K-W Oktoberfest Women of the Year

K-W Oktoberfest Women of the Year The K-W Oktoberfest BMO Financial Group Women of the Year recognizes and pays tribute to outstanding women in Waterloo Region. Celebrating a 50+ year legacy!

Women of the Year are inclusive of all women, non-binary, transgender, two-spirited, women of all classes, races, sexualities, ableness, and identities. KWO Women of the Year is for all women.

2026 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient – Judy Nairn ✨A lifelong resident of Waterloo Region, Judy Nairn has over 35 y...
05/28/2026

2026 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient – Judy Nairn ✨

A lifelong resident of Waterloo Region, Judy Nairn has over 35 years of experience in the non-profit and business sectors. Since 2012, she has served as Executive Director of Hospice Waterloo Region. Learn more about Judy at womenoftheyear.ca/recipients

🏆 Award proudly sponsored by Schlegel Villages

2026 STEM Award Recipient – Donna Strickland ✨ Donna Strickland is a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronom...
05/27/2026

2026 STEM Award Recipient – Donna Strickland ✨

Donna Strickland is a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Waterloo and is one of the recipients of the Nobel Prize in Physics 2018 for developing chirped pulse amplification with Gérard Mourou, her PhD supervisor at the time. Learn more about Donna at womenoftheyear.ca/recipients

🏆 Award proudly sponsored by Perimeter Institute

05/24/2026

Lights, camera, action! 🎬🏆 Thank you to the amazing folks at Rogers TV for capturing all the magic of the 2026 BMO Financial Group Women of the Year Awards! ✨
Missed the evening or want to relive every incredible moment? Tune in on Cable 20!
📺 Sun, May 24 | 9:30 PM
📺 Tue, May 26 | 1:00 PM
📺 Sat, June 6 | 9:30 PM

Psst... Women of the Year attendees! 👀✨ Remember to use your complimentary ticket TODAY at the Waterloo Region Women's E...
05/23/2026

Psst... Women of the Year attendees! 👀✨ Remember to use your complimentary ticket TODAY at the Waterloo Region Women's Expo. Head back to Marshall Hall at Bingemans and keep the celebration going! 🎉

The weather is shaping up for the perfect day to be INSIDE at the shopping, connecting, learning and getting inspired. 💕

Join for an incredible day filled with women-led exhibitors, inspiring speakers, delicious culinary samples, prizes and more. Plus, be one of the first 150 attendees to receive a FREE gift bag! 🛍️

📅 Today! Saturday, May 23 | 11 AM to 5 PM
📍 Marshall Hall, Bingemans, Kitchener
🎟️ Walk-ins welcome! Tickets just $5 at the door or at wrwomensexpo.ca.

See you there! ✨

Proudly operated by K-W Oktoberfest.

What. A. Night. ✨ The stage was set, the room was full of incredible nominees, supporters and community champions, and t...
05/22/2026

What. A. Night. ✨ The stage was set, the room was full of incredible nominees, supporters and community champions, and the energy was absolutely electric. The 51st annual K-W Oktoberfest BMO Financial Group Women of the Year Awards reminded us why we do this every year.

To every nominee, recipient, sponsor, volunteer and guest who made the evening so special, THANK YOU!

Stay tuned as we feature our 2026 award recipients and share highlights from the evening!

Congratulations to the 2026 K-W Oktoberfest BMO Financial Group Women of the Year recipients! We are so proud to celebra...
05/22/2026

Congratulations to the 2026 K-W Oktoberfest BMO Financial Group Women of the Year recipients! We are so proud to celebrate these remarkable women who are making a meaningful impact across Waterloo Region. ✨

🎨 Arts & Culture: Amanda Amaral
🤝 Community Service: Lucia Harrison
🎓 Educator: Mary Robinson
💼 Entrepreneur (40+): Kristy Miller
👥 Group Achievement: Shelter Movers Southwestern Ontario
💚 Health & Wellness: Nadine Quehl
⭐ Lifetime Achievement: Judy Nairn
📊 Professional (40+): Aislinn Clancy
🔧 Skilled Trades: Jessica Gemmell
🔬 STEM: Donna Strickland
🔥 Vanguard: Sirisha Rambhatla
🌟 Young Adult (14-23): Ayona Jaswal

Good morning to our incredible 2026 BMO Financial Group Women of the Year nominees! ✨Today we celebrate YOU, your leader...
05/21/2026

Good morning to our incredible 2026 BMO Financial Group Women of the Year nominees! ✨

Today we celebrate YOU, your leadership, impact, passion and the difference you make in our community every single day. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition. We cannot wait to celebrate with you tonight! 💫

Learn more about the nominees in our digital program: womenoftheyear.ca/woy2026

A big thank you to our 2026 Award Category Sponsors for supporting the celebration of incredible women in our community!...
05/19/2026

A big thank you to our 2026 Award Category Sponsors for supporting the celebration of incredible women in our community! 👏

When they take the stage to present the recipients with their awards, make sure to clap loud and show your appreciation for the organizations helping make this night possible.

Your support helps us shine a spotlight on the remarkable achievements of women across our region. ✨

We are thrilled to welcome Harp & Fin as the decor sponsor for the BMO Financial Group Women of the Year Awards! 💐’s bea...
05/19/2026

We are thrilled to welcome Harp & Fin as the decor sponsor for the BMO Financial Group Women of the Year Awards! 💐

’s beautiful florals will help set the stage for an unforgettable evening. They will also have a floral booth on-site, so you can honour a nominee, congratulate a recipient or surprise someone special attending the night.

🎟️ Limited event tickets available: womenoftheyear.ca

The 2026 Women of the Year Oktoberfest Cares Silent Auction is LIVE! 🏆A huge thank you to our incredible sponsors and co...
05/18/2026

The 2026 Women of the Year Oktoberfest Cares Silent Auction is LIVE! 🏆

A huge thank you to our incredible sponsors and community members who donated items to this year's auction. Your generosity makes such a difference! ❤️

New items are being added right up to the event, so keep checking back for more!

🔗 Browse and bid now at galabid.com/woy2026

Thank you to our generous donors: 30 Minute Hit | Air Canada | Artage Portraits | Artline Salon | Caudle's Catch Seafood | Chucky Habanero Sauce | Conestoga Mall | Daily Grill Waterloo | Jolanta's Spa | KelTech Soulutions | Kitchener Panthers | K&K Liquidation | Nithwood Reserve | NLI Solutions | Oxford Learning | R.A Consell | St Louis Bar & Grill | Uptown Waterloo BIA

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Kitchener, ON

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