Weather, physics, and teamwork are just some of the lessons to learn in sailing and efforts are underway to help more girls access the benefits of learning to sail. The Making Way Project is a new non-profit organization, co-founded by Debra McKenna – an associate at WeirFoulds LLP, that is committed to equality and increasing the opportunities for girls (ages 8 to 17) to learn to sail. In partnering with local community groups and providing the funding for learn to sail programs, the Making Way Project hopes to bridge the gap for girls who have an interest in learning to sail, and inspire a new generation of sailors and a more diverse, inclusive sailing community.
Debra is a lawyer in the Professional Self-Regulatory Bodies Practice Group at WeirFoulds LLP and provides counsel for several regulatory bodies, as well as public and private sector clients, in relation to regulatory issues, complaints and discipline, and civil litigation matters. Debra first learned to sail in 2005 and, since 2015, she has been a proud member of the Queen City Yacht Club in Toronto – sailing locally and in the Caribbean.
In August 2019, Debra was guest crew aboard Maiden for the Vancouver-Seattle leg of its world sailing tour. The tour commemorated the historic finish of Maiden and the first all-women crew to compete in the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1989-90 and to fundraise for charities that support the education and empowerment of girls around the world.
Visit makingwayproject.ca to learn about this initiative and how you can get involved.
