On International Women’s Day, March 8, we shared the gritty, inspiring stories of two women who blazed their own paths in two very different industries, both traditionally dominated by men.

As a whitewater guide navigating some of the most challenging and remote rafting rivers in North America, Tamar Glouberman takes us on a thrilling, vulnerable journey in her memoir, Chasing Rivers: A Whitewater Life. Traversing the highs and lows of the rapids, this is a story that “expertly tackles themes of sexism, mental health, and what it means to trust in yourself in a world that rocks that boat.” (Kelly S. Thompson, author of Girls Need Not Apply)

Thick Skin: Field Notes from a Sister In The Brotherhood is a deep dive into the secret language and hidden culture of one of the most esoteric heavy construction trades—Boilermaking—from Hilary Peach, who worked for over two decades as one of the only women in the Boilermakers Union. By turns tender and hilarious, Peach’s style shines “as brightly as a welder’s torch, seaming disparate pieces of the universe together.” (The British Columbia Review)

They’re joined on-stage by Charmaine de Silva, News Director of CityNews Vancouver and Calgary. A three-time National RTDNA award-winner and one of Vanmag’s 50 most powerful people in Vancouver in 2023, she brings her own perspective as the leader of an innovative and diverse newsroom.