Discover the Superpower of Stories

The Shoe Project Finds a New Home

Dear valued friends, supporters, mentors, and alumnae,

Happy season! Not only are we approaching the holidays, but we can now share news that has been in the making for the past year.

“We are thrilled to announce that YWCA Canada has accepted the gift of our program and will be setting up The Shoe Project across Canada for its next chapter,” says Board Chair Nick Rundall. “The work of giving voice to immigrant and refugee women through writing workshops and performances will continue.”

The Shoe Project (TSP) founder Katherine Govier says, “This is the outcome we sought to create a sustainable home. Adoption by YWCA Canada is a tribute to the strength, flexibility and originality of the project we have all worked twelve years to create. I could not be happier."

This initiative was first taken by Heather McGregor, CEO of YWCA Toronto, with whom we worked in the past. “The Shoe Project is such a fantastic opportunity to highlight the strengths of women who have come to Canada to live and thrive,” says Heather McGregor. And now, The Shoe Project has been enthusiastically taken on by YWCA’s national CEO, Aline Nizigama. “We see this as an incredible opportunity for the YWCA federation because it will help us tell the stories of the women, girls and gender diverse people we exist to serve and empower through our YWCA programming,” says Aline Nizigama.

YWCA Canada is a 150 year-old national advocacy and community action agency for women and children. With its 29 local associations across Canada and its organizational vision of empowered women and girls in a safe and equitable society, it is an ideal home for TSP. As is required by law, TSP will deliver its charitable assets to the YWCA Canada. The YWCA, the largest feminist institution in Canada, will take possession of the trademarks, brand recognition, websites, videos and other documents we have produced. Alumnae stories will remain the property of the writers.

Local YWCA sites in selected Canadian cities will offer The Shoe Project in 2024. After these pilot cycles, the YWCA hopes to grow and nurture The Shoe Project for years to come. YWCA Canada will manage the 2024 transition period.

The Shoe Project website will carry more information as it is available.

We are immensely grateful for your support of TSP from its birth to this step-up of our program. Whether mentor or mentee, volunteer or staff, you have participated in a rare and joyous coming together of women, artists and volunteers to create and tell profound stories of arrival, through our shoes.

We would love you to continue to support The Shoe Project. Please visit the YWCA Canada donation page and designate your donation to The Shoe Project.

This national fund will support local YWCAs as they deliver The Shoe Project in 2024 and beyond.

Again, we are grateful to you all and ask you to celebrate with us this major step toward a national impact for what we know is a powerful program.

Sincerely,

The Shoe Project board members and chair,

Nick Rundall

Katherine Govier

Barb Howard

Marian Botsford Fraser

Valerie Jamga Tchatchua

The Shoe Project Turns 12 Years Old:

Our Journey Together

Read All Stories on The Shoe Project Stories Website!

What's New

The 2023 Annual Hurtig Lecture "Alberta in the World" was given by Katherine Govier, The Shoe Project founder

University of Alberta
Edmonton AB
October 5, 2023

CBC Listen: Edmonton-born novelist returning home to look into the future

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Impact StoryFebruary 17, 2023

Women's powerful stories take centre stage this March

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Impact StoryFebruary 1, 2023

Ukrainian woman among performers as The Shoe Project takes the stage in Windsor

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Impact StoryNovember 4, 2022

Canada’s Top Litigator Marie Henein donates her own designer shoes to The Shoe Project to help newcomer women

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What We're Doing NowNovember 4, 2022

Online Auction-Women of stature giving up their heels to The Shoe Project to help newcomer women

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Impact StoryAugust 24, 2022

The Shoe Project Provides Precious Moments of Healing

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What We're Doing NowJune 22, 2022

Why I am a Monthly Donor – Danielle McLaughlin

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What We're Doing NowJune 17, 2022

Working with stranded Afghan women to tell their stories provides unparalleled insights

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Impact StoryMay 25, 2022

Why a Participant of The Shoe Project became a Mentor

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Video StoriesApril 5, 2022

From Tehran to Calgary

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Impact StoryMarch 18, 2022

How a confusing voicemail message led to a life changing workshop

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Impact StoryMarch 18, 2022

From Robotics to the Arts – How The Shoe Project led one newcomer woman to a new path

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What We're Doing NowFebruary 10, 2022

The Shoe Project's Annual Report 2021

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What We're Doing NowJanuary 17, 2022

The Shoe Project Rebuilding Immigrant Women’s Lives

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Impact StoryJanuary 17, 2022

The Shoe Project Survey Study Shows Major Positive Impacts on Participants

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What We're Doing NowJanuary 5, 2022

The Shoe Project announces first international workshop to assist Afghan girls stranded in Pakistan

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Video StoriesNovember 25, 2021

In The Flow

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What We're Doing NowSeptember 28, 2021

IN THEIR SHOES: The Shoe Project launches Afghan Fund

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What We're Doing NowSeptember 17, 2021

Are you an immigrant or refugee woman with a story to tell?

