For more than a century, the Ottawa Women’s Canadian Club has brought Canadians together to learn, listen and engage with the people shaping the country’s cultural, political and social landscape. Its tradition continues this fall with a compelling 2026–2027 luncheon series featuring four accomplished Canadian women whose careers and personal experiences span broadcasting, mental health advocacy, geography, the arts and public leadership.
Founded in 1910 by women who wanted to become better informed about the issues of the day, the Ottawa Women’s Canadian Club has maintained that commitment to learning and community connection for generations. The organization also supports access to higher education through post-secondary scholarships at Queen’s University, Carleton University, the University of Ottawa and Algonquin College.
The 2026–2027 luncheon series takes place at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, beginning in September. The season brings together four speakers with very different stories to tell, but with a common ability to offer insight, experience and perspective on the issues and experiences that shape our lives.
The series opens on September 16 with broadcaster, author and happiness expert Kathie Donovan.
A familiar voice and face to Ottawa audiences, Donovan is a former co-host and co-producer of CTV Ottawa’s Regional Contact. Throughout her broadcasting career, she has brought curiosity, warmth and humour to conversations about subjects that touch people’s everyday lives.
Her work today focuses on the transformative power of inner happiness and the importance of encouraging more goodness, kindness, positivity and courage in the world.
Donovan’s latest book, You Look Great for Your Age: And Other Things We Should Never Say Again, takes a thoughtful and often entertaining look at the experience of modern aging. Drawing on personal stories and practical ideas, the book challenges some of the assumptions and clichés surrounding getting older.
Donovan will discuss her work and ideas at the September luncheon and will also be available to sign copies of her book, which will be available for purchase at the event.
On October 21, the series welcomes one of Canada’s most recognizable public figures, Margaret Trudeau.
Trudeau has spent decades in the public eye, but her story extends far beyond her years as the wife of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau. She has become a prominent advocate for mental health, drawing on her own experiences to encourage greater understanding and openness around mental illness.
Her life has included extraordinary highs and painful personal losses, including the deaths of a son and a former husband. She has also spoken openly about living with bipolar disorder and the importance of nurturing physical, mental and emotional well-being.
As the mother of Justin and Alexandre Trudeau and a grandmother, Margaret Trudeau brings a deeply personal perspective to the subjects of family, resilience, mental health and life in the public eye.
November’s luncheon, on November 18, features Rosemary Thompson, Senior Vice President of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.
Thompson brings an unusually broad range of experience to the role. A veteran political journalist, she served as Deputy Parliamentary Bureau Chief for CTV News and was a frequent host of Question Period. Her career has also included senior positions with the National Gallery of Canada, the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and the National Arts Centre.
Today, through her work with the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Thompson helps promote a deeper understanding and appreciation of Canada’s extraordinary geography.
Her presentation promises to be particularly fascinating. In July, she travelled to the Labrador Sea as part of an expedition to the historic wreck of Quest, the last ship of legendary polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. Thompson will share stories and insights from that remarkable experience.
The series concludes on December 16 with Annabelle Cloutier, President and CEO of Canada’s National Arts Centre.
Appointed to lead the NAC in December 2025, Cloutier is the first Francophone woman to serve as its president and CEO since the institution opened in 1969.
A lawyer by training, Cloutier brings more than 25 years of experience spanning public affairs, governance, diplomacy, communications and the arts. Her career has included senior communications and advisory positions with the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General, where she served as spokesperson to three Governors General, as well as leadership roles with the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française, the Alliance des producteurs francophones du Canada and the Ottawa Art Gallery.
Her appearance provides an opportunity to hear directly from the woman now responsible for leading one of Canada’s most important national cultural institutions and to gain insight into the future of the arts and Canada’s cultural landscape.
Taken together, the four luncheons offer an impressive cross-section of Canadian experience. From happiness and aging to mental health, geography, journalism, exploration and the arts, the speakers bring stories that are both personal and national in scope.
For an organization founded more than 115 years ago to help women become better informed about the issues of their day, the Ottawa Women’s Canadian Club continues to make a strong case for the enduring value of getting together, hearing new perspectives and learning something along the way.
The 2026–2027 luncheon series begins September 16 at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club.
For information and tickets, visit the Ottawa Women’s Canadian Club events page. Ottawa Women’s Canadian Club events and tickets
