DONNA CANSFIELD – THE POWER OF ATTITUDE & GRATITUDE - By Sue Van Der Hout
by Donna Cansfield, Minister of Natural Resources
Some people think that politics is no place for a woman. It´s no place for a man either. Success in politics is often the death knell for personal and private success. It´s a 24-hour a day job that intrudes and subjects a candidate to criticism that would scorch the earth. But without the voices of women, without their unique perspectives, 50% of the community would have to rely on the kindness and good sense of men to defend their very different circumstances and interests. Fortunately for us, Donna’s decided to make that sacrifice again. There is power in nice.
DONNA CANSFIELD – THE POWER OF ATTITUDE & GRATITUDE
By Sue Van Der Hout
Donna Canfield spoke before a group of women weeks before the scheduled fall election in Ontario. She was sanguine about the possibility of loss. She reminisced. She spoke of her 15 years in the community as a school trustee, her four-year term in politics and service as the Minister of Transportation and later as The Minister of Energy.
There are few women in politics. If there is a woman who can convince others to join her in what is a particularly solitary endeavor, it would be Donna. She is a wonderful speaker, a charming and warm woman. She speaks with clarity and from the heart.
When she spoke of her work in politics, she positively glowed. While she encouraged women to become involved in politics, she was honest about how hard it was for a woman to spend so much time away from family, busy with constituents; caucus; travel. She spoke of brutally harsh letters written to her. Of the building of a fire in front of the head office of the school board. The taunts of her children. The last was particularly hard. Yet, she radiated confidence and calm. She knew that taking on a big job involved big risks and big sacrifices. She smiled as remembered the gratitude she’d received from people whose lives she’d changed. She mused that at this age and stage, perhaps it was time for a change, for a new challenge. She had no regrets.
When she left the room, there was almost a collective sigh of disappointment. While she did not speak of her vision for Ontario, (after all, she wasn´t on the stump), her comments left the group hungry for more. It was a special pleasure to be a woman who held the mantle of leadership so easily. While she spoke of politics with enthusiasm, her honesty about the rigors of political life left the group with a collective sense of relief that the mantle did not fall on them. And we turned our thoughts to our own success.
The McGuinty-led Liberals swept to a 71-seat majority on Oct. 10. Running hard for her community and her continued presence in the Ontario government was Donna Cansfield. She won again and was appointed the Minister of Natural Resources. So appropriate. She is one.
01.05.2008
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