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Impact StoryJuly 9, 2021

Saima S. Hussain, “Interrupting a Conversation about Islamophobia”

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Impact StoryJune 23, 2021

In Memory of Aaron Berhane

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What We're Doing NowJune 17, 2021

The Shoe Project Shorts: Immigration Stories Told on Film

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COVID Across Canada: Short TakesApril 24, 2021

Teenaz Javat, Mississauga ON

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Impact StoryApril 9, 2021

Joy Kogawa, “It Feels a Bit Like Déjà vu, Anti-Asian sentiment"

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Impact StoryMarch 25, 2021

Grandma Therapy

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COVID Across Canada: Short TakesDecember 15, 2020

Sanaa Al-khannaq Calgary AB

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COVID Across Canada: Short TakesNovember 23, 2020

Venera Loshaj-Balaj, Surrey BC

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COVID Across Canada: Short TakesNovember 19, 2020

Himanshi Upadhyay, Vancouver BC

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COVID Across Canada: Short TakesNovember 17, 2020

Zeynep Ergun, Calgary AB

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COVID Across Canada: Short TakesNovember 16, 2020

Nelli Antepli, Calgary AB

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COVID Across Canada: Short TakesNovember 15, 2020

Manisha Shrestha, Canmore AB

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What We're Doing NowNovember 8, 2020

2020 Giller Prize Winner Souvankham Thammavongsa

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What We're Doing NowNovember 3, 2020

Ava Homa, "Minority Writers Have to Work Thrice as Hard"

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COVID Across Canada: Short TakesNovember 2, 2020

Ngozi Onyinye, Edmonton AB

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COVID Across Canada: Short TakesNovember 1, 2020

Gurpreet Nain, Toronto ON

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Impact StoryOctober 10, 2020

Women's Courage Can Change the World

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What We're Doing NowAugust 18, 2020

Caroline Adderson, "I consider the novel a work of imagination based on fact."

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COVID Across Canada: Short TakesAugust 5, 2020

Levia Ququezana, Calgary AB

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Video StoriesJuly 30, 2020

A Happy Birthday

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Impact StoryJuly 28, 2020

No Safe Haven from Racism

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Video StoriesJuly 26, 2020

Little Shoes

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Video StoriesJuly 15, 2020

The Only Friends I Had

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Video StoriesJuly 12, 2020

My Shoes Left Behind

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Video StoriesJuly 10, 2020

My Brown Bata Slippers

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COVID Across Canada: Short TakesJuly 2, 2020

Seran Celik, Calgary AB

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COVID Across Canada: Short TakesJune 28, 2020

Noriko Ohsada, Canmore AB

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Video StoriesJune 23, 2020

My Mother and Grandmother Walk with Me

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Video StoriesJune 19, 2020

In Salmon’s Shoes

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COVID Across Canada: Short TakesJune 15, 2020

Natalia Mokhovikova, Richmond BC

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Video StoriesJune 10, 2020

Beneath the Surface

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Video StoriesJune 4, 2020

Heels in My Life

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COVID Across Canada: Short TakesJune 2, 2020

Teenaz Javat, Mississauga ON

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COVID Across Canada: Short TakesMay 15, 2020

Tenzin Palzom, Banff AB

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What We're Doing NowMay 11, 2020

The book by Tanaz Bhathena has been awarded the 2019 Nautilus Gold Award.

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COVID Across Canada: Short TakesMay 10, 2020

Mariana Barron, Banff, AB

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COVID Across Canada: Short TakesMay 3, 2020

Dana Roman, Canmore, AB

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COVID Across Canada: Short TakesMay 3, 2020

Umut Duygu Uzunel, Toronto, ON

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COVID Across Canada: Short TakesApril 28, 2020

Cordelia Tang, Toronto, ON

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COVID Across Canada: Short TakesApril 28, 2020

Sinthia Zaman, Calgary AB

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COVID Across Canada: Short TakesApril 28, 2020

Shaima Jaff, Vancouver BC

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What We're Doing NowApril 24, 2020

New Chapter in Edmonton

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What We're Doing NowApril 20, 2020

The Shoe Project Shorts

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COVID Across Canada: Short TakesApril 14, 2020

Rhoda Akuol Philip, Toronto ON

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The Shoe Project holds writing workshops where Canadian writers exchange skills with newcomer women, enabling them to share their stories of arrival in and adaptation to Canada -- through a pair of shoes.

Photography

Our Program

Many newcomer women are professionals and leaders in their original countries but need to work on their writing and speaking skills in English to attain similar roles in Canada.

katherine-govier

Our Shoes, Our Stories

Every woman has a special pair of shoes in her life. For those who embark on the long journey to a new life in a new country, her choice of shoes is not only vital -- it is also a powerful metaphor for that journey.

Get a front row seat at a performance and listen to our stories.

Maggie Duan

China, The sneakers that brought me down to earth

Let’s share more stories. Together.

The Shoe Project was launched in Toronto in 2011. Since then, we have added chapters to Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax, Edmonton, Canmore, Windsor, Brampton, and Winnipeg, and are now a registered charity. We are committed to providing a truly national platform for the voices of immigrant and refugee women.