For International Women’s Day, we talked with some amazing women around the Cariboo Chilcotin. There are enough incredible women in this community to fill several books, but please read on for International Women’s Day series on just a few of them.
Volunteering is in Ashlee Hyde’s bones.
Only 30, the young woman is already a staple in the Williams Lake community, residing over the Rotary Club of Williams Lake as president, volunteering in many areas at town, and for her work at both United Way and previously at the Women’s Contact Society.
Hyde is from Williams Lake, and says she loves the community.
“I grew up here, so a lot of the people that I know have known me since I was in diapers or growing up,” she says.
Hyde owns a business, Events Etc. with her mother, Betty Turatus.
While she says that sometimes people know her as “Betty’s daughter,” she’s also starting to make a name for herself on her own.
But she also says her mother has had a huge influence on her.
“My mom has been a huge inspiration. She’s been in this community and volunteering, and of course volunteering is ingrained in my bones so she is probably one of my biggest influences.”
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Her current projects include wildfire mitigation with the Rotary Club, as well as working on the community wellness team with United Way to address community needs that are arising within the recovery.”
Through her work with not for profits, as well as on the Rotary, she says she spends a lot of time trying to give back to the community.
“Growing up here the community has given so much to me that it is inspiring and I just want to give back.”
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Hyde is one of the younger presidents the Rotary Club of Williams Lake has seen.
“Being the president of Rotary at such a young age surprises a lot of people and it’s a refreshing and rewarding experience. The community has been very open with me being a young women here and I feel very lucky to live here. I don’t think living in a larger community i would have the same experiences.”
She says she’s lucky her husband, Rob, agrees.
“It’s home. Williams Lake is home,” she says. “It’s comfortable, it’s where I want to be and I am really glad that Rob agrees with me because we are not leaving here any time soon.”
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