here, and they are at the table and they are deciding, ‘you know what: enough is enough’,” Felicien said.
The session prior, with Candy Ho, CEO of The Cape on Bowen Community Development and Pam Arpin, assistant vice president, customer and corporate Services at Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) focused on the importance of communication.
Arpin discussed how she worked on having successful communication with her employees at the beginning of the pandemic when CP was deemed an essential service and many employees continued working at the office.
Arpin said she focused on making sure her employees knew that she was always available despite the fact that she didn’t necessarily have the answers they were looking for. She said it was important, “because any void in communication, people are going to fill up that void with their own speculation.”
Arpin said she thinks it was a missed opportunity “if you haven’t grown as a leader through this.”
It’s that aspect of humility and the willingness to grow that both Arpin and Ho emphasized in their discussion together.
It was apparent that no matter what leadership role you’re in, from CEO to a veteran golfer, being a leader transcends it all.
“We just have to be humble, have that mindset for growth, and then no barrier is a barrier, they’re all opportunities,” Ho said when asked about obstacles she’s encountered in her own career.
While it may have been possible to view the postponement of the CP Women’s Open and the restriction from having an in-person Summit as a barrier, instead the CP Women’s Leadership Summit went on, taking advantage of the unique situation.
McKenna admitted that having to do the Summit virtually this year was a curveball, but it also opened up new opportunities.
“We had people attend outside of Canada, so you didn’t necessarily have to be in the marketplace to enjoy these great speakers,” said McKenna.
Usually in a space-restricted setting, the event has around 275 attendees, according to McKenna. This year, however, she said there were over 1,100 registrants from various countries.
Canadian Pacific staff tuning in from HQ in Calgary
McKenna also said that everything went seamlessly for the Summit, and she wants to carry that momentum into next year, with the hopes that it can be done in-person if it is safe to do so.
The key takeaway from the Summit is this: what defines a successful leader is not just one thing, on one occasion, it’s finding humility, and it’s about keeping an open line of communication, even when you don’t necessarily have the answers.
And it’s about the small, subtle acts of understanding and empathy, like taking the hand of a 15-year-old walking up to that final hole, despite being her competitor.
Henderson said that golf can teach people a lot of life lessons.
“I feel like almost every day is a challenge out there,” said Henderson. “But that’s part of the reason why we love it.”
The truth can be said about life and leadership, as well.
The 2020 CP Women’s Leadership Summit — conducted virtually for the first time ever.
The Summit features guest speakers such as former CP Women’s Open champion Brooke Henderson, Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Lorie Kane, TSN personality Lindsay Hamilton and Olympians Perdita Felicien and Marnie McBean.
