A panel-style session focused on municipal elections, specifically, lived experience in running for city council.

What does it really take to run for city council and what is it like once you’re elected?

Join us for an engaging panel discussion that explores what municipal government looks like from the lens of a city councillor. Whether you’re interested in campaigning, how decisions get made at city hall, or considering running for local government, this session provides a glimpse of the realities of local leadership.

We will explore:

• What it’s actually like to run for local government—from deciding to put your name forward to building a campaign

• Barriers women and gender-diverse people face when running for office and how we can collectively support values-aligned candidates

• Ways to get involved in elections beyond running yourself, including volunteering, working on a campaign, or supporting civic engagement in your community.

Register now.

Moderator: Trudi Goels (she/her) is a community organizer, project manager, and relationship builder. Her paid and unpaid work includes challenging local government and civic systems, finding ways to shift who has power, and building equity in communities. Trudi joined the board with a vision to expand the great work that WTC does across BC (and maybe beyond). She bravely brings forward new processes, explores ways of governing, and ensures that everything we do is values aligned. Trudi is the co-founder of Ablaze Services Workers Cooperative and The Feminist Campaign School. She loves music, connecting people, and being in water. She lives on the stolen and occupied land of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ speaking people. It is a land so ravaged by colonialism that its truth is still being re-known and she is committed to continuously learning about it.

Panelists:

Nadine Nakagawa (she/her) is a community organizer, creative writer, and a second-term City Councillor in New Westminster. As a councillor, she focuses on affordable housing, community inclusion, the climate crisis, and public engagement. She also works as an Equity and Inclusion Strategist, co-owns a consulting business called Ablaze Services, and is co-founder of The Feminist Campaign School. In her free time, Nadine prances with delight towards wildflowers and can be found hugging trees and embracing whimsy—and her cats Mitsie and Moo. Nadine is a queer Hāfu woman who lives on the territories of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ speaking peoples. She has a Master’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and recently completed a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Leslie Payne [Nelson City Councillor - Bio To Be Updated]

This workshop is part of our learning series for WTC members. Tickets are free for members with a code and $10 for the public.

A workshop on methods for self care for sustainable activism.

Caring for ourselves is vital to sustaining our movements. Join us to explore strategies that centre your well-being while staying rooted in collective action. Through group discussions, journaling prompts, and guided yoga practices, you'll learn how to balance the demands of organizing, avoid burnout, and maintain the resilience needed for long-term movement-building.

This workshop will cover:

• The pillars of creating a self care habit

• Methods to balance mental, physical, and spiritual well-being

• Grounding ways to practice self care with cultural appreciation.

Register now.

Workshop Lead: Irene Lo (she/her) applies her communications, public relations, and social media expertise to be a part of meaningful change at Women Transforming Cities. Her work history includes municipal governments and women of colour wellness summits. She has a B.A. in English Literature and Classical Studies from UBC and a Public Relations certificate from SFU. Her path as a yoga student and teacher was what led her into the online space of anti-racist and intersectional feminist movements. As she learned from Indigenous, Black, and women of colour on social issues related to health equity and cultural respect, she became motivated to use her communication skills to serve women and non-binary people of colour. Born in Taiwan, she is of Han/Hakka ancestry. She lives and works on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded land of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.

This workshop is part of our learning series for WTC members. Tickets are free for members with a code and $10 for the public.

Do you live in Richmond and want to learn more about your local government? Women Transforming Cities (WTC) is organizing a tour of Richmond City Hall on February 19th, 2026. 

This educational event, through WTC's Watch Council Program, is designed to demystify your civic government. It will provide an opportunity to learn more about how your city operates and how you can get involved in an inclusive environment. It's also a chance to get to know other WTC members who live in your community. Participants will:

• Learn about the City of Richmond, including programs, operations, and services at City Hall

• Tour the building and learn about its history

• Gain an understanding of the role of city council and the 3 levels of government.

• Discuss ways to get more involved in civic processes and decision-making on issues that impact your life.

• Meet other people in your community with similar values and interests.

