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The Federated Women’s Institutes of Canada – WI Canada (FWIC), is the national organization that provides a united voice for all Women’s Institutes across Canada while advocating for national directives in health, poverty, food safety, environmental preservation and community support.
This & That, submitted by Elizabeth Rushton
AGNES MACPHAIL - The first female Member of Parliament
I do not want to be the angel of any home. I want for myself what I want for other women,
absolute equality. After that is secured, then men and women can take turns at being angels.
After almost a lifetime in politics at both the Federal and Provincial level, Agnes finally accomplished that with her contribution to the passing of Ontario's first equal pay legislation in 1951.
Agnes Campbell Macphail was born March 24, 1890 in Proton Township, Gray County, Ontario. Apparently, her surname was spelled McPhail at birth, but she discovered during a later trip to Scotland that her family surname had been spelled Macphail and she changed her name to reflect this. She attended Owen Sound Collegiate and Vocational Institute for one year before transferring to Stratford Normal School, from where she graduated with a second-class teacher's certificate. She applied for five positions and was accepted at all five, but later said this was not due to her competency, but to a scarcity of teachers at that time. She taught in several rural Ontario and Alberta schools, but it was while working in Sharon, ON that she became active politically, joining the United Farm Women of Ontario and becoming a columnist for the Farmer's Sun paper.
Federally she became the first female MP in Canada when she was elected as a member of the Progressive Party of Canada for the district of Grey Southeast, going on to be re-elected in the 1925,1926 and 1930 federal elections. In 1924, among other things, she objected to the Royal Military College of Canada on the grounds that it taught snobbishness and provided a cheap education for the sons of the rich and in 1931 she objected to government support for the College as she opposed it on pacifist grounds.
After joining the socialist Ginger Group, a faction of the Progressive Party that later formed the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF). In 1932 she became the first president of the Ontario CCF but left in 1934 when the United Farmers of Ontario pulled out over fears of Communist influence in the Ontario CCF. However she did remain close to them, often joining their caucus meetings and they did not run a candidate against her in her next 3 federal campaigns.
She was again elected in 1935, this time as a United Farmers of Ontario Labour MP for the newly formed Grey-Bruce riding. She worked for many issues, including rural concerns, prison reform and her concern for women in the criminal justice system led her to found the Elizabeth Fry Society in 1939. Other causes she supported included pensions for seniors and workers' rights. She was defeated in the 1940 election and though she ran again under the banner or the Reform Party in a by-election, she was again defeated. This was her last federal campaign as a candidate.
Agnes was the first Canadian woman delegate to the League of Nations in Geneva, where she worked with the World Disarmament Committee. Although she was a pacifist, she voted for Canada to enter the Second World War. She was a frequent contributor to newspapers in Grey County, writing dispatches from Parliament about news of interest to the rural communities as well as several reminiscences about rural Ontario.
Following a family tragedy in her home town, she moved to the Toronto suburb of East York and rejoined the Ontario CCF under which banner she was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for the riding of York East. Along with Rae Luckock she was one of the first women to be elected to the Ontario legislature. Although she was defeated in the 1945 election, she was elected again in 1948, but after the successful passing of the equal pay legislation in 1951she was defeated in an election later that year.
She was eager to see more women in politics and said, "Most women think politics aren't ladylike. Well, I'm no lady. I'm a human being." Agnes never married, devoting her life to supporting her many causes through her involvement in politics. She had supported the Famous Five petition to the Privy Council in England and was a friend of Nellie McClung. She died February 13, 1954 aged 63 and just before she was to have been offered an appointment to the Senate. She is buried in Priceville, Ontario with her parents and one of her two sisters.
She has been widely commemorated with three schools, a park, a playground, a Youth Resource Centre and food bank, a street in East York, Grey County Road 9, a cairn and bronze bust in Hopeville, ON and even an apartment building in Windsor is named Agnes Macphail Manor. In 1993, to markthe 50th anniversary of her election to the Ontario Legislature the then Mayor of East York proclaimed March 24 to be observed annually as Agnes Macphail Day - and, as far as I could tell, that continues to this day. The following year the Agnes Macphail Award was established to recognize a resident of East York who has made outstanding contributions to equal rights and social justice and in 1997 an Agnes Macphail public speaking contest was established for students.
In 1985 she was designated a National Historic Person, in 2005 she was voted the Greatest Ontario Woman and in 2017 she was featured on the Canada 150 commemorative edition of the ten dollar bill, becoming the first woman, other than the Queen, to appear permanently on Canadian currency.
