CCWESTT recently gathered our community and many new faces for our 2026 conference exploring gender equity in science, engineering, trades and technology (SETT). Planned in partnership with Engineers Canada, APEGA, and the Office to Advance Women Apprentices – Alberta, the conference was held over three days in Calgary.
Gathering over 300 participants from across Canada, Beyond Boundaries: Collaborating for Collective Action continued CCWESTT’s momentum of over 30 years of conferences.
Beyond Boundaries was planned with inclusion in mind, including for the first time at a CCWESTT conference on-site supports for mental health including an on-site psychologist-in-training who saw clients at their request and visiting therapy dogs for a tail-wagging break from proceedings.
Recognizing the complementary nature of the arts to SETT, CCWESTT invited the Calgary Physicians’ Choir to perform at the opening reception. Throughout the conference, Tanya Yeomans was present incorporating the event’s topics into a piece of fibre art sewn onto her old work gear from her field work as a geoscientist.
Day 1, Beyond 30 by 30, Shifts in Culture across SETT, was developed in partnership with Engineers Canada with a focus on their 30 by 30 initiative. Topics such as reconciliation, accessibility and allyship were explored across SETT with panels and presentations throughout the day. Day 1 also featured keynote presentations from EngiQueers founder Vanessa Raponi and bestselling author Tina Varughese.
Day 2, Impacting Structures and Policy for Change, expanded on CCWESTT’s tradition of Policy Forums held at conferences over the past 12 years. We heard from leaders in systemic change across our sectors and others. CCWESTT also shared their Gender Equality Report Card with a Calgary audience for the first time. An episode of Hearth to Heart Podcast was recorded live at the conference with Gayathri Shukla, from Campfire Kinship featuring Claudia Gomez-Villeneuve and Sara Mighan.
Stay tuned for workshops based on this day’s presentations in the coming months. Keep an eye on our events page or sign up for our email list.
Day 3, Community Best Practices, gave attendees an opportunity to hear from leaders in educational institutions, companies, and not-for-profits on how they are collaborating for collective action. More than 100 abstracts were submitted for this conference, and we were pleased to dedicate a day to community best practices turning systemic change into a reality. A morning keynote with Benveet “Bean” Gill set the tone for a day of inspiration. CCWESTT made history this year with the first ever main stage panel on male allyship at a CCWESTT conference, featuring a panel of male allies, and moderated by a trans moderator.
We’re energized and ready to work with new partners we’ve met in Calgary. We hope to expand on our learnings and actions in 2028 in Ontario!
