On Saturday, Ashley Burnham was crowned Mrs. Universe in Minsk, becoming the first Canadian to take home the international pageant’s title.

A Conservative riding association director in Ontario who posted online comments describing “Indians” as “self-loathing” and the Cree woman recently crowned Mrs. Universe as a “monster” was punted Tuesday from her position after the party became aware of her social media diatribes.

Inspired by fellow Alberta pageant queen Ashley Callingbull, Frog Lake’s Thaliya Dion left for Central America on Saturday to pursue her own dreams and ambitions, after a whirlwind January that saw her travel to Toronto before heading much farther south.

The founder of Regina-based Hillberg & Berk has found success in the global jewelry industry, thanks to constant encouragement from the women she surrounds herself with.

For the longest time, Ashley Callingbull questioned her worth. As an Enoch Cree Nation child growing up west of Edmonton, she was physically and sexually abused. She went hungry, gathering bottles with her mother to scrounge money for food. Classmates threw rocks at her, called her “dirty Indian” and stole her only shoes – a $2 pair from Value Village.

CBC News 01/07/2020
Ashley Callingbull of Enoch Cree Nation says being a representative for the footwear company sends a strong message because Indigenous faces feature so prominently.

An Alberta-born Cree model is now the face of a major Nike campaign that celebrates Indigenous culture.

The 28-year-old from the Enoch Cree Nation is back in the limelight this fall as the face of a new campaign for Hillberg & Berk, a Canadian company that recently got a major boost when none other than the Queen wore its diamond and sapphire snowflake brooch to meet U.S. President Donald Trump.

This may have been one of the most controversial seasons of The Amazing Race Canada—Time penalties! Cab stealing! Smack-talking all around!—but in the end it was James Makokis and Anthony Johnson’s positive spirit and sheer determination that helped catapult them to a first-place finish on the mat Tuesday night.

“I was so lucky. I grew up with an incredibly strong grandmother, mother and sister,” Virtue says. “All three, independent, fierce, clever women who were hard workers, had goals and visions for themselves, and were really ambitious.”

This is also the first time RW&CO. is working with female ambassadors. Three Canadian muses: Tessa Virtue (the most decorated female ice skater in Olympic history), Ashley Callingbull (Mrs. Universe 2015, First Nation’s activist, actress and model) and Karine Vanasse (award-winning actress).

In Whitehorse for the camp are current and former professional players Arron Asham, Brandon Montour and Wacey Rabbit, as well as Ashley Callingbull, a model, actress and First Nations activist.

Ashley Callingbull, a First Nations activist and model, and Quebec media personality Herby Moreau introduced the noon show guests.

The 2019 election campaign is already underway — the CBC News Canada Votes newsletter is your weekly tip-sheet as we count down to Oct. 21.

The 13 influencers set to feature in the video included Olympic sprinter Andre De Grasse, Olympic swimmer Penny Oleksiak, First Nations activist and model Ashley Callingbull and YouTubers Lilly Singh and Mitch Hughes, among others.

For the first time, Elections Canada also released the names of the social-media influencers. They are First Nations activist and actor Ashley Callingbull

Former Miss Universe Ashley Callingbull, who is from Enoch Cree Nation, tweeted, “Ahhh I love them!” after she saw a short interview with them.

“I was finding kids really latch on to stories like this, especially in a small town,” she said. “So something I wanted to create was to call on people who have made it to the big show who are from small towns.”