Important Update on Unauthorized Webinar Scraping & Strengthened Zoom Security Measures

We wanted to inform members of an important issue that was brought to our attention yesterday regarding unauthorized reposting of some of our CFUW-hosted Zoom webinars by a platform called WebinarTV.us. We want to ensure full transparency, explain what we have learned, outline the steps we are taking, and provide clear guidance on what you can do to help prevent this from happening again.

Important:
✔ This is not a hacking incident.
✔ The webinars that were reposted were public webinars only.
✔ No email addresses, phone numbers, or personal identifying information were leaked.
✔ The issue results primarily from unauthorized participants joining via disguised emails or AI bots, not through any breach of our systems.

You can read more HERE.

If you have questions, concerns, or if you notice suspicious registrants or emails, please contact us immediately. Thank you for your cooperation and vigilance as we work together to keep CFUW’s virtual spaces safe.

GWI Top-Ups

We have received our annual invoice from GWI and have sent out the top-up invoices to opt-in Clubs. If you did not receive an invoice, please reach out to Elizabeth Malcolm, memberservices@cfuw-fcfdu.ca and one will be forwarded to you.

Please note that the payments are due by February 28th, 2026, and can be paid by cheque or e-transfer. Please send the e-transfer to execdir@cfuw-fcfdu.ca and if a security question is required, please make the answer GWI2026

Demystifying the Board: 2026-2028 Biennium Elections Webinar Jan. 29, 2026

Thank you to all who attended the webinar!

We, the National President, Linda Sestock, Governance Committee Chair, Karen Dunnett, the Nominations Chair, Janet Willwerth and the National Board & Staff of CFUW 2024-2026 were happy to provide information about board roles and the nominations procedures for board positions.

A recording of the webinar can be found here: https://youtu.be/XcOE6SkSF8k

Nominations Period:

Feb. 27: Call for Nominations

April 13th : Deadline to submit

Upcoming CFUW newsletters and the new Nominations Folder in the CFUW Members Drive will continue to keep you informed.

To continue "demystifying" the CFUW National Board, we will be sharing snippets of Board job descriptions over the next few weeks.

Welcome to the "CFUW National Board Corner", where over the next weeks we'll introduce you to the dozens of inspiring women from across Canada who help guide CFUW! 🌟

Our national board members bring passion, experience, and vision to their roles. Read their stories and learn a bit more about each one, as together, they guide our organization with integrity, purpose, and heart.

You can access the shared CFUW Board profiles on the CFUW Member's Drive HERE

Thinking About Member Proposals??

What are member proposals? Motions of any kind. We usually think of motions discussed at a general meeting as being limited to Resolutions (in CFUW this means motions to establish advocacy policy) and Bylaw amendments.

Members (CFUW Clubs) can submit motions on a variety of topics. As long as they propose action that is within the purposes of CFUW or that addresses how CFUW conducts business (bylaw amendments, amendments to procedure, resolutions, dues motions, nominations) member proposals can be considered at the AGM or a policy session. The Articles and Bylaws Committee handles all such member proposals except nominations, which are handled by the Nominations Committee and “Resolutions”, which are handled by the Resolutions committee.

More information, as well as forms, can be found HERE

As we approach the month of February, the CFUW National Office is looking to highlight the different activities CFUW Clubs are doing to celebrate Black History Month, whether that be getting involved with your local community, hosting educational events, or celebrating Black members of CFUW.

If your Club is celebrating Black History Month, please share any photos or information about your celebration with Elizabeth Malcolm (memberservices@cfuw-fcfdu.ca) to be shared in the CFUW Club Action newsletter as well as included in a Black History Month wrap-up post on CFUW National’s social media accounts.

Additionally, the CFUW National office would love to highlight Black members of CFUW and their contributions to the organization. If there is a member of your Club that you would like to celebrate, please contact Elizabeth Malcolm (memberservices@cfuw-fcfdu.ca).

Make sure to check the CFUW National social media accounts throughout the month as we highlight the history, accomplishments, and experiences of Black women across Canada both past and present.

CFUW Charitable Trust Library Award 2026

The CFUW Charitable Trust Library Award was created to promote literacy and learning by supporting new and innovative approaches, actively encouraging community involvement and advocating for the Canadian library system.

The CFUW Charitable Trust welcomes nominations from CFUW Clubs across the country for organizations addressing clear and current needs of the community, for projects expected to have a long-term impact which would be supported by the $4000 award.

Applications using the fillable form https://forms.gle/Bn1uB7aBfPyKpHSTA are due by April 15, 2026.

Both the Nominating Club and Community Organization information needs to be completed on the same form, and submitted by the due date for consideration.

We are looking for CFUW members to join the Library Awards committee. This would require just a few hours of time in late April/early May to read through applications and one Zoom meeting to make our decisions on the winner of the award. If interested, please contact: chair@cfuwcharitabletrust.ca.

CFUW Charitable Trust Fellowships Committee

The Charitable Trust Fellowship Committee is recruiting bilingual committee members. The Fellowships and Awards review period is a short-term three-month project, from approximately early February to May with flexible hours. Individuals work in teams. All applications are online and training is provided with our partner, Universities Canada.

