In this video from YourTV Niagara, Mike Balsom of the The Source, offers highlights of the gardens featured on our Virtual Garden Tour and an interview with Committee Co-Chair, Barb Legg.
Human Trafficking in the Niagara Region
CFUW Welland and District
In conjunction with
YWCA St Catharines
Invites you to a presentation on Zoom
Human Trafficking in the Niagara Region presented by
Kayla Meyer Lead Person on the Trafficking Team,
YWCA St. Catharines
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 7pm
We have space for 100 participants, please register early.
To register for an invitation please email
harding.welland@gmail.com
President’s March Message
CFUW National Resolutions
This year, six resolutions, proposed by clubs across Canada, have been sent to us for our comments by CFUW National. The titles are as follows:
#1: Canada Health Act and Common Application of Medically Necessary Services
#2: Payday Loans
#3: Achieving the 94 Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action
#4: Climate Emergency – Declarations and Action Plans
#5: Protecting Children from Exposure and Access to Pornography and Sexual Violence on the Internet
#6: Enforcement of the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act.
Our Advocacy Committee, led by Chair Liina Veer, will be meeting on February 26th to discuss these resolutions. Shortly thereafter, their possible suggestions of changes will be sent to all of us. Please keep an eye out for them and settle in for some important reading so you will be well informed before voting on the resolutions at our March 10 meeting. After that, our recommendations will be sent back to CFUW National. If they are approved at the next National AGM, (June 18 to 20 in Ottawa), members at both national and club levels will arrange to meet with elected officials, and make our expectations known. I look forward to taking part in these meetings this year. In addition to supporting our community, such meetings would certainly increase the number of people who know who we are and what we do.
House Tour Promotion
On another important subject, House Tour Co-Chairs Maureen Shantz and Judy Yovanovich and their committee have been working on standardizing our promotional message. The only icon to be used in advertising is the little house shown below:
They have suggested that we all add this logo as a signature to our emails to advertise the House Tour. Although I am one of the most IT challenged members of our club, I decided to give it a try and I succeeded! In your email program, go under settings (often shown as a picture of a gear) and search for signature. You can copy from the logo attachment sent with this newsletter. If you get stuck, try Googling “how to add a signature to email” (naming your program). Keep in mind that the browser that you are sending from, or that people are receiving your email in, can affect the appearance of the house icon. Alternatively, you can use a text-only version as your signature, shown below:
SAVE THE DATE
CFUW House Tour
Sunday, May 3, 2020
www.cfuwstcatharines.org
Everyone who receives an email from you will be reminded of our great event. Thank you for all you do!
May Newsletter
The UN Commission on the Status of Women is the largest annual gathering of the international women’s movement.This year, the 62nd year, the emphasis was on the challenges for rural women and girls. To read the report by Gail Neff, a CFUW St Catharines member, and one of CFUW’s delegates, CLICK HERE.
March Newsletter
This month’s featured scholarship recipient is Vanessa Smith, a graduate of the NCDSB Lifetime Learning Centre. As with other recipients, Vanessa wants to give back to the community by tackling mental health issues. To learn more about Vanessa & to view the Newsletter in full, CLICK HERE . . .
President’s November Message
I had the pleasure of attending the Business and Professional Women (BPW) Provincial Conference Banquet at the end of September. The two-day conference was hosted by the Niagara Falls Chapter which was celebrating its 100th anniversary of working to improve the economic, political, employment and social conditions for women. I was warmly welcomed and so surprised to be introduced feeling very proud of the room’s recognition of our CFUW Chapter. BPW is the founding organization of the CCEW: Canadian Coalition to Empower Women. http://bpwcanada.com/en/ccew/
The Canadian Coalition to Empower Women was formed to advance equality between women and men, girls and boys in Canada; recognizing it is essential to build strong economies, establish more stable and just societies, and improve the quality of life for all women, men and their families in communities across Canada.
This coalition was one of the workshop topics at the CFUW AGM held here in St. Catharines 2016 which I did attend so I was somewhat familiar with how it fits with the UN’s Sustainable Goals and in particular the goals of gender equality.
I met with the Canadian Federation BPW vice president who enlightened me about this coalition and the fact that CFUW has signed the “Statement of Support” .
Our club can sign this important document lending our voice to the growing number of more than 94 leaders from businesses and governments as well as community service organizations that have stepped up to promote gender equality across Canada.
Back at home, I would like to thank our own Program Standing Committee for a wonderful meeting in October. The speaker was Margaret Wente and so many members came out to hear her interesting presentation that the room was full. Our new layout enables members and guests to enjoy the delicious refreshments all evening while enjoying the fellowship around the tables. The November speaker is equally interesting so please come and invite a friend to hear the dynamic indigenous lawyer, Jodie-Lynn Waddilove.
Nancy Ferris-Hostick, CFUW St. Catharines President, 2017-18
December Newsletter
Learn about Laura Elizabeth Newman, 1883-1968, co-founder of CFUW St. Catharines, in the History Corner as presented by our Anniversary100 Liaison Committee and much more . . . .
November Newsletter
CFUW National has a mentorship program to promote cooperation, build net-works, offer support and deepen understanding of women’s empowerment pathways. Read more about this . . . .
October 2016 Newsletter
Community Recognition – CFUW St Catharines received several Recognition Awards this year. Read about them all in our October Newsletter.
President’s September Message
Well, no sooner did my Presidency begin than I was whisked away to two amazing conferences. The first, along with Nancy Ferris-Hostick and Heather Foss, was the Ontario Council 2016 AGM at Hockley Valley Resort on May 13 and 14, put on by CFUW Orangeville and District. This was truly an outstanding experience, one that I still reflect upon often. There were two themes. “To Honour the Truth and Reconcile for the Future” and “To Reduce Poverty in Ontario”. The speakers were on the level of “Ted Talks”, fascinating, entertaining and so informative. We came away with new understandings of the history leading up to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and of the Ontario and International approaches to reducing poverty. And, as if that inspiration was not enough, the food was unbelievably delicious!
On June 23, 24 and 25, the National CFUW AGM & Conference took place at Brock University. How proud I was to be your President, representing the dedication and hard work of our Local Arrangements Committee under the leadership of co-chairs Monique DeJonghe and Gail Neff. It was their inspired idea to hold the conference at Brock which exists today in large part due to the initiative and drive of an exceptional woman, Flora Egerter, a member of The Allanburg Women’s Institute.
This very complex conference with business meetings, breakfast, lunch and dinners, workshops, a banquet and even a play, came off without a hitch, including the controversial discussion and voting on the resolution to remain or not in Graduate Women International (GWI). As you had instructed me, I voted against remaining along with 55% of the delegates. However, change required a 66.6% majority, so the “remain” side won. I will be able to tell you more on this at the September General Meeting, which takes place after the GWI Triennial Conference in Cape Town, South Africa in August.
In all, my first few months as your President have been extremely rewarding and I look forward to this year with enthusiasm. Karen MacKay has put together a marvelous lineup of speakers and there will be some surprises too! So please bring any prospective members to the September meeting where you’ll connect with old friends, meet new friends and sign up for your favourite Interest Groups and Community Activities.
Heather Hall, CFUW St. Catharines President 2016-17