18-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, March 2, 2004 -New professional women's group officially formed 'Getting in shape Inches Away Fitness and Toning Studio manager Bonnie Nowak (standing) discusses getting in shape for spring with owner Hedi Nowak. The business ls located on Bronte Street. 'Harrop starts new fundraiser Stemming from a desire to support its The money will go to the patrons Also, patrons must pay cash up front, community, the Harrop Restaurant on choice of dhre charities - the Milton and fil out a personal information Steeles Avenue has come up with a new District Hospital Foundation, the form, for a tax receipt, before the order fundraising venture. United Way or Halton Women's Place. istaken. For a donation of $20, patrons can sit Harrop Reataurant owner Robert Harropa goal for the first year of this at table number four, by the fieplace in Goderre said no one wil be seated at new idea is to raise a minimum of the Green Room, or table number 34, either table without paying the $20, $30,000. The two tables will be called by the fireplace in the Carter Room. including groupa booking the rooms. their Charity Tables'. By MELANIE CUMMINGS Special to The Champion It seems fitting that a newly-creat- ed women's advocacy group would invite to its inaugural meeting a woman who has taken a lead role in improving lives. Before Mary Anne Chambers became the MPP for Scarborough east and Ontario's minister of train- ing, colleges and universities, she was an active and vocal proponent of several educational, healthcare and human rights agencies. The award-winning philanthropist was the guest speaker at the Halton chapter of Business and Professional Women (BPW). The local organization with 15 paid members so far, celebrated its formation with 150 guests at a gala dinner last month. While the international group's mots date back to the1930s and has long held status at the United Nations regarding women's issues, Halton BPW is still laying the groundwork to determine the type of projects on which it will focus. According to BPW Halton founder Helen Lomax, "We're so new, we don't know what issues we'd like to tackle first." Encouraging more women to join the ranks of political representation - as Ms Chambers has done - is among the ideas local members have floated out so far, said Ms Lomax. As the former senior vice-presi- dent of the Bank of Nova Scotia, Ms Chambers emigrated from Jamaica in 1976 working during the day and attending night school. "There's no doubt we've come a long way in regards to greater inclu- sion of women in society. Some of us are old enough to have heard in our youth that only males needed to pursue education," said Ms Chambers. Today the number of female grad- uates exceeds male graduates in some universities. But barriers to advancement, especially for minorities, still need to be eradicated, she added. Ms Chambers is excited that Premier Dalton McGuinty is putting a priority on expediting accredita- tions and assessments of interna- tionally trained graduates. More than 70 per cent of immi- grants who arrive in this country already have completed a post-sec- ondary education, said the training, colleges and universities minister. "The GTA loses $554 million annually as a result of international- ly trained individuals not being used in our society, to the extent that their skills would allow them to, simply because they aren't accredited." Already a bridge training program has effectively doubled the number of nurses now working across the province. The accreditation program has also improved employment opportunities for newcomers previ- ously trained in the fields of phar- macy, teaching and engineering, added Ms Chambers. "The 21st century will belong to countries which invest in human capital and keep pace with emerging knowledge and technologies," she said. To that end the Business and Professional Women of Halton intends to build up such future potential. The group meets on the first Wednesday of each month. Membership costs $125 per year with a one-time initiation of $50. For more information about the new Halton chapter, call Helen Lomax at (519) 853-3809.