Women’s Institute Week will be celebrated across Canada from February 19 to 25, 2012.
Here in B.C. women are active in branches of W.I. throughout the province, helping their members, communities, province, country and world. The organization at all levels is summed up in the words ‘Women interested, informed and involved in building a better tomorrow.’
Women’s Institute started over 100 years ago in B.C. as a means to provide support and help to rural women, who were new, not only to Canada and B.C., but to rural life. Most women were isolated and the monthly meetings provided a social outlet, access to home and farm skills plus a means to discuss how their communities could be improved. The women worked to help provide amenities such as schools, halls, local libraries, traveling health nurses and dentists. The list was long and the women were persistent.
Although society today reaps the benefits of the hard work of the early pioneers, Women‘s Institute does not rest on its laurels. Today communities still benefit from the interest and work of the members. As well, groups support BC Children’s Hospital, and Queen Alexandra Centre near Victoria. In step with the provincial organization, branch members have initiated a letter writing campaign to provincial and federal governments regarding resolutions they recently passed on topics such as ‘no Site C dam in the Peace‘, the risk to B.C. of offshore drilling, and protecting our B.C. water supply.
British Columbia is proudly hosting the National Convention at Sidney in June, 2012 and expects hundreds of members from across Canada.
Check the provincial website at www.bcwi.ca , the national one at www.fwic.ca and the international at www.acww.org.uk
Contact: Jean Johnson 250-442-3060 email: granby@shaw.ca