Summary information
| Repository: | South Peace Regional Archives |
| Title: | Spirit Valley Women’s Institute |
| Reference code: | 0485 |
| Date: | 1929-1964 (date of creation) |
| Physical description: | 18 cm textual records |
| Dates of creation, revision and deletion: | Processed April 2012 Added to new database August 2023 – TD |
Administrative history / Biographical sketch
The Spirit Valley Women’s Institute was organized in February, 1948, becoming a charter member of the provincial organization. Meetings were held monthly with the exception of August and September at members’ homes. The hostess supplied a raffle gift for a draw after the meeting. Lunch was made and served by two other members. In February the club celebrated anniversary month and the Christmas meeting was a potluck supper. Membership was $1 and afternoon tea was $.25. Each afternoon meeting was opened by saluting the flag and reciting the Women’s Institute creed. Roll calls were answered by presenting bazaar items, garden seeds or plant slips, and in one meeting members were asked, “How did you meet your husband?”
The first few years saw the club concentrate on sewing for the needy and sending food parcels overseas to recipients in Scotland who were suffering from food shortages after WWII. One of the club’s first and main projects was the creation of a ladies’ restroom in Spirit River which started with leasing a building from the town in 1949, for $1.00. They hired the carpenter, bought the coal and had it delivered, and took turns doing the janitor work at first. Then Mrs. Ed Porterfield was hired for $10 a month and in 1952 Mr. Nick Guslak took over the duties. In December, 1953, natural gas was installed and in 1955, a bathroom was installed with Pat O’Hara doing the plumbing. Mr. England became the new janitor, then Mrs. Marple and then Helen Johnson.
The Jan. 8, 1953, meeting at the home of Mrs. Durkin saw the following officers elected ; President, Mrs. A. Smith; Vice-President, Mrs. Ida Pocket; Secretary, Mrs. W. Mueller; Treasurer, Mrs. F. Boomgaarden; Publicity and Radio Reporter, Mrs. C. Horning; Citizenship, Mrs. A. Peacock; Agricultural, Florence Pocket; Social Welfare, Mrs. C. Hirning, Health and Education, Mrs. Nease; Scrap Book Caretaker, Mrs. G. Durkin; Rest Room Committee, Mrs. Durkin, Mrs. Mease, Mrs. Hudson, Mrs. Mueller; Hospital Visiting Committee, Mrs. Neil, Mrs. Boomgaarden. Membership at that time was 22. The group raised money in order to operate the restroom and other charitable projects through putting on dances, bazaars , bake sales, elephant sales, card parties, raffling quilts, rugs, doilies, and selling greeting cards. They donated to the Red Cross, March of Dimes, Cancer Fund, Salvation Army, Grace Children’s Home, and a scholarship fund through the Dept. of Agriculture for students entering Agricultural Schools. They made Christmas hampers for the needy, sent baby quilts and layettes to the the Unitarian Service Committee and to burned out families, and supported a diabetic camp and a victim of a machinery accident. They visited patients in the hospital with baskets of cookies and fruit and sent a fruit basket to Pleasant View Lodge each month. In 1958, the town of Spirit River purchased the restroom for $1200. The last meeting of the group was held in June, 1963, where they decided to disburse their funds by buying a baby grand piano for Pleasant View Lodge and curtains and chairs for the restroom, donating the rest to the Happy Valley Club, the Blueberry Mountain Goodwill Ladies, Spirit River Curling Club, the United Church Hall Fund, and the Spirit Valley Hall.
Custodial history
These records were donated to the South Peace Regional Archives by the Spirit River Settlement Historical Society in 2009.
Scope and content
The fonds consists of records relating to the operation of the Spirit Valley Women’s Institute and their activities. The records include a certificate of incorporation, lease agreement, membership booklet, insurance policy, meeting records, invoices and cheque stubs, records of donations, correspondence, reports and newsletters from associated groups, records of fundraising projects, homemaking booklets, and a county fair program.
