Welcome Wagon Canada was founded in 1930 and made its way to Grande Prairie by 1960. The purpose of the Welcome Wagon was to welcome newcomers to the area. Welcome Wagon was a marketing company that partnered with local businesses to promote them to newcomers, particularly to wives and mothers. “Hostesses” would schedule visits with families who had moved to town and bring them a basket containing small gifts and coupons from local vendors. Great emphasis was placed on visiting the family in their home as a way to establish friendly relations. The hostess also provided information about the town, ranging from garbage collection schedules to lists of local churches. The first hostess for the Grande Prairie Welcome Wagon was Maxine Tipper. By 1963, the program expanded with several staff members and more programs. Along with visiting newcomers, they also provided programs for couples expecting their first child and for newlyweds planning to live in Grande Prairie.
Though marketing initiated the Welcome Wagon, the hostesses formed personal relationships with newcomers that transcended business interactions. Hostesses helped forge social bonds in unconventional ways, like securing babysitters for women who didn’t know anyone. They often found interpreters for newcomers who didn’t speak English, ensuring everyone could be properly welcomed to Grande Prairie.
The genuine care of the hostesses and their relationships with the women arriving in the area can be seen by their Newcomers Club. Before the club was officially started, the Welcome Wagon stated in the Daily Herald Tribune, “We would probably make it for the ladies at first. The men have business contacts, but the ladies have no social contacts when they first arrive.” The Welcome Wagon did just that by starting the Welcome Wagon Newcomers Club. By 1965, the Welcome Wagon held regular meetings for the Newcomers Club as well as recreational events like bowling and dances. Anyone visited by the Welcome Wagon was extended the invitation to join the club. The club regularly had guest speakers who held talks on subjects ranging from crafts to gardening. The camaraderie between women who participated in the Welcome Wagon Newcomers Club is evident in the letter of a past member who moved to Red Deer:
Hi Gang,
Just a note to thank you for the gifts and to let you know that we are pretty well settled here… Had a Welcome Wagon call here and enjoyed a good visit with the hostess. I’m looking forward to a coffee party in July and also am planning to join the club in the fall.
The Newcomers Club also acted as a charitable organization. They often held projects like bake sales, dances, and fashion shows to raise money. Their notable contributions include donations to the Peace School of Hope and the patterning program for brain-damaged children under the Jaycettes.
The Welcome Wagon Newcomers Club functioned as a space for women new to the area to learn skills, become informed about their community, and connect with other women. The Welcome Wagon operated in Canada until 2020.