SHE ANSWERED the CALL: How Teenage Girls that Supported the War Effort Changed Canada Forever

A Remembrance Day Event exploring the power and potential of Young Women. Learn how 40,000 teenage girls that produced the food feeding Canada and WWII soldiers helped pave the way for change and the leaders of today.

During World War War II, while men fought overseas, a quiet evolution was taking place in the fields of rural Canada. At a time when farm work was considered “a man’s job”, the Farmerettes (teenage girls from across Canada) responded to the call-to-action and took on a critical task of feeding a country at war. Without knowing it, they sowed seeds of gender equality and economic empowerment that would fuel future generations.

Their story isn’t only about the war effort, it is about how underestimated teens answered the call of duty and accomplished great things, redefining the definition of strength and what was possible for women in the work force.

On November 10th, The Empire Club Foundation together with the Empire Club of Canada presented a private screening of We Lend a Hand: The Forgotten Story of Ontario Farmerettes followed by a panel discussion entitled She Answered the Call that examines an important historical gender role disruption and what it means for today’s workforce, and the power of youth to make change in 2025.

Our expert panel included Bonnie Sitter, Historical Producer of We Lend a Hand and co-author of Onion Skins and Peach Fuzz; Colin Field, Producer and Director of We Lend a Hand, an award-winning director with a background in education and corporate learning, and Lechin Lu, Associate Director at the Institute for Gender and the Economy at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. This event was moderated by Adrienne Batra, Editor-in-Chief of the Toronto Sun.

Prior to the panel, Gilbert Reid, Historian, Writer, Broadcaster, and Founding Director, The King and Empire Foundation, delivered special remarks on the history of WWII period in Canada and lay the foundation for how a wartime call-to-action broke open opportunities for young women.

This event focused on students and youth attendees who had an opportunity to be a part of ringing the closing bell at the TSX. The Empire Club Foundation also worked with high schools, colleges, and Universities to organize a live virtual screening of both the film and the panel to follow.

This event is made possible through a generous donation from Duncan Jackman and Richard Rooney.