Silver Stars gala shines spotlight on trailblazing Canadian women
By David Yin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
A celebratory buzz filled Aurora’s Royal Rose Art Gallery on Nov. 8 as guests gathered to honour the women showcased in the soon-to-be-released docuseries Silver Stars. At the centre of the excitement was Lanette Ware-Bushfield, founder and owner of A WWB Production, Inc., who greeted attendees with emotion and gratitude as her vision came to fruition.
“It’s hard not to cry every single second because this is a project that’s two years in the making and it’s honouring women who have led our nation,” she said.
“So, I’m very overwhelmed – in a good way.”
Silver Stars is a five-episode docuseries that sheds light on 12 Canadian women who have made strides in STEM, arts, or sports. Examples include Jennifer Podemski, actress, producer, and founder of RedCloud Studios; Angelina Brathwaite, director of life sciences at Brunel Canada; Janet Castillo-Gerongco, founder of Work It Girl; and Rosey Edeh, Olympic athlete and news anchor.
At the gala, she provided some opening remarks before unveiling each woman’s portrait. After each unveiling, the respective women – along with their family members – provided some words about their involvement with Silver Stars.
Additionally, she revealed the series’ 2026 calendar featuring all the women’s portraits, saying that a portion of all proceeds will go to the non-profit Dare to Rise Foundation.
Singer DebonayR serenaded the audience midway through the event with a song about women’s empowerment.
Podemski said that as an Indigenous woman in film, she felt honoured to have her achievements recognized in Silver Stars. She created RedCloud Studios to provide greater Indigenous representation and produced the award-winning series Little Bird.
“The inequity and injustice that Indigenous people were facing in society was a direct reflection of how Indigenous people and stories have been erased in the media,” she said.
Castillo-Gerongco said that she was also honoured to be part of Silver Stars. Through her company Work it Girl, she aims to empower girls through dance and leadership.
“Sometimes I feel like, ‘Am I in the right spot? Do I belong here?’” she said. “But at the end of the day, I know that I belong. And the more that I share, the more that other girls can be inspired as well.”
Ware-Bushfield said that A WWB Production will continue to film Silver Stars until spring 2026.
Follow @silverstars.2026 on Instagram to find more about the docuseries.
Photo: All 12 women featured in Silver Stars pose for a group photo at the Silver Stars Gala. (Photo courtesy of Alex Ozerov-Meyer)