For more information, please contact Sandy Thomson fellowships@cfuwcharitabletrust.ca

This public event, open to everyone and CFUW Members, is offered on Zoom and sponsored by the CFUW National Education Committee and the Advocacy Standing Committee.

Join Marion Martell, Women@Heart Program Ambassador with the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Centre (University of Ottawa Heart Institute) and the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Alliance, for an informative session on Heart Health for Women.

Topics include:

How heart disease affects women differently
Risk factors and prevention strategies
Communicating with healthcare providers
Key health messages and recovery services
Interactive True/False quiz

Marion brings experience leading the Women@Heart Peer Support Program and volunteering with the Inpatient Support Program.

Register HERE

We are delighted to announce the second iteration of the Op-Ed Challenge, from January 9, 2026, to April 9,2026. For those of you unfamiliar with the Op-Ed Challenge, CFUW is challenging CFUW Clubs and members to write an Op-Ed and get it published in their local newspaper. This is an opportunity to write about something your club is passionate about and reach a new audience.

If you want inspiration, you can look through our resolutions to see if there is a topic you can write about in there, for example Maternal Death Prevention, Violence Against Women in Politics, Adult Literacy, Climate Change: Mitigation, Adaptation and the Inclusion of Women etc.

All Clubs that publish an Op-Ed before April 9 will be entered in a draw for a $250 VistaPrint gift card. The gift card can be used to purchase Club-branded promotional items/merchandise, which you can create with design and technical support from CFUW staff.

We recommend you look through your local or favourite newspapers to get an idea of the formatting and tone that get published. Please bear in mind that each newspaper will have their own requirements for submission and those should be confirmed before submitting anything.

We will be having a Op-Ed webinar in February to answer any questions and provide a space to brainstorm ideas and discuss topics you might want to write about. Stay tuned for further information.

UPCOMING Monday Membership Moments 4-5:30 pm ET

February 23rd Member Recognition/Awards—ways to build a supportive network within our clubs by thanking long term members, new members and others who make our clubs special. Register HERE

March 23rd AGM101 Getting the inside scoop for new delegates and returning on Montreal’s AGM including the business meeting, the Policy session, the conference, and the FUN

I have great ideas coming out of the Monday Membership Moments (MMM) that need to be molded into useful activities & resources for clubs –with the plan that willing clubs pilot & critique these ideas to make into a toolkit for others. I want to set up 3 (one per topic) short-term e.g., 2-3 mtgs, small group think tanks with CLUB MEMBERS including but not exclusively executive to think about ways to

assess club “wellness”
build member confidence and willingness to share talents and time within the club
edit resources from MMM and Membership files to clean up info on the Members drive supporting club operation

Please let me know if you are interested or if you want to suggest someone!

Anne Cordon

vpmemberhsip@cfuw.ca

Elizabeth Malcolm will be hosting biweekly (every two weeks) drop-in sessions for the CFUW Members Drive and CFUW Members Database. We cover topics such as: how to update Club Executive information, event calendar submissions, resources available in the Members Drive and so much more!

A recording of a previous Drop-In is available HERE

CFUW Interest Groups Across the Country
CFUW FAQ Page
CFUW Member's Drive Resource Document
CFUW Member's Drive
CFUW Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Resources
Zoom Request Form
CFUW Newsletter Archives

Have you checked out the new CFUW Event Calendar? It’s jam packed with CFUW Committee meetings, Club Events, and important dates from the National Office!

Clubs are encouraged to submit their events to the CFUW National Event Calendar through the CFUW Member Database.

A Collective Path Forward for Canada’s Globally Important Peatlands

Feb 2, 2026 03:00 PM ET

Canada – home to one-quarter of the world’s peatlands, the world’s largest peat carbon stock, and some of the planet’s largest remaining undisturbed peatlands – is uniquely positioned as a peatland steward of global importance. And yet Canada lags behind much of the world in efforts to value and protect these vital ecosystems. In December, WCS Canada unveiled the National Peatland Strategy - a roadmap for coordinated policy action by federal, provincial, and territorial governments, developed with over 100 of Canada's foremost peatland knowledge-holders.

In this one-hour webinar aimed at people making or informing decisions about peatlands anywhere in Canada, WCS Canada Peatland Conservation Scientist Adam Kirkwood and Public Policy Specialist Victoria Goodday will discuss the unique importance of peatlands, the limitations of current policy approaches, and how policy-makers and implementers can use the National Peatland Strategy to guide collective action.

REGISTER HERE

GWI Update - January 28, 2026

Do you want your Club’s newsletter shared in the CFUW Club Action newsletter? Send your newsletter to Elizabeth Malcolm at memberservices@cfuw-fcfdu.ca

AFDU Montérégie - Janvier 2026

CFUW Halifax - January 2026

CFUW Georgetown - January 2026

CFUW St. John's - January 2026

CFUW Kelowna - January/February 2026

CFUW Richmond - February 2026

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