Duane Hicks
Jennifer Horton, owner of downtown business Curvy Chick, has been named Woman Leader of the Year by the PARO Centre for Enterprising Women.
The award was announced during the PARO Centre for Enterprising Women Awards last Thursday evening at the Victoria Inn in Thunder Bay.
“When I found out I won the leadership award, I was surprised,” said Horton, who was unable to attended the ceremony in person but watched a live webcast.
“It is an honour to win an award like that,” she added.
“It’s sometimes hard to think of myself as a leader because I just do what I feel is best and also to help other women.”
Horton believes she was nominated for how much she is involved in the community, her accomplishments, and the fact she’s helped other businesswomen in the community.
Not only has she won the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce’s Business Woman of the Year in 2014 and 2017, but she currently sits on the Downtown BIA board, sat on the Chamber of Commerce board, ran for town council in the last municipal election, and mentored a young female entrepreneur in 2015.
“I really believe in supporting other local women artisans and home-based businesses,” Horton said.
“I think it’s important to stick together as women and have a support system in place, whether it’s getting advice, bouncing ideas off one another, or letting her know that, ‘You can do this. You can own a business and be a mom.'”
In 2014, Horton started the first PARO Circle in Fort Frances with three other women.
PARO Circles are comprised of women in business that support one another, give advice, and help each other’s businesses grow by sharing events, Facebook posts, and sending referrals, she explained.
There also are small loans they can use to grow their business by buying new equipment or advertising.
And that group has gone on to be recognized. During the same ceremony last Thursday, the PARO Fundraising Circle Award went to the “Borderland Babes.”
This group consists of Horton, Pam Williams, Paula Jensen, Wanda Huitikka-Wipf, Mary Martinson, Sue Korosec, and Kaylie Lundgren.
Curvy Chick, meanwhile, continues to offer more for women in the community.
Horton said she expanded her business this year into being able to offer mastectomy services like bras, prosthetics, and accessories for women that have, or had, breast cancer.
She did this through the “Starter Company Plus” grant program through the Northwest Business Centre in Kenora.
“The competition was high for this program and I felt very lucky to have had that experience,” said Horton.
“It is something that has been on my radar for a long time and this program made it a reality,” she added.
For women interested in learning more about the mastectomy services, Horton said she will do private appointments.
Women also can drop by the store during regular business hours.
