EDITOR’S NOTE: Manitoulin is being transformed with the influx of new residents and business owners who bring with them fresh ideas, experiences and perspectives that are enriching the area. Some individuals and families are still unpacking boxes, having only moved in the past month or two, while others made the move over the last few years and are now comfortably established in their new communities. Here is one of their stories.
by Heather Marshall
Manitoulin Island is world renowned for its exceptional natural beauty. It may soon also be recognized as the home of the most beautiful – inside and out – woman in the universe. Madison Kvaltin, a contestant in the upcoming Miss Universe Canada contest, and her mom, Monique Sirkka, recently took up residence on Tobacco Lake outside Gore Bay and may soon put the Island on the global media and fashion world’s maps.
Mother and daughter spent the bulk of their lives in Lively in the Greater Sudbury Area, although Monique is originally from Thunder Bay. She moved to the northeastern corner of the province when she graduated from Confederation College as a Registered Nurse in 1992 and found employment with the Victorian Order of Nurses, an employer she stayed with for a dozen years. That period of her career was followed by a position in the Intensive Care unit of Health Sciences North, which she held for a decade. During that time, she also taught in the nursing program at Cambrian College before taking additional training to pursue her passion for caring for children at risk. She spent the final two years of her tenure with Health Sciences North focused on her sub-specialty in family violence care. All this while also getting married and raising three children – Meagan, Madison, and Mathew. She even managed to find time for a furniture refinishing hobby that recently became a side business. This summer, Monique opened Artistry 67, a furniture restoration company featuring Fusion paint in the Pavilion building by the marina on Gore Bay’s waterfront.
Monique and her husband, Matti Sirkka, bought a cottage on Tobacco Lake four years ago with the intention of eventually retiring on Manitoulin. That move was expedited in 2022 when, burned out by COVID, she was looking for a new opportunity and was hired as an RN by Noojmowin Teg Health Centre in AOK to bring her specialized nursing background in child maltreatment to the community. Monique is effusive in her praise for the Centre, which she describes as “The most amazing organization I’ve ever worked with in my entire life!”
Madison’s youth was filled with sports, volunteering and community activism. She competed competitively in swimming and was involved in soccer, volleyball, football, cross country running and skating. She also was on student council at Lockerby Secondary School, where she was active in an anti-bullying program as well as Ontario Students Against Drunk Driving, an off shoot of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Being a beauty queen was the furthest thing from the busy teen’s mind when her photo on Instagram caught the attention of Peggi LePage Modelling, which approached her about runway modelling – something Madison had never considered.
“I was the biggest tomboy. I did lots of sports and never wore high heels or make up,” she laughs. “We were always raised to believe that your inner beauty is the only thing that matters so something like a beauty contest never occurred to me. However, I was convinced to give pageantry a try by Cheryl Kozera who runs the Miss North Ontario competition. She knew me because of my charitable and fundraising work with various community groups and thought I might be a good fit.”
How right she was! In her first-ever pageant at age 16, Madison placed 2nd runner-up – wearing heels and long dresses for the first time. A year later she won the contest and was showered with prizes and scholarship money that she set aside for university. By virtue of becoming Miss Northern Ontario, Madison was eligible to compete for Miss Teenage Canada in 2016, where she placed in the top 20. That success led to another scholarship to Top Model Search Canada and winning the title of Miss Intercontinental Canada in 2016. Each achievement opened new doors to more opportunities. “I went to Sri Lanka to compete for Miss Intercontinental 2016, my first time travelling overseas alone. I didn’t place there but it was an incredible experience.”
Despite these heady days, trouble was brewing. Apart from being a typically insecure female teenager, Madison’s parents were in the throes of a divorce that hit the children hard. Her depression led to an eating disorder that became serious enough to warrant hospitalization for four months. That challenging experience left a lasting – and positive – impact on Madison, who has since become a champion of healthy eating and living and learning to love the skin you’re in.
“I had no one my age to talk to about these issues when I was going through them. So, I’ve made it my mission to help men and women learn to love themselves and take care of themselves,” adds Madison, who conducts workshops and seminars across Canada in addition to her online presence where she promotes healthy, active living and body confidence.
Another reflection of the level-headedness of the beauty queen is that she set aside beauty pageants after high school for four years to focus on her post-secondary education. Madison earned an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Business at Queen’s University in Kingston. She loved her time living and studying in Kingston but was unable to finish her classes in the city when COVID struck. She returned to Sudbury to live with her family and studied remotely until her graduation in 2020.
In keeping with her commitment to community service, Madison landed a job with Northern 911 in Sudbury, initially as an executive assistant and soon after as a call quality auditor. In her spare time, she launched several small businesses – Skilla Athletics, a body confident athletic brand and website design company, along with MAD Media Marketing – capitalizing on her business degree.
The lure of pageantry was never far from Madison’s mind and, in 2022, she decided to give the Miss Universe competition another try. Although there are numerous beauty pageants to choose from, she was always drawn to the organization because of its emphasis on philanthropy, the importance of education, setting goals and pursuing your dreams. “It’s about empowerment, giving back, making a difference and being a spokesperson for positive change,” explains Madison. “It suits my interests and personality.”
Last year, she went to Japan for a month to compete in Miss International after placing 1st runner up at Miss Universe Canada and in the top eight, the highest ranking for Canada since the early 1960s. And this past winter, she spent six weeks in Bogota, Colombia working with a pageant training house to hone her skills on everything from interview preparation to make-up, runway walking and physical fitness. Equally important, the training emphasized the development of her platform which, consistent with her personal history, focuses on philanthropy.
Until quite recently Madison contemplated doing an MBA, but the chance to work for one of Canada’s leading transportation companies “fell into my lap, lucky me!” Madison became part of Manitoulin Transport’s LEAD management development program in early summer of 2023, instigating the move to Gore Bay. Her new employers are accommodating her schedule so she can compete in this year’s Miss Universe Canada contest being held in Vancouver on August 19th. If she wins the title, her victory will take her to Ecuador in December to compete in Miss Universe 2023.
The 25-year-old is eligible to compete to the maximum age of 28 but says this is her final kick at the can, due to the significant time, hard work, and financial commitments required to continue.
“I will be happy regardless of the final results,” she insists. “One pageant provides the equivalent of three years personal growth I am told, so I know I will come out of the experience richer for it. I’ve loved my journey thus far and am really proud of the work I’ve put into it. I don’t need to win to prove that I’ve done all these amazing things. It would just be the cherry on the top.”
Monique couldn’t be prouder. “As a nurse I know that one in three youth suffer from mental health issues and there isn’t anywhere near enough support for them,” says Monique. “I am so proud of Madison’s work helping other young people and being a such a positive influencer in healthy living.”
Heather Marshall and her husband worked as journalists and consultants in the National Capital Region for more decades than they care to admit before making their Sandfield cottage their permanent home. A lifelong learner, Heather loves discovering new things and people and relishes the opportunity to write about newcomers to the Manitoulin. If you would like to share your story or know of recent arrivals we should meet, send a message to HAMarshall@proton.me.
