On March 6, the Uptown Waterloo Business Improvement Area (BIA) partnered with the City of Waterloo to host the International Women’s Day Market and the “In Full Bloom” speaker series at the CIGI Campus.
During the event, the Uptown Waterloo BIA launched a quarterly women’s entrepreneurs’ collective, and a speaker bureau aimed at increasing visibility and opportunity for women leaders across Waterloo Region.
International Women’s Day is a global movement that recognizes the achievements of women while advancing conversations around equity, leadership and opportunity. This year’s event combines marketplace visibility with thought leadership, reflecting Waterloo’s commitment to supporting women-led businesses and strengthening inclusive economic growth.
Emceed by Mayor Dorothy McCabe, the event featured Melissa Durrell, CEO of Durrell Communications, former city councillor, current chair of the Uptown BIA and a member of the Waterloo Region Women Communication and Technology Board, said the idea behind the collective is to bring together women who work and run businesses in uptown. She noted that for many, isolation is a tangible barrier to growth.
“Most of our female entrepreneurs are deep in the daily grind, balancing the books, managing employees, and staying on top of rising costs,” Durrell said. “When you are that busy just keeping the doors open, you don’t always have the time to seek out help.”
The collective aims to create a collective safety net through peer-to-peer advice on everything from leases to city permits. Christy Bertrand, the Placemaking & Outreach Manager, said the quarterly schedule was chosen specifically to avoid adding mental load on busy leaders.
“Too often women are silent, and sometimes that’s because they are tired,” Bertrand said. “The goal is to create a space where women can get support for their great ideas, not create more meeting obligations.”
The data confirms a significant shift in the Uptown core. While the total number of businesses in the district saw a slight contraction of around 11 per cent during the pandemic era, female ownership has moved in the opposite direction.
“In 2019, our records showed over 40 female-owned businesses in a district of about 500,” Durrell said. “Currently, there are 447 businesses in Uptown Waterloo, and 55 of those are female-owned… the number of female owners has actually increased by nearly 38 per cent.”
Durrell added that an additional nine businesses in the core are currently under female executive or operational leadership, bringing the total number of female-led enterprises to 64.
Today, women-led enterprises represent approximately 12.3 per cent of the Uptown business community. Beyond the economic impact, Durrell highlighted the urban planning benefit of these businesses, many of which are in retail or wellness sectors.
“They provide consistent foot traffic and natural surveillance,” Bertrand said, referring to the eyes of the street that contribute to the safety of the core during off-peak hours.
The BIA’s partnership with Women in Communications and Technology (WCT) Waterloo Region also launched a speakers Bureau to address gender parity on local stages. The initiative serves as a “ready-to-go” roster and a training ground for women to develop TED-style talks and prepare for corporate board positions.
Looking forward, the collective is opening its doors to Laurier students and alumnae to build a pipeline for future leadership.
“Uptown is a student town, but we want it to be an entrepreneur town for them, too,” Durrell said. “We want them to feel like they don’t just live here, they belong here.”
Contributed Photo/BIA
