100-Year Celebration of Rural Women in Action

Kelli McRobert | Mar 27, 2024

The Golden Links Hall was filled with the roaring twenties this past weekend as the Harrowsmith Women’s Institute (HWI) celebrated 100 years of community service. Ladies dressed in flapper attire with beautiful gowns adorned with loops of pearls and fashionable headpieces. Gloves, stockings, and bandeaus were on display with rhinestones, lace, pearls, and beads. During this time the tomb of King Tut was discovered and women wanted to look like the Egyptian Queen with elaborate headwear including tiaras and crowns. Other fun headwear were Brain Binders, Head Wraps, Feather Hair Clips, and Skullcaps.

The event was well attended and celebrated the continued work of a small group of women in Harrowsmith who belong to the Federation of Women’s Institute (FWIO) . The Federation has over 180 branches in Ontario overseen by 49 districts broken down by North, South, East, and Western regions.

The Harrowsmith Women’s Institute marked this moment in time, as community members came together to celebrate a milestone. The Mayor of South Frontenac presented a certificate of recognition and guests were able to enjoy tea, baked goods, music, donations, and a silent auction. The auction is in support of ‘Send a Kid to Camp’ at Quin-Mo-Lac (Tweed) for a week. The displays each depicted a snapshot in time, the roaring 20s with pictures, letters, and artifacts to remind us of days gone by. I was lucky enough to chat with a few of the ‘life’ members and could see the pride in their eyes as they told me generational stories of their mothers, daughters, and grandmothers. They reminisced about events they had hosted and their monthly gatherings (9 months/yr) with snacks and friendly conversation.

The Harrowsmith Women’s Institute continues to meet and plan out its annual events in great detail. They meet at various homes and chat, a sisterhood (as expressed by some) whose members are very close supporting each other and their community through good times, and some not-so-good. The FWIO is focused on improving the quality and safety of their communities through advocacy and fundraising. Other Provincial Initiatives are the Ripples of Change, Lyme Disease, and Human Sex Trafficking.

As the crowds begin to wane, stomachs full, the HWI members began taking down the tables, packing up the remaining sweet treats, and tallying up the auction bids and generous donations. 100 years, celebrated through stories, pictures, props, and costumes. A simpler time, perhaps, but when you look back on all that this group has accomplished over the years…overcoming hardship, gender inequality, war, and loss…it is impressive.

A proud moment for any member of the FWIO and perhaps one that you may consider joining? Local branches are located in Harrowsmith and Sydenham.

Thank you for the invitation, and the insight from Brenda, Joyce, Diane, and Ginny!

History of the Federation of Women’s Institutes of Ontario

The first WI was formed in 1897 in Stoney Creek, Ontario, by Adelaide Hoodless, and Erland, and Janet Lee. The membership fee back then was .25 cents. The growth by 1900 was up to 33 branches with 1602 members. The women believed in bringing education to rural women and by 1913 instructors were teaching courses in home economics to members which by 1914 had increased to 29,000. With such a large membership it was decided to divide up the province to better support the branches. During war times, the WI Branches focused their activities on “outfitting hospital ships, financing field kitchens, supporting a motor ambulance, and donating…canned goods, jams, and knitted items.” *fwio.ca

By 1921, the FWIO was given legal recognition by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and the Department of Agriculture began publishing ‘bulletins’ for ‘homemaker members’ on a variety of topics including nutrition, home canning, food values, and meal planning. 1927 the group expanded to 38,000 members over 1,070 Branches, with the membership fee holding steady at .25 cents. By 1930, Lady Tweedsmuir, the wife of Lord Tweedsmuir (Governor General of Canada), developed and maintained (still maintains today) the Tweedsmuir History Books. It is interesting to note that these books were on display at the 100th Celebration and were pages of handwritten letters, notes, photos, and hand-crafted pieces that tell a history steeped rich in tradition, community involvement, and fundraising.

Their mission statement of ‘Serving Home and Country’ carried them through the Depression, however, there was still an increase to 43,000 members and the group proudly raised just over one million dollars in 1940 to support wartime initiatives. On June 18, 1947, their 50th anniversary was celebrated with 12, 000 members attending the Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph arriving by 3 special trains and 185 chartered buses. “Let There Be Light” was the theme for the celebratory pageant. And….the membership fee was STILL .25 cents. Of note, was that the Adelaide Hoodless Memorial Scholarship was also established at this time with $19,000.00 of capital.

In 1949, the membership fee doubled to .50 cents. The WI began sponsoring ‘Well Baby Clinics’ focusing on preventative health, good nutrition, and the benefits of regular checkups. 1953, and the FWIO hits an all-time high with 50, 000 members over 1503 Branches. The members were put to the test when Hurricane Hazel tore through town and they supported their community with $40,000, clothing, bedding, and food for those left homeless.

In 1959, the WI branches became heavily committed to the 4H Clubs and supported the development of youth and agriculture. The Queen (Elizabeth II), who was a member of the Sandringham WI in England, came for a visit and tea during her tour of Canada. As I research more, I am interested to see that the WI was instrumental in helping to found Brock University in St Catharines, Ontario, from which I am an alumnus. In 1972, as a special 75th-anniversary project, the Erland Lee (Museum) home was acquired and still offers a deep dive into the history of this organization and its founding roots.

By mid-1970 the fee had bumped up to $2.00 and then another bump up in 1988 to $3.00. On their 90th Anniversary, they created an Educational Award that is presented annually to a WI member who upgrades or furthers their education. 1988 was also a year of celebration when they received the ‘Outstanding Organization’ award from the Recycling Council of Ontario for surpassing their goal of 100 new waste management and recycling projects.

In 1994, the membership fee bumped up to $15.00 and the ‘Safe and Healthy Communities’ program came to be in 1995. 1997, and a time capsule was buried on the grounds of the Erland Lee Museum, to be opened in 50 years. By 1999, the ROSE (Rural Ontario Sharing Education -For Women) Health Program was launched with funding support from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Women’s Health Network.

Let’s jump into the 2000s, and the women of this organization continued to support and fund initiatives through collected stories like the book titled ‘From This Place’ -Grandmother’s Legacies and in 2001 attended the Conference of the Associated Country Women of the World event in Hamilton, Ontario. 800 women attended representing six million members worldwide. 2002, and the Erland Lee Museum celebrated 30 years of operation.