Guelph honours women in STEM with downtown banners
New banners on some downtown Guelph streetlights are honouring the work of women in STEM fields: science, technology, engineering and math.
The Downtown Guelph Business Association says the project was inspired by Donna Strickland, the University of Waterloo professor who was one of the recipients of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2018. Strickland was born and raised in Guelph.
The project was co-curated by local historian Tony Berto and University of Toronto Mississauga biology professor Fiona Rawle.
There are 30 women on the banners and each highlights large, and often unacknowledged, contributions by women in STEM fields, said the Downtown Guelph Business Association in a release.
"The project acknowledges a number of women — one still in high school — who are making remarkable contributions," the release said.
"We also wanted to honour the potential of women that were unable to contribute to the sciences due to bigotry and hostility; thus, this project also reflects on the female engineering students from École Polytechnique and the careers and contributions they could have made to our world."
The banners line Carden Street, which is where city hall and the downtown splash pad are located, as well as several stores and restaurants.
They will be on display until October.

Comments
To encourage thoughtful and respectful conversations, first and last names will appear with each submission to CBC/Radio-Canada's online communities (except in children and youth-oriented communities). Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted.
By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.