Sheila Pepper
Community Pillars
For over 60 years, Sheila Pepper has been a role model of community involvement, advocacy, and leadership through multiple organizations.
Sheila has been a leader with the Canadian Council of Women at different levels and in various roles. She was National Vice President and Administration Vice President as well as Physical Education and Recreation Convenor and is now helping as Interim Archivist. She has also held leadership roles locally both with the Ottawa and Vancouver Councils of Women. Sheila was a Past President of Ottawa and has continued in various positions since joining in 1979. Finally, Sheila was Social Issues Coordinator focusing on Child and Family, Youth, Seniors & Migration Issues for the International Council of Women.
Sheila has also been very involved with the Canadian Federation of University Women for both Kanata and Ottawa. She helped plan and host the ’01 International I.F.U.W. meeting. She is on several committees, such as Current Affairs & Advocacy and University Women Helping Afghan Women which she has been on for over 20 years.
The Council on Aging Ottawa has also benefitted from Sheila’s energy and hard work. She has been active on its Health, Housing and Events Committees, with over 20 years on the Housing Committee.
Sheila was National President of (Livable) Winter Cities Associations in the early ’90s, continuing as Ottawa Chair from the ’80s to the ’90s. She helped host an International Conference in Ottawa in the late ’70s and led a delegation of the then 13 municipalities of Ottawa and Hull to the Anchorage Winter Cities Conference in the early ’90s for a bid for the ’95 conference.
Sheila has helped fundraise and advocate for the Ottawa and Vancouver Grandmothers to Grandmothers — Helping Africans with HIV/AIDS Committees and the sub-committee on non communicable diseases. She helped host a couple of annual conferences in Ottawa.
Other organizations that have benefitted from Sheila’s energy include the National Action Committee on the Status of Women, the Junior Service League of Ottawa, the Zonta Club, the Women’s Business Network of Ottawa, and the Ontario Recreation Association/ Ontario Parks Association where she has advocated for seniors and winter use of parks and playgrounds.
Her engagement in her community is also demonstrated in her involvement with the 78th Fraser Highlanders– Ottawa and Vancouver Garrisons and the Ottawa and Vancouver Welsh Societies.