Access points
- Textual record (documentary form)
- Organizations* (subject)
- Women (subject)
Table of contents
0485.01, History & Legal Documents, 1948-1957
0485.03, Correspondence, 1948-1963
0485.04, Associated Organizations, 1929-1964
0485.05, Handicrafts and Fundraising, 1948-1963
0485.06, Homemaking and County Fair Booklets, ca. 1950-1960
Series descriptions
| Series 0485.01: History & Legal Documents
Date: 1948-1957 (date of creation) Scope and content: The series consists of a certificate of incorporation (1948), a lease agreement with the Village of Spirit River (1949), a membership booklet (1949-1953), an insurance policy (1957), and a record of the beginnings of the club and a Jan 8, 1953 meeting. Physical description: 0.5 cm textual records Access points: • Textual record (documentary form) |
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| Series 0485.02: Financial
Date: 1948-1963 (date of creation) Scope and content: The series consists of Royal Bank cheque stubs (1948-1963), reports and samples of invoices (1949-1962), Ladies’ Rest Room samples of invoices (1949-1962) and Ladies’ Rest Room donations (1949-1962). Physical description: 3.5 cm textual records Access points: • Textual record (documentary form) |
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| Subseries 0485.02.01: Royal Bank
Date: 1949-1963 (date of creation) Scope and content: The sub-series consists of Royal Bank cheque stubs (1949-1963). Physical description: 1 cm textual records Access points: • Textual record (documentary form) |
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| Subseries 0485.02.02: Financial Reports and Invoice Sampling
Date: 1949-1962 (date of creation) Scope and content: The sub-series consists of financial reports, membership fees, and a sample of invoices for purchases related to fundraising events. Physical description: 0.5 cm textual records Access points: • Textual record (documentary form) |
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| Subseries 0485.02.03: Financial Reports – Ladies’ Rest Room
Date: 1949-1962 (date of creation) Scope and content: The sub-series consists of a sample of invoices for purchases related to the operation of the ladies’ rest room. Physical description: 1 cm textual records Access points: • Textual record (documentary form) |
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| Subseries 0485.02.04: Financial Reports – Donations to the Ladies’ Rest Room
Date: 1949-1962 (date of creation) Scope and content: The sub-series consists of a sample of invoices for purchases related to the operation of the ladies’ rest room. Physical description: 1 cm textual records Access points: • Textual record (documentary form) |
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| Series 0485.03: Correspondence
Date: 1948-1963 (date of creation) Scope and content: The series consists of correspondence within the Grande Prairie Constituency of the W.I. and letters from other groups in other areas interested in the Rest Room project. Physical description: 2 cm textual records Access points: • Textual record (documentary form) |
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| Series 0485.04: Associated Organizations
Date: 1929-1964 (date of creation) Scope and content: The series consists of Alberta Women’s Institute Reports and Correspondence (1929-1964), Alberta’s Women’s Institute Newsletter “Home and Country” (1950-1964), Federated Women’s Institute Reports and Correspondence (1947-1959), Federated W. I. Newsletters, “Federated News”(1949-1957), Department of Agriculture – Extension (1949-1960), and Organizations and Supported Charities (1948-1962) Physical description: 11 cm textual records Access points: • Textual record (documentary form) |
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| Subseries 0485.04.01: Alberta Women’s Reports, Correspondence & Newsletters
Date: 1929-1964 (date of creation) Scope and content: The sub-series consists of Alberta Women’s Institute Reports and Correspondence (1929-1964), and Alberta’s Women’s Institute Newsletter “Home and Country” (1950-1964), Physical description: 6 cm textual records |
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| Subseries 0485.04.02: Federated Women’s Institute Reports, Correspondence and Newsletters
Date: 1947-1959 (date of creation) Scope and content: The sub-series consists of Federated Women’s Institute Reports and Correspondence (1947-1959), Federated W. I. Newsletters, “Federated News”(1949-1957). Physical description: 3 cm textual records Access points: • Textual record (documentary form) |
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| Subseries 0485.04.03: Department of Agriculture Correspondence and Newsletters
Date: 1949-1960 (date of creation) Scope and content: The sub-series consists of correspondence with Department of Agriculture – Extension Division, including newsletters from the Home Economists (1949-1960). Physical description: 1 cm textual records Access points: • Textual record (documentary form) |
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| Subseries 0485.04.04: Organizations and Supported Charities
Date: 1948-1962 (date of creation) Scope and content: The sub-series consists of records of the group’s support of local organizations and major charities such as Red Cross, Cancer Society, Salvation Army, and the Unitarian Service Committee. Physical description: 1 cm textual records Access points: • Textual record (documentary form) |
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| Series 0485.05: Handicrafts and Fundraising
Date: 1948-1963 (date of creation) Scope and content: The series consists of records of the group’s involvement in for W.I. handicrafts competitions and purchase of materials from Eaton’s and Sears for making articles for charities and fundraisers, as well as records of card sales, bake sales, whist drives, and advertisers offering fundraising through sales of the Western Producer or collecting Salada symbols. It also includes records of an order of dresses from the Disabled Civilians’ Workshop in Moose Jaw, Sask. Physical description: 0.5 cm textual records Access points: • Textual record (documentary form) |
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| Series 0485.06: Homemaking and County Fair Booklets
Date: ca. 1950-1960 (date of creation) Scope and content: The series consists of three booklets: “Smart Sewing with Cotton Bags”, “The Best in the Cupboard”, and “1960 Grande Prairie County Agricultural Society Fair” booklet. Physical description: 0.5 cm textual records Access points: • Textual record (documentary form) |
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| File / item list | |||
| Reference code | Title | Dates | Physical description |
| 0485.06.01 | Item – Smart Sewing with Cotton Bags Mary Lynch |
ca. 1950 | 1 booklet (23 pp.) : 5.5 x 8.5 in. |
| Scope and content:
“Smart Sewing with Cotton Bags” shows how to use cotton bags (used in packaging flour and sugar for example) for sewing projects especially connected to Simplicity patterns. |
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| 0485.06.02 | Item – The Best in the Cupboard Canada Packers |
1954 | 1 booklet (80 pp.) : 5.5.x 8.5 in. |
| Scope and content:
“The Best in the Cupboard” contains hints from homemakers across Canada submitted as a result of a radio program “The Man Around the House” sponsored by Canada Packers. |
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| 0485.06.03 | Item – Grande Prairie County Agricultural Society Fair Booklet Grande Prairie County Agricultural Society |
1960 | 1 booklet (39 pp.) : 5.5 x 8.5 in. |
| Scope and content:
Grande Prairie County Agricultural Society Fair Booklet contains a list of officers, directors and conveners for the fair, rules of the exhibition, lists of exhibition classes ranging from farm animals to vegetables and flowers to handicrafts and school work along with first, second and third prize moneys offered. |
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