WOW: Politics

Denise Ghanam has been a Conservative candidate for election twice and a municipal candidate once.  She is a well-respected community leader in Windsor having served on the Police Services Board and the Windsor Port Authority among others.  She joined Melinda for a conversation about working across the poltical spectrum for the benefit of the whole community.  

We are in Jane's Walk season and we were joined by four amazing guests to talk about why women's history is not recorded in our built environment and how we can restore lost histories.  Join us and Julie Rae Tucker, Phillipa von Zeigenwelt, Irene Moore Davis and Nicole Baillergeon.  

Wen Teoh has been helping entrepreneurs make their ideas real in Windsor for over a decade.  She joins Jessica and Melinda to talk about her path to leadership and her newest project: Sisters in Business.  

The panel welcomed a new correspondent, Evelina Bacewska to talk about Trump, women and invading spaces traditionally reserved for men. Pat Papadeas, Leslie McCurdy and Evelina joined Jessica and Melinda for a fun and funny reflection on how Trump's comments about women athletes is a symptom of something much bigger when it comes to women in politics.    

Joyce Zuk served two terms on Windsor City Council and over 30 years in human services in the community.  She talks to Melinda about Windsor's latest approach to panhandling and how approaches based in service and help are the only way we make change.  

Fresh off renewing her contract with Art Windsor Essex, Executive Director Jennifer Matotek joins Jessica and Melinda as the first guest in the WOW: Leadership series.  She digs into the daily life of being a not-for-profit leader.  

Alicia Higgison is the Councillor for Ward 1 in the Town of Tecumseh.  One of the 'class' of 2018, she and was elected twice for School Board Trustee before switching gears into municipal politics.  We talk about how she balances being a single parent of three daughters, a busy job and the obligations of being an informed councillor.  She also has tips for any listeners getting ready to start a municipal run for October 2026.  

The City of Windsor heard from the community this week about the proposed 2026 budget.  Municipal budgeting is sometimes called the superbowl of local politics.  Darcie Renaud joins us to talk about her experience delegating to Council on behalf of mothers and families who are being hit with significant user fee increases for camp programs and transit.  Turns out the user fee impact on families with kids is many times more than a 1% property tax increase would be.  Who knew?

Today we launch the WOW:Leadership series of WOW:Politics.  Jessica and Melinda introduce listeners to the reasons why we need more women in leadership outside of politics as well as in.  This series will alternate with our regular politics programming.  Let us know what you think on our Facebook Page WOW:Politics

Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas!  The panel debate whether Ms. Claus is a feminist and how women's holiday work keeps the lights on.  Join, Darcie, Leslie, Kristen, Jessica and Melinda for our first holiday special, complete with sleighbells!  

Greenshield Cares and Equal Voice Canada have partnered to create on demand mental health supports for women and gender diverse individuals running for office!  Lindsay Brumwell and Sabrina Ladha, join us to share how they decided to address a long standing issue for women in politics.  Women participating in campaign schools across Canada regularly report concern about mental health and harassment as a significant barrier to running for office.  We have heard it from many of our guests.  This new program is aimed at tackling that barrier and we are delighted to promote it.  The service is available here.

On November 11, 2025 Amber Czech, a 20 year old welder, was murdered in her workplace by a co-worker who didn't like the way she looked at him.  Melinda asked Nour Hachem and Delaney Krieger of Build-A-Dream to help her understand the dangers women face on the job.  They described the feeling of having to put on armour before going to work.  The conversation touches on violence in the workplace and role of women and women in elected office to help each other advocate and create space to listen to their stories.  

Women won landmark elections across the US on Tuesday November 4, and the transition team for the NYC mayor is all women.  What does this mean for women locally?  Darcie Renaud and Anastasia Adams join us for a great conversation.  We also talked about how even the President of Mexico is not safe from men thinking they have the right to touch her in public.  Do women in positions of authority have a higher duty to take action when they are victims of assault?

Leigh Vachon was so moved by the decision of the Alberta Government to direct school boards to limit access to books that she wrote an impassioned Facebook post about it.  That prompted Jessica to invite her to WOW Politics to talk about how the debate about access to books is really a debate about access to understanding the other. When politicians limit our ability to understand our neighbours, friends and colleagues, they limit our political discourse in ways that go beyond simply prudishness about bodies. 

Ward 2 watchers Sheila Wisdom, Caroline Taylor and Lady Laforet join us to talk about how the current slate of 15 candidates in the by-election responded to our questions about what is important to women in the area and how they plan to encourage women to vote.  We had a lot of fun. 

Krystalynn Singh is running for City Council in Ward 2.  She talked to Melinda about her life long dream of being Prime Minister and how she decided to take her career in property management and apply it to politics.  

Christie Nelson cut her teeth in politics winning a seat on the Greater Essex County District School Board.  She is running for the open seat in Windsor's Ward 2.  We talked about why she is jumping into the deeper political pool and how her experiences have led her to this decision.  

Tory McKay is running in the Lasalle by-election.  We talked to her about her career, her family and her ideas for the community.  Take a listen.  

Kate Paddon is running in the Lasalle By-election to replace the late Sue Desjarlais.  We interviewed her to find out what motivated her to try and knock on 12,000 doors before October 20.  You can learn more about Kate here.

