ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Ticket sales for the April Spring Luncheon and Speaker Presentation are now closed. This event is exclusively for members and their guests. Single Event tickets will not be available for purchase. If you provided a self-addressed and stamped envelope your tickets were mailed on March 18th; otherwise you may pick up your tickets at the Welcome Table in the North Foyer on April 9th from 10:30am to 11:50am. The doors will open at 1:30pm for members who wish to hear the speaker only. Chairs will be set up at the back of the room. If you have any questions please contact Sharon Miller at wcclondon.pastpresident@gmail.com

Event Sponsor

Thank you to our Exclusive Event Sponsor, TD, for your sponsorship of this event.

Keynote Speaker

The Women’s Canadian Club London is very pleased to welcome our Keynote Speaker, Kelly Drennan on Thursday, April 9, 2026, 2:00pm – 3:30pm at Best Western Plus Lamplighter Inn & Conference Centre.

In 2007, after a career in fashion public relations, Kelly Drennan founded Fashion Takes Action, out of her desire to create a better, more sustainable future for her then two young daughters. Her role at FTA is to remove the barriers to sustainability that exist for the entire fashion system – for those who make, sell, buy, wear, care, repair, reuse, collect, rent, resell and recycle clothes. In 2014, Kelly created the annual World Ethical Apparel Roundtable (WEAR) Conference, hosting hundreds of industry experts in Toronto in an effort to motivate and inspire brands across North America. The last WEAR conference took place in 2023, and in its place Kelly and her team are producing a Textiles & Apparel track within the Canadian Circular Economy Summit. Kelly is a sought-after speaker herself, having given hundreds of presentations to industry, academics and citizens, including a TED talk (Technology, Education Design) as part of the Global TEDx Countdown on climate action, and twice a speaker at Elevate Festival. Kelly oversees the Fashion Takes Action youth education program My Clothes My World that she developed in 2014 for students in grades 4-12 — delivered to more than 35,000 students in classrooms across Canada – and which is now available both digitally and in-person. Her current role is to expand the program further across Canada as well as internationally. As such she is a member of the UNESCO Greening Education Partnership, where she positions fashion as a means to engage and empower young people on broader climate related issues. Kelly is passionate about collaboration and bringing together multiple perspectives in an effort to take action. She has collaborated with many national and international organizations, such as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Fashion for Good, and has co-authored several reports related to textile circularity and greenwashing. Kelly co-leads the Canadian Circular Textile Consortium with over 120 members across Canada’s value chain, who collaborate to advance textile circularity, through a number of projects, from policy recommendations to textile recycling. Kelly continues to bring her sustainability expertise to Toronto’s Fashion Industry Advisory Panel, and to various fashion colleges and their curriculum committees. She regularly contributes to government discussions on transparency, human rights, greenwashing and the circular economy. In 2017, Kelly was the recipient of the prestigious Clean 50 award given to Canada’s climate leaders, where she was recognized for Education & Thought Leadership, and was the first recipient of the award for the fashion industry. In 2022 Kelly won the Sustainability Award given out by the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards. She resides in Toronto with her husband and two daughters.

April Silent Auction – Don’t miss 30+ exciting items, including gift certificates for restaurants, theatre, and musical events, gift baskets, unique artisan pieces, and services such as an interior design consultation, pedicure, and massage. Browse the fantastic selection, bid on your favourites, and enjoy great deals while supporting the Women’s Canadian Club. The auction will take place in the Crystal Ballroom in front of the stage from 11:00am to 3:30pm.

Membership Registrations for the 2026/2027 season will take place in North Foyer from 11:00-11:45 am and 3:30 – 4:00 pm. For full details, please refer to the information on the Membership Page. 

Community Service – any remaining aluminum pop tabs or items you may still have for My Sisters’ Place or the Food Bank will be accepted at the Community Table from 11:00am – 12:00 pm in the North Foyer. We are grateful for your generosity this past membership year.

Looking for volunteer opportunities? Nominations remain open for the 2026/2027 season until May 1st, 2026. We are especially looking for a volunteer for Secretary. For full details, please refer to the information on the Volunteer Page.

April 9, 2026 – Spring Luncheon & Speaker Event  —  At a Glance

10:30 – 11:50 am — Ticket Pickup (North Foyer)

11:00 – 11:45 am — Membership Registration (North Foyer)

11:00 am – 3:35 pm — Silent Auction (Crystal Ballroom in front of the stage)

11:00 am – 12:00 pm — Past Presidents’ Reception (Atrium)

11:00 am – 12:00 pm — Community Service Collection (North Foyer)

11:00 am – 12:00 pm — Social Hour (Ballroom doors open 11:00 am; cash bar in Atrium)

12:00pm – 1:45 pm — Buffet Lunch (Atrium)

1:30 pm — Doors open for Speaker Presentation (Members only)

1:45 pm — Welcome and Greetings by President, Mayor Josh Morgan

2:00 pm — Keynote Speaker: Kelly Drennan – How Fashion Impacts People and the Planet

3:30pm – 4:00 pm — Membership Registration (North Foyer)

Looking forward to seeing you all there!