All are welcome, but space is limited. Priority will be given to WTC members and partner organization members/participants who are residents of (or have connections to) Richmond. If you are not currently a WTC member, you can become one here. 

We recognize there are barriers to accessing city hall, including taking time off work, finding childcare, paying for transit/parking, etc. All registered attendees will be eligible for a $20 bursary to offset these costs, which will be sent by e-transfer after the event

Secure your spot by completing this form.

Join us on Tues, Feb. 28th from 12:00 to 3:00pm for an in-person Volunteer Training & Social for the Our City Hall campaign at Gordon Neighbourhood House. Formerly known as the Hot Pink Paper Campaign, Our City Hall is our campaign to advance local policies that work for everyone.

This training session will build skills and share opportunities to get involved in the campaign ahead of the Oct. election (and beyond!) There will also be icebreakers, lunch, and time to connect. 

WTC members and board directors, join us for Women Transforming Cities AGM 2025-26 to celebrate another year of advocacy, learn about our goals for the next year, and say goodbye to some board directors who have made a significant impact on our organization over the past few years.

The agenda includes:

• Presentation from WTC Co-Chair and Guest Speaker Trudi Goels, who will be reflecting on why we need a provincial Integrity Commissioner and how it will make serving in local government better for those who are historically under represented.

• Highlights and achievements of the WTC community in 2025

• Priorities and work planned for 2026

• WTC Board of Directors updates and voting for nominees for vacancies on the board

• An announcement of our WTC Transformers

• Acceptance of the 2024/2025 Finance Report

Register here.

A workshop to explore gender equity, the history of International Women’s Day, and allyship.

 In honour of March 8th, we’re diving into the history and significance of International Women's Day. Join us as we examine the evolution of feminism, learn ways to address unconscious bias, and explore how to become active allies in advancing gender equity.

This workshop will explore:

• The roots of International Women’s Day

• The landscape of current challenges women face

• Strategies on how to take action to advance gender equity.

Register now.

Workshop Leads: 

Alexa Traboulay (she/her) is the Manager of Community at Women Transforming Cities. Alexa is a passionate researcher and community organizer who writes to inform policy and social change. She holds a Master's degree in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago (UC), with a concentration in political science, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of British Columbia, where she completed the Honours Political Science Program and a minor in Law & Society. Her academic research explores the impacts of political polarization and online disinformation on racialized communities in the United States. Recognized for her ability to bridge research with advocacy, she was the recipient of the UC Quadrangle Research Scholarship and was an affiliate of the Chicago Center on Democracy. A second-generation immigrant with Trinidadian and Hungarian ancestry, Alexa is a settler on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. 

Florence Li (she/her) is the Education Coordinator at WTC. She has a strong background in both grassroots organizing and anti-racist advocacy. A former college teacher with experience in both academic and community settings, she strives to cultivate safer spaces that allow for curiosity and critical thinking to thrive. Growing up as a racialized immigrant settler in “Toronto,” she instinctively became apprehensive around teachers and in classrooms. She has since found herself drawn to places of learning, wanting to be the supportive guide she needed in order to speak loudly and to ask questions.

This workshop is part of our learning series for WTC members. Tickets are free for members with a code and $10 for the public.

For our March meeting, we will be reading Loretta J. Ross’s Calling In: how to Start Making Change with Those You’d Rather Cancel:

Calling In practices are so important. It's imperative to ensure that we don't grind each other up and harm each other out of our despair and drama. Calling In is a tool and practice for turning difficult conversations into productive ones. This framework can help address harm while creating space for growth, forgiveness, and understanding.

This year, Book Club will meet in-person in Vancouver six times over the year to build community and shared learning.

For our May meeting, we will be reading Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Message:

Ta-Nehisi Coates originally set out to write a book about writing, in the tradition of Orwell’s classic “Politics and the English Language,” but found himself grappling with deeper questions about how our stories—our reporting and imaginative narratives and mythmaking—expose and distort our realities.

This year, Book Club will meet in-person in Vancouver six times over the year to build community and shared learning.