An Orillia woman will be championing her city and promoting postpartum health in her quest to become Miss Regional Canada.
Katrina Ells-Benoit, 23, is competing May 1 to 3 in Sudbury against other women in the 17-to-24 age category from across Canada in the Regional Canada Pageants (RCP). The pageants have divisions for girls and women from 14 to 55-plus and are about female empowerment.
"I love Regional Canada Pageants because it isn’t a beauty contest or based off how perfect you look ... It is based off your personality, personal goals and achievements and how you represent yourself and your voice as you promote your platform," she said.
The pageant offers women self-discovery and empowerment workshops, which Ells-Benoit is looking forward to.
“I’m very excited. It will be a getaway with other women who want to achieve the same goals," said the graduate of Orillia Secondary School.
Participants are required to make a community speech and a platform speech. Ells-Benoit will be speaking about Orillia, its unique features and her favourite things to do in Orillia. Her platform speech will be about postpartum health.
It's the second time Ells-Benoit has represented Orillia in the competition. In 2021, she "took a leap of faith and competed." She came in eighth place.
After that, she focused her attention on her career. She is a registered early childhood educator with the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka, having graduated from Georgian College.
"I love it," she said.
A lover of children, Ells-Benoit and her partner conceived a child and she is now the mother of a healthy nine-month-old son. Much to her surprise, she found herself losing energy and motivation. She later discovered she was suffering from postpartum depression and anxiety.
"It took me awhile to realize I was not myself," she said.
She said she hid it well, adding it took a lot of courage to reach out to her family doctor for help. She is now getting activation therapy through the Couchiching Family Health Team.
“As somebody who hid behind the door and said I was OK for the last couple of months, I want to share that it’s OK to reach out for help," she said.
Part of the reason it took her time to reach out is because of the labels or stigma attached to postpartum depression that it's due to the mother's weakness.
In fact, statistics show almost a quarter of women (23 per cent) who have given birth recently show signs of postpartum depression or an anxiety disorder.
"Through my journey of healing, hopefully, I can help others. I want to be an advocate for other new moms. Your mental health comes first," Ells-Benoit said.
Participants in Regional Canada Pageants are also required to raise funds for its charity of choice, Northern Ontario Families of Children with Cancer (NOFCC). Ells-Benoit has a $500 goal. She is hosting three fundraisers: a Valentine's candy cups sale, a St. Patrick's Day-themed basket, and Easter eggs through her Facebook page.
Participants represent their home towns in the Regional Canada Pageants. (There was no Miss Orillia competition.) The competition requires participants to have an evening gown, a little white dress and an outfit of their choice to represent their personality.
Since mid-December, Ells-Benoit has been gathering wardrobe items and cash donations from family, friends and employers to cover the expenses of travel and accommodation.
“I have a great community of support. I’m very grateful that way,” she said.
“If I obtain the title of Miss Regional Canada, I would represent it by raising my voice (for) the NOFCC and postpartum health."
If she doesn't win, she still plans to do work to promote postpartum health.
“Honestly, I just wanted to do something for myself to get myself out of the funk, and I look forward to attending the workshops and the seminars and having a weekend where I can feel like a girl,” she said.
Ells-Benoit said she is looking for functions where she can be presented as Miss Orillia.
For more information or to contact Ells-Benoit, visit her Facebook or Instagram pages or email her at [email protected].
Visit the NOFCC website for more information about the charity or to make a donation.