(If you wish to know yet more about Agnes Macphail, check out the Canadian Encyclopedia or Wikepedia, though personally I found the Canadian Encyclopedia more interesting.)
……………………………………..
AGNES MACPHAIL - The first female Member of Parliament
I do not want to be the angel of any home. I want for myself what I want for other women,
absolute equality. After that is secured, then men and women can take turns at being angels.
After almost a lifetime in politics at both the Federal and Provincial level, Agnes finally accomplished that with her contribution to the passing of Ontario's first equal pay legislation in 1951.
Agnes Campbell Macphail was born March 24, 1890 in Proton Township, Gray County, Ontario. Apparently, her surname was spelled McPhail at birth, but she discovered during a later trip to Scotland that her family surname had been spelled Macphail and she changed her name to reflect this. She attended Owen Sound Collegiate and Vocational Institute for one year before transferring to Stratford Normal School, from where she graduated with a second-class teacher's certificate. She applied for five positions and was accepted at all five, but later said this was not due to her competency, but to a scarcity of teachers at that time. She taught in several rural Ontario and Alberta schools, but it was while working in Sharon, ON that she became active politically, joining the United Farm Women of Ontario and becoming a columnist for the Farmer's Sun paper.
Federally she became the first female MP in Canada when she was elected as a member of the Progressive Party of Canada for the district of Grey Southeast, going on to be re-elected in the 1925,1926 and 1930 federal elections. In 1924, among other things, she objected to the Royal Military College of Canada on the grounds that it taught snobbishness and provided a cheap education for the sons of the rich and in 1931 she objected to government support for the College as she opposed it on pacifist grounds.
After joining the socialist Ginger Group, a faction of the Progressive Party that later formed the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF). In 1932 she became the first president of the Ontario CCF but left in 1934 when the United Farmers of Ontario pulled out over fears of Communist influence in the Ontario CCF. However she did remain close to them, often joining their caucus meetings and they did not run a candidate against her in her next 3 federal campaigns.
She was again elected in 1935, this time as a United Farmers of Ontario Labour MP for the newly formed Grey-Bruce riding. She worked for many issues, including rural concerns, prison reform and her concern for women in the criminal justice system led her to found the Elizabeth Fry Society in 1939. Other causes she supported included pensions for seniors and workers' rights. She was defeated in the 1940 election and though she ran again under the banner or the Reform Party in a by-election, she was again defeated. This was her last federal campaign as a candidate.
Agnes was the first Canadian woman delegate to the League of Nations in Geneva, where she worked with the World Disarmament Committee. Although she was a pacifist, she voted for Canada to enter the Second World War. She was a frequent contributor to newspapers in Grey County, writing dispatches from Parliament about news of interest to the rural communities as well as several reminiscences about rural Ontario.
Following a family tragedy in her home town, she moved to the Toronto suburb of East York and rejoined the Ontario CCF under which banner she was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for the riding of York East. Along with Rae Luckock she was one of the first women to be elected to the Ontario legislature. Although she was defeated in the 1945 election, she was elected again in 1948, but after the successful passing of the equal pay legislation in 1951she was defeated in an election later that year.
She was eager to see more women in politics and said, "Most women think politics aren't ladylike. Well, I'm no lady. I'm a human being." Agnes never married, devoting her life to supporting her many causes through her involvement in politics. She had supported the Famous Five petition to the Privy Council in England and was a friend of Nellie McClung. She died February 13, 1954 aged 63 and just before she was to have been offered an appointment to the Senate. She is buried in Priceville, Ontario with her parents and one of her two sisters.
She has been widely commemorated with three schools, a park, a playground, a Youth Resource Centre and food bank, a street in East York, Grey County Road 9, a cairn and bronze bust in Hopeville, ON and even an apartment building in Windsor is named Agnes Macphail Manor. In 1993, to markthe 50th anniversary of her election to the Ontario Legislature the then Mayor of East York proclaimed March 24 to be observed annually as Agnes Macphail Day - and, as far as I could tell, that continues to this day. The following year the Agnes Macphail Award was established to recognize a resident of East York who has made outstanding contributions to equal rights and social justice and in 1997 an Agnes Macphail public speaking contest was established for students.
In 1985 she was designated a National Historic Person, in 2005 she was voted the Greatest Ontario Woman and in 2017 she was featured on the Canada 150 commemorative edition of the ten dollar bill, becoming the first woman, other than the Queen, to appear permanently on Canadian currency.
(If you wish to know yet more about Agnes Macphail, check out the Canadian Encyclopedia or Wikepedia, though personally I found the Canadian Encyclopedia more interesting.)
