City of Regina Signs the Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 5, 2021

Regina, SK – The City of Regina has signed the Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter, becoming the first city in Saskatchewan to formally commit to supporting local women entrepreneurs. This initiative is led by Women Entrepreneurs Saskatchewan (WESK) to address the gender entrepreneurship gap in the province.

In May of 2019, the Government of Saskatchewan announced the creation of the WESK-led Saskatchewan Advisory Committee. A group of prominent business leaders advised on strategies, policies, and activities to help achieve gender parity for Saskatchewan women entrepreneurs. The final report, entitled Enabling Scale in Saskatchewan, includes ten recommendations. The launch of the Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter is one of the first recommendations to be addressed.

The Charter affirms a commitment to advancing women entrepreneurship and building connections through four defining principles: 1) Procure with her; 2) Amplify her voice; 3) Share skills with her; and 4) Shatter a ceiling. Through signing, Charter Champions are not only committing to doing business with local women-owned companies, but they are also actively seeking and creating opportunities to support women entrepreneurs in practical and quantifiable ways.

“On behalf of City Council, it is important we provide all residents with an equal opportunity to succeed” says Mayor Sandra Masters. “The City of Regina is signing this Charter with WESK to provide procurement inclusion for women entrepreneurs and bolstering growth in our local economy.”

Mayor Sandra Masters with the signed Charter.

One of the priorities identified in the City of Regina’s Community Plan is fostering economic prosperity by supporting a vibrant and diverse economy, which aligns with the intentions of the established Charter. Through this alignment, there is an evident opportunity to stimulate women-owned business growth in Regina and in turn, the province. By signing the Charter, the City of Regina is creating space for other municipalities to declare their commitment to closing the gender entrepreneurship gap in Saskatchewan.

“The City of Regina’s commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs in our province is applauded,” commented Prabha Mitchell, CEO of WESK. “By being the first municipality in Saskatchewan to formally sign the Charter, the City of Regina is pioneering the way for other cities to convey their dedication.”

Women entrepreneurs are major contributors to economic growth and job creation. In 2019, women entrepreneurs contributed $23.1 billion to the Saskatchewan economy and created 191,836 jobs. However, research indicates women entrepreneurs encounter unique barriers that hinder full participation in growing the wealth of our province. By understanding and addressing the unique barriers that women entrepreneurs encounter, Charter Champions can enhance opportunities to scale businesses and boost economic growth in the province.

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For more information, please contact:

Josie Fries, Marketing Advisor, WESK

T: 306-477-6286

E: jfries@wesk.ca

W www.wesk.ca

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About WESK

WESK is a non-profit, membership-based organization that provides business advising, lending, mentoring, networking, and learning opportunities. WESK is supported by Western Economic Diversification Canada.

Since 1995, WESK has provided over $40.4 million in financing to women entrepreneurs and as a result, more than $3.43 million has been leveraged.

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Charter Champion of the Month: Peter Lucas Project Management

We are pleased to introduce to you Peter Lucas Project Management, one of WESK’s amazing Charter Champions. As a proud advocate for gender parity, joining the Charter was important for the leadership team, as they consider women-led businesses to be a largely untapped economic resource within Saskatchewan.

Since 2011, Peter Lucas Project Management has been specializing in representing client interests by aligning skill and personality with team and opportunity to ensure project success. Combining experience with the courage to take on big problems, Peter Lucas is driving Saskatchewan’s innovation by engaging visionary leaders in the mission to mine in space.

As a Charter Champion, Peter Lucas is thrilled to be supporting women entrepreneurs in Saskatchewan. COO, Brandon Harris believes that “supporting women-owned businesses is good for the economy and our society in general. If you consider that in 2020 only approximately 2% of all venture capital was invested in women-led start-ups (Feb 25th, Harvard Business Review) and believe, as I do, that talent does not discriminate on gender, sex, colour, etc., then you will certainly agree that we have a lot of room for improvement. Women entrepreneurs that are able to overcome this apparent bias deserve intentional support!”

Joining the Charter enhances Peter Lucas Project Management’s commitment to working towards developing teams that support diversity and provide safe, supportive, and empowering work environments for everyone. The team at Peter Lucas are proud to support women entrepreneurs and influencers, specifically those in non-traditional roles, and aim to be part of the network that dismantles any barriers that prevent their full participation in Saskatchewan’s economic growth.

“This is where the Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter is so valuable. It provides a roadmap for business owners and operators to start working towards a more equitable and prosperous economy and a better-balanced society. At Peter Lucas, we are proud to walk this path with other Saskatchewan signatories and want to thank WESK for charting the path forward,” said Harris.

Peter Lucas Project Management has proudly begun work “Sharing Skills with Her” and “Shattering a Ceiling”. They have become members of Women in Mining – SK and are actively participating in their training committee. Through the Charter, Peter Lucas Management is excited to utilize WESK’s Women-Owned Business Database for a more intentional procurement strategy, as well as find more ways to continue to “Amplify Her Voice”.

The overarching goal for Peter Lucas Project Management is to move humanity forward by impacting families, communities, and the world. As a team of dynamic professionals who value growth, embrace change, and have the courage to go after something as BIG as mining an asteroid, they are thrilled to be a part of creating a space to close the gender entrepreneurship gap in Saskatchewan.

Pictured: The Peter Lucas team at the company’s 10th Anniversary celebration.

About the Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter

The Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter is an initiative launched by WESK to address the gender entrepreneurship gap in our province. The charter is comprised of four principles to provide guidance and examples as to how you and your organization can best support local women-owned businesses.

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