Catherine McKenna

Catherine McKenna has never been one to take the easy path. Long before she became Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, she was the woman who kept being told she was “too ambitious,” “too outspoken,” or simply “too much.”

In Ottawa, she found herself at the center of some of the hardest fights in public life: negotiating the country’s Paris Agreement commitments, putting a national price on pollution, and facing down the political backlash that came with pushing for change. Whether standing before the world at the United Nations or cycling to events where angry protestors would be shouting her name, McKenna learned that progress isn’t made by those who wait — it’s made by those who show up.

Today, as the founder of Climate and Nature Solutions, she advises governments and global institutions on how to turn climate promises into concrete action. But the heart of her mission hasn’t changed: empowering people — especially women and girls — to step forward, claim their voice, and lead.

In her book Run Like a Girl: Ambition, Resilience, and Fighting for Change (Sutherland House, 2025), McKenna shares not just what she accomplished, but what it felt like. Her story is an invitation — to be bold, to take risks, and to run toward the future we need.

Please join the Salt Spring Forum and Catherine McKenna for a candid discussion about climate solutions, leadership, resilience and perseverance.