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Canadian Forensic Nurses, submitted by Lynn MacLean, President FWIC
At the last National Convention, members sustained two resolutions to address victims of sexual violence. The resolutions were:
1. “Be it resolved that Federated Women’s Institutes of Canada initiate a Victim’s Advocacy & Awareness Campaign to increase the knowledge of this Public Health Crisis across Canada and foster the development of a National Forensic Nursing Bursary.”
2. “Be it resolved that Federated Women’s Institutes of Canada call on the Provincial Governments to standardize the Forensic Nurse Examiner/Sexual Assault Forensic Nurse Examiner training across Canada and call on the Federal Government to provide a funding mechanism to support forensic nurses throughout Canada for the safety of all victims of sexual violence.”
To begin working on these resolutions, FWIC was introduced to Liz Louden, the President of the Canadian Forensic Nurses Association, to better understand the challenges forensic nurses face. At the end of the meeting, Liz offered to send us information about the organization and what they are trying to accomplish.
One of the association's challenges is sharing its message not only among nurses but also with the public at large. This will be the first in a series of information from the association.
Canadian Forensic Nurses Association (CFNA) Advancing Forensic Nursing in Canada
About the CFNA
The Canadian Forensic Nurses Association (CFNA) is the national voice for forensic nursing in Canada, committed to enhancing trauma-informed, patient-centered, and evidence-based forensic nursing practices. Forensic nurses provide specialized care to individuals affected by violence, abuse, and trauma while contributing to forensic investigations through evidence collection and expert testimony.
Established in 2006 and rebranded in 2016, the CFNA now represents members across Canada, including Sexual Assault Nurses, Death Investigators, Corrections, and Educators. The association is governed by a volunteer executive board, dedicated to advancing forensic nursing standards and fostering collaboration across healthcare, social services, and justice sectors.
Strengthening Forensic Nursing Services
Forensic nursing plays a critical role in addressing complex issues such as sexual violence, intimate partner violence, elder abuse, child maltreatment, human trafficking, and death investigations.
To strengthen forensic nursing across Canada, CFNA focuses on:
• Developing national forensic nursing standards to ensure consistency in care.
• Enhancing education and professional development to equip forensic nurses with the latest best practices.
• Fostering professional collaboration across the forensic nursing profession.
• Creating community and support for forensic nurses.
At the last National Convention, members sustained two resolutions to address victims of sexual violence. The resolutions were:
1. “Be it resolved that Federated Women’s Institutes of Canada initiate a Victim’s Advocacy & Awareness Campaign to increase the knowledge of this Public Health Crisis across Canada and foster the development of a National Forensic Nursing Bursary.”
2. “Be it resolved that Federated Women’s Institutes of Canada call on the Provincial Governments to standardize the Forensic Nurse Examiner/Sexual Assault Forensic Nurse Examiner training across Canada and call on the Federal Government to provide a funding mechanism to support forensic nurses throughout Canada for the safety of all victims of sexual violence.”
To begin working on these resolutions, FWIC was introduced to Liz Louden, the President of the Canadian Forensic Nurses Association, to better understand the challenges forensic nurses face. At the end of the meeting, Liz offered to send us information about the organization and what they are trying to accomplish.
One of the association's challenges is sharing its message not only among nurses but also with the public at large. This will be the first in a series of information from the association.
Canadian Forensic Nurses Association (CFNA) Advancing Forensic Nursing in Canada
About the CFNA
The Canadian Forensic Nurses Association (CFNA) is the national voice for forensic nursing in Canada, committed to enhancing trauma-informed, patient-centered, and evidence-based forensic nursing practices. Forensic nurses provide specialized care to individuals affected by violence, abuse, and trauma while contributing to forensic investigations through evidence collection and expert testimony.
Established in 2006 and rebranded in 2016, the CFNA now represents members across Canada, including Sexual Assault Nurses, Death Investigators, Corrections, and Educators. The association is governed by a volunteer executive board, dedicated to advancing forensic nursing standards and fostering collaboration across healthcare, social services, and justice sectors.
Strengthening Forensic Nursing Services
Forensic nursing plays a critical role in addressing complex issues such as sexual violence, intimate partner violence, elder abuse, child maltreatment, human trafficking, and death investigations.
To strengthen forensic nursing across Canada, CFNA focuses on:
• Developing national forensic nursing standards to ensure consistency in care.
• Enhancing education and professional development to equip forensic nurses with the latest best practices.
• Fostering professional collaboration across the forensic nursing profession.
