Your stories: the women who inspire you

At CBC New Brunswick, we bring you stories about amazing New Brunswickers every day.

In honour of International Women's Day, we turned the reins over to you.

We asked our readers, viewers, listeners and followers to tell us about the women who have made a positive difference in their lives — mothers, colleagues, mentors, wives, best friends, bosses and partners.

From Midland, Campbellton and Acadie Siding to Lower Newcastle and Quispamsis, you delivered.

Here are just a few of the thousands of New Brunswick women who are raising families, mentoring colleagues, helping the sick, and making sacrifices for those they love — not just on International Women's Day, but every day.

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Name: Mary Schryer

Location: Quispamsis 

Submitted by: Erin Schryer, daughter

Mary Schryer is "a woman who inspires me and brings International Women's Day meaning to about 100 women every year in the Kennebecasis Valley," wrote her daughter, Erin Schryer. "She has been voluntarily organizing an IWD celebration in KV since 2005.

"For as long as I can remember, my mom has been an advocate for women's equality. She worked tirelessly as a politician to advance many women-centric issues, including pay equity, social assistance reform, financial literacy and more. After politics she continued to advocate for the development of a domestic violence strategy and legislation which has finally come to fruition.

"In this picture, she and I are in Ottawa and she's sitting with who else but Emily Murphy, a Canadian women's rights activist and part of the Famous Five."

Name: Heidi Whittaker

Location: Fredericton

Submitted by: Michelle Allen, best friend

"She is kind and funny and strong," wrote Heidi Whittaker's friend Michelle Allen. "She is an amazing mom of two busy kids. She has a crazy schedule between work at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital, teaching competitive dance and taking her children to hockey … on top of all that, she finds time for her friends and is always someone I can count on.

"She is just totally the best."

Name: Kiah Lewis

Location: Moncton

Submitted by: Chris Leger, boyfriend

"Not only does she inspire me to be a better person but to work hard and chase my dreams," Chris Leger writes of Kiah Lewis.

Name: Haylea Nisbet

Location: Quispamsis

Submitted: Sean Mccullum, friend

"To be frank, Haylea is one of the best young landscape photographers to come out of Canada," says Haylea Nisbet's friend Sean Mccullum. "There is a notion in photography that in order to take good photos you need top-of-the-ine gear. Haylea is proof that this notion is false. She shoots on a lower-end camera but her landscapes are solid gold.

"Haylea has an amazing eye and shows that cameras don't take good pictures, good photographers do. Both Haylea and her work are inspiring to me as a photographer and many photographers out there."

Name: Romana Sehic

Location: Fredericton

Submitted by: Ksenia Sehic, daughter

Ksenia Sehic nominated her mom, Romania, "who continues to show me how to be a strong and independent woman. Not matter what life throws at her, she approaches everything with a kind and generous heart."

"She always knows how to turn every situation into a positive one and people always admire how much energy she brings with her wherever she goes. Thanks for being one of the best role models for me and other ladies alike. Happy International Women's Day!"

Name: Stephanie Dawn

Location: Moncton

Submitted by: Kristin Munro, friend

"After purchasing a home/commercial space she had gone through a ton of awful trouble since being misled as to zoning and what was actually hers," Kristin Munro said of Dawn. "She's been so transparent and has fought tooth and nail to make it a reality rather than throwing in the towel and giving up … She's an absolute inspiration for young women in the area and hopeful entrepreneurs. Plus, she looks damn good doing it. So proud of her."

Name: Janet Ladds

Location: Fredericton

Submitted by: Hayley Ladds, daughter

Hayley Ladds described her mother, Janet, as "my whole world and role model … she has helped me conquer the biggest challenges life has thrown at me, and no matter what's she has going on [in] her life, she is always making sure someone else is okay.:

"I wouldn't be where I am today without my mom, and I'm so thankful to not only call her my mom but my best friend."

Name: Carla Geldart

Location: Fredericton

Submitted by: Susan Morehouse, friend

"I am an immigrant to Canada and to New Brunswick," said Geldart's friend Susan Morehouse. "Starting life in a new country is challenging all around but building a career and a network is twice as challenging."

"Carla was one of those people who took the time to get to know me, she recognized my abilities and above all, she brought out the best in me as a person and as an employee.

"Under her leadership and guidance, I looked forward to coming to work and enjoyed what I did daily. She brought about a culture of diversity and inclusivity, and encouraged our team to be the best that we could be. She demonstrated that in her own life and above all, she held herself accountable and asked us to hold her to the same standards.

"She created an environment of total trust and respect. Talk about a true leader and leadership qualities. I learnt that from Carla!"

Name: Bev Campbell

Location: Lower Newcastle

Submitted by: Debby Bowie Frost, friend

Debby Bowie Frost said she met Bev Campbell and her husband, Barry, when they joined the Relay For Life committee several years ago. "She was and still is looking after the survivors. She is retired from working and still is volunteering. She goes to the oncology clinic to give comfort and snacks. She just returned from Rwanda on a mission. She is a member of a quilt guild and Victoria's Quilts, which provides free quilts to people with cancer. You can see her at her church barbecue or supper working. She promotes many of the events on social.

"She looks equally good in a ball gown or work clothes. Always smiling. My inspiration."

Name: Elmire Savoie, 1931-2012

Location: Neguac 

Submitted by: Angela Palmer, daughter

"The woman that influence me was my mother," writes Angela Palmer. "At the age of 45 she lost her husband and son.

Through her courage and hard work she was the anchor of the family and by her strong example she was the role model for all of her eight children that she loved so much.

Thank you, Mom."

Name: Diane Richard

Location: Acadie Siding

Submitted by: Monique Leger, daughter

"I want you to know about my mother. It is a privilege and honour for me to share her with you.

"She lives in a tiny village, Acadie Siding, in the house her grandfather built. She heats it with wood.

"Diane Richard is a remarkable person with instinct antennae longer than you can imagine. She knows everything before her four kids and nine grandkids do. She has knitted hundreds of garments, cooked millions of dishes, dried trillions of tears. She cares for the elderly with a gentleness and firmness that will make your heart cry.

"Resilient and caring, extravagant, curious and eccentric, she is known in the village as Madame Chapeau. Very colourful and soft-spoken. But if the nearby train tracks need attention she knows [how] to get the attention of ALL levels of government!

"I wish you could meet her."

Name: Debra Gray

​Location: Midland

Submitted by: Kate Tadic, daughter

"To me, my mother is a symbol of strength and resilience," wrote Kate Tadic. "She raised my brother and me on her own in a little house that she bought for us that overlooked the river; she taught us and our friends how to read and write and grew most of our food in the vegetable garden in the backyard.  

"My mom's sacrifices and hard work allowed us to have a childhood where we played in the woods and on the streets with our friends until the streetlights came on; we swam and paddled our boats in the river in the summer and sledded down the farmer's hills across the road in the winter. As I get older, my mother's love becomes more profound, and I recognize the layers of it around my life in a deeper way."