Girls Take Flight – Speaker Series

Eve Wiggins

Chief Operating Officer, Nieuport Aviation

Eve Wiggins is an accomplished transportation executive with over 25 years of leadership experience spanning Canadian and international transit and aviation sectors. As Chief Operating Officer at Billy Bishop Airport, she oversees passenger experience, operations, facilities management, safety and security, maintenance, information technology, and commercial partnerships.

After a decade in public transit, where she held senior leadership roles at Mississauga Transit, Metrolinx, and the Toronto Transit Commission, Eve is returning to aviation. During her time in transit, she led transformative strategies to enhance customer experience, improve safety, and drive operational excellence across some of Canada’s largest transportation networks.

Earlier in her career, Eve managed a multi-disciplinary program at Toronto Pearson International Airport, setting new benchmarks for guest experience. She began her career in the UK, contributing to airport planning and operations in key roles.

Eve holds a Master of Science in Airport Planning and Management and multiple certifications. She is active in governance through board appointments and is recognized as a thought leader in the transportation sector.

Lesley Page

Founder, Girls Take Flight

At age 50, Lesley Page had her first flight in a small airplane. It was love at first flight!

Realizing that “Life is too short to be a passenger”, she got a Private Pilot license and she and her husband take turns as captain of their Cessna 172.

Lesley shares her love of flying by organizing discovery flight events to introduce women and young people to aviation. In 2014, she founded Girls Take Flight, an annual event held at the Oshawa Executive Airport, and the precursor to Girls Take Flight at Billy Bishop.

Lesley is an experienced public speaker and engaging story-teller. She enjoys inspiring people to overcome their fears and obstacles and to achieve their dreams by relating her journey from burned-out corporate manager to award-winning private pilot.

Tim Yee Lee

Aircraft Design & Development Safety Officer and Manager of Core Airworthiness, Bombardier

Tim Yee Lee is Bombardier’s Aircraft Design & Development Safety Officer and Manager of Core Airworthiness. Reaching her 25-year milestone with Bombardier, she is a Principal Engineering Specialist having worked on commercial and business aircraft programs focused on ensuring safety and reliability, from clean sheet design to next-generation designs. 

Tim Yee is a member of Bombardier’s Women In Engineering Affinity Group and volunteers her time speaking at high schools and universities in the Greater Toronto Area. The goal of the Women In Engineering Education Outreach team is to be accessible to young female students from all walks of life and open their eyes to the multitude of opportunities that an engineering degree offers. Tim Yee is also a Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador, building a more inclusive workplace across all of Bombardier’s global offices.

Lori Duthie

Executive Director, Canadian International Air Show

Lori’s passion for aviation was sparked by her father, who was deeply involved in the airshow industry. Growing up, she was captivated by the breathtaking aerobatics of iconic performers like the Snowbirds, which fueled her dream of becoming a pilot. Despite facing life’s challenges and diverting her focus to a successful airline career and raising a family, Lori never lost sight of her goal. At age 40, she achieved her dream of earning a pilot’s license.

Now, as the leader of the Toronto Airshow, Lori has transformed the event to engage a broader audience. She has introduced a new STEM area designed to inspire young people and new Canadians about the many opportunities in the aerospace industry. This initiative, which is open and free to the 1 million attendees, reflects her commitment to making aviation more accessible and engaging for everyone.

Captain Claire Lemiski

Assistant Chief Pilot, Porter Airlines

Captain Claire Lemiski is an Assistant Chief Pilot at Porter Airlines. Her career has evolved around the Dash 8-400, from flight testing and flying a corporate shuttle at Bombardier Aerospace to line flying and management at Porter, and international ferry flights during the pandemic.

She is passionate about providing mentorship and encouragement to new and aspiring pilots. Claire is a member of the Ninety-Nines and a senior advisor with Women Soar at Porter. She was a recipient of an Elsie award from the Northern Lights Aero Foundation in 2015. When she’s not flying, Claire enjoys making music, dragon boating, and volunteering in her community.

Lola Reid Allin

Author and Pilot

Lola Reid Allin is an adventurer! As a photographer, author, mentor and lifelong learner, Lola Reid Allin has traveled the globe capturing moments in time, chronicling her experiences, and sharing them with her community.

Supporting arts and culture is part of Lola’s very DNA. An active member and donor to both the Quinte Arts Council and Belleville Art Association, she has proven to be an invaluable patron and contributor to the local arts scene. Through her exhibitions and engaging “Armchair Traveler” presentations at the Belleville Public Library, Lola has broadened audiences’ understanding of the world. Her work has been featured in numerous publications in Quinte and beyond, and her first book is entitled Highway to the Sky: An Aviator’s Journey.

A warm storyteller and keen observer of humanity, Lola is passionate about deepening her community’s appreciation for culture and art. She has earned numerous awards for her artistry, and her experiences as one of the first female airline transport pilots stand as a testament to what can be achieved through determination and heart.

Major Marlene Shillingford, MMM., C.D.

Air Reserve Flight Commander, Canadian Armed Forces

Born in Newmarket, ON, Maj Marlene Shillingford enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces on October 1, 1986, as an Airframe Technician after four and a half years as an Air Cadet with the 94th Royal Air Cadet Squadron. Following basic training in Cornwallis, NS, and occupational training in Borden, ON, she began her career on the CT-114 Tutor at CFB Moose Jaw in 1987. She became the first female technician of 431 (Air Demonstration) Squadron – the Canadian Forces Snowbirds – during the 1993–1994 seasons, later serving at 8 Wing Trenton on the CC-130 Hercules and deploying to Southwest Asia in 2002 on Op APOLLO.

Her career highlights include being selected in 2006 as the first female Snowbird Crew Chief, flying with the Team Lead in the number one jet, and a posting to NATO’s AWACS program in Geilenkirchen, Germany, where she also deployed to Mazar-E-Sharif, Afghanistan. Upon returning to Canada in 2013, she served at the Canadian Forces Warfare Centre in Ottawa and was invested into the Order of Military Merit in 2014. Promoted to Chief Warrant Officer in 2017, she went on to leadership roles at 12 Wing Shearwater, completed NATO leadership courses in Switzerland and Germany, and graduated from the Officer Professional Military Education Program.

In March 2019, Maj Shillingford became Wing CWO at 15 Wing Moose Jaw, later serving as Division CWO for 2 Canadian Air Division. After 37.5 years of service, she released from the CAF in April 2024 and transferred to the Primary Air Reserves. Commissioned to the rank of Major through the Special Requirements Commissioning Plan, she now serves as Flight Commander for the 1 Wing Headquarters Air Reserve Flight in Kingston, Ontario.