Is taking the bus a gendered issue?  Darcie Renaud, Leslie McCurdy and Valerie Bonasso join WOW politics to talk about whether cancelling the Transit Windsor School Extras will have a greater impact on women (moms) than men (dads).  I want confirmation on my information about my transportation from Massey station(She wants confirmation on her information on her transportation from Massey station)Gimme confirmation about my information about my transportation from Massey station(She wants confirmation on her information on her transportation from Massey station)(Apologies to the Shuffle Demons)You can watch Darcie's trip to Massey Highschool here.

How do you talk to kids about politics, feminism and women in leadership.  There are no two better women to guide us through this topic than Kate Graham, professor of political science, mom of a five year old girl and author of Govern Like a Girl and Run the World Like a Girl, and Jess Macasaet, Windsor activist and mom of two busy boys.Don't worry, we talk about representation versus ideology.  

Kristen Siapas, Leslie McCurdy and Anastasia Adams join us for our first current affairs panel.  We stray from urban planning to criminal justice to gender segregated schools.  Join us for a fun and interesting conversation that proves not all women think alike.  

This week Melinda and Jessica talk about two important social movements in Ontario for women in elected office.  Women of Ontario Say No is a group of women pushing for changes to the Municipal Act to allow Councillors to be removed from office for serious acts of harassment.  Elect Respect is a project from Burlington that seeks to promote more civility towards and between elected officials.  We discuss why we need efforts like this and whether they will be effective. 

Linda McCurdy and Gemma Grey-Hall are two powerhouse women who have run for office in Windsor and Essex County.  We interviewed them live at Art Windsor-Essex on July 17.  Listen in on a rollicking but also frank discussion of what it means to run for office as a woman of colour.  We are grateful to Art Windsor-Essex for hosting our first live recording.  

No one epitomizes women in politics and the elbows up philosophy better than Sandra Pupatello.  Former Ontario Cabinet Minister and now Senator, Sandra took time out of her busy schedule to talk to Melinda and Jessica about why the economy is the most important issue for women today.  She also shared her experiences from being a young campaign aide to running for office and provides good advice on the value of speaking French and wearing comfortable shoes.  

Three of Windsor's best campaign managers join us to share the secrets of running campaigns for women and by women.  Valerie Bonasso, Darcie Renaud and Pat Papadeas have run campaigns for municipal, provincial and federal candidates for over twenty years.  If you like political strategy, want to know the inside dope on how campaigns work or just like war stories, this episode is for you.  Bonus if you can guess who our unauthorized interloper was!  

Anne Jarvis is the doyenne of political commentary in Windsor Essex having spent a career following politics and politicians through the region.  She joins Jessica and Melinda to talk federal election, recounts, conservative sweeps and why women should run for office.  

Mayor of Lasalle Crystal Meloche was bitten by the public service bug early.  After watching her husband run unsuccessfully for Council she knew this was the job for her.  Representing young women and young moms was the driver to push her into politics.  

Lori Wightman is running for the NDP in Essex County.  She is one of only two women running in the region.  She had a good chat with Melinda and Jessica about being drawn to public life, running for election and whether women are just better at getting things done. 

Sherry Bondy, Mayor of the Town of Essex is a household name in this region.  She joined Melinda and Jessica for a fun and inspiring conversation about the work of being a rural mayor in challenging times.  She also let us in on a bit of the ELK Energy story.  

Kelsey Santarossa was the youngest person ever elected in an Ontario municipality in 2018 when she ran in Lakeshore for the first time.  Melinda and Jessica talk about the challenges of not only being a woman but being a young woman.  Kelsey shares her incredible optimism for the future even in trying times.  

Although not an elected official herself, Helga Reidel is easily one of the most influential public servants in Windsor and Essex County.  As a senior executive and CAO at the City of Windsor followed by becoming CEO of Enwin Utilities, Helga has worked with polticians at every level of government.  Who better to have on our podcast to talk about what it takes to be a leader and how to make a good elected official?  

Jessica and Melinda talk about their overall impressions of the Ontario Election from the perspective of women observers and they reflect on the interviews with Gemma Grey-Hall, Tamara Stomp, Rachael Mills and Lisa Gretzky.  There are a few statistics at the beginning but hang in there, they are important later.  

In the final episode of our Ontario Election 2025 series, Melinda talks to sitting NDP Member of Provincial Parliament Lisa Gretzky.  Their conversation ranged from some of Lisa's formative experiences as a young woman to the value of being able to work across the aisle with other women from all parties.  She gives us an inside look into the work of being an MPP and some stories of making connections on the sidewalks during the campaign.   

In the next in our series on women running in the 2025 Ontario Election, we talk to Rachael Mills, candidate for the NDP in Essex.  Rachael, Jessica, and Melinda discuss whether women are more emotional than men in politics and calling critics in with equal parts kindness and reality.  

Tamara Stomp, Liberal Candidate for MPP in Essex County joins Melinda and Jessica to talk about how 42 years as a litigator and more than a decade on Kingville Council prepared her for her run for the county seat at Queen's Park.  As a politician and community activist she tells us how she was always driven by issues in the community and keeping her focus on what matters to the people.  

Gemma Grey-Hall is the NDP Candidate for Windsor-Tecumseh.  She and Melinda talk about how canvassing for Heart and Stroke as a child led to a life long enjoyment of talking to people at the door.  And how being a Black woman informs the work of running for office.  

Remember when Windsor, Ontario was the worst city to be a woman?  Melinda Munro and Jessica Sartori muse on whether things have changed and if so, for the better.  Join us as we talk about why we are creating this podcast and why we believe more women need to run for office.