• Creating community and support for forensic nurses.
FWIC Aloette Fundraiser Video #4 Primer and Foundation.
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The Newfoundland Welcome, Beverly Ann Bradley District Representative for Central Newfoundland & Labrador
Hospitality Among Members
In May 2025, our branch hosted the Central District meeting in Glovertown, NL. This was my second District meeting (I joined in January 2024) and my first year with our branch hosting. There was a great deal of excitement as we began planning the event.
A subcommittee was formed, and soon we were discussing a theme, meal ideas, decorations, games, and of course, time for socializing!
As I listened to the event being organized, my thoughts turned to hospitality and how this gathering would welcome three other branches, life members, and new members. As a newcomer, I was excited to watch everyone interact, learn more about the history of the Women's Institute, and feel more connected to these amazing women.
Newfoundlanders are well known for our warm hospitality - showing “come-from-aways” a good time, sharing a cup of tea, a yarn, and many of our local traditions. So how would we incorporate that same hospitality among ourselves? Our theme, “Shine a Light,” featured lapel pins that read “Be a light for all to see.” Combined with the beautiful decorations and a delicious meal - complete with homemade cranberry sauce - it created the perfect setting to welcome everyone.
The day was fantastic! I watched old friends greet each other with warm embraces, while others mingled and caught up on family news. The meeting, which included an election of officers, was very informative. It was inspiring to listen to the branch reports and realize all the things we do for our communities, along with the many donations made to help create positive change in the world.
During the meeting, I was nominated for District Representative, and accepted, without fully realizing what the role would involve. Still, I was happy to be part of a group that continues to empower women. I received so much encouragement and support from many of the ladies. One comment that stood out the most came from Agnes Richard. When she heard my name being nominated, she recognized my last name and asked if I was related to Lorna Stuckless. I told her yes; she was my aunt. Agnes shared that Aunt Lorna had been a good Women's Institute friend of hers and said that if I was related to her, I would surely do a great job as District Representative. The day was a great success. It was Newfoundland hospitality at its finest!
P.S.
Here is a copy of the homemade cranberry sauce recipe that was used at our meal (made by our branch secretary Lissa Dionne-Butt)
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
4 cups cranberries
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
Boil sugar and water until the sugar dissolves, add cranberries to pot, let boil, reduce the heat, continue to simmer until the cranberries burst. Add orange zest (optional) and transfer to a dish and ready to serve!
Hospitality Among Members
In May 2025, our branch hosted the Central District meeting in Glovertown, NL. This was my second District meeting (I joined in January 2024) and my first year with our branch hosting. There was a great deal of excitement as we began planning the event.
A subcommittee was formed, and soon we were discussing a theme, meal ideas, decorations, games, and of course, time for socializing!
As I listened to the event being organized, my thoughts turned to hospitality and how this gathering would welcome three other branches, life members, and new members. As a newcomer, I was excited to watch everyone interact, learn more about the history of the Women's Institute, and feel more connected to these amazing women.
Newfoundlanders are well known for our warm hospitality - showing “come-from-aways” a good time, sharing a cup of tea, a yarn, and many of our local traditions. So how would we incorporate that same hospitality among ourselves? Our theme, “Shine a Light,” featured lapel pins that read “Be a light for all to see.” Combined with the beautiful decorations and a delicious meal - complete with homemade cranberry sauce - it created the perfect setting to welcome everyone.
The day was fantastic! I watched old friends greet each other with warm embraces, while others mingled and caught up on family news. The meeting, which included an election of officers, was very informative. It was inspiring to listen to the branch reports and realize all the things we do for our communities, along with the many donations made to help create positive change in the world.
During the meeting, I was nominated for District Representative, and accepted, without fully realizing what the role would involve. Still, I was happy to be part of a group that continues to empower women. I received so much encouragement and support from many of the ladies. One comment that stood out the most came from Agnes Richard. When she heard my name being nominated, she recognized my last name and asked if I was related to Lorna Stuckless. I told her yes; she was my aunt. Agnes shared that Aunt Lorna had been a good Women's Institute friend of hers and said that if I was related to her, I would surely do a great job as District Representative. The day was a great success. It was Newfoundland hospitality at its finest!
P.S.
Here is a copy of the homemade cranberry sauce recipe that was used at our meal (made by our branch secretary Lissa Dionne-Butt)
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
4 cups cranberries
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
Boil sugar and water until the sugar dissolves, add cranberries to pot, let boil, reduce the heat, continue to simmer until the cranberries burst. Add orange zest (optional) and transfer to a dish and ready to serve!
