1939 - Convention Report

              T W E N T Y - F I R S T PROVINCIAL CONVENTION 31
REPORT OF DISTRICT No. 1
Mrs. W. R. Roberts, Sexsmith, Director
The Peace River District has three Constituencies: Grande Prairie with
seven Branches, at Grande Prairie, Beaverlodge, Rio Grande, Millarston,
Lymbum, Valhalla ( Busy Bees) and Sexsmith; Peace River Constituency
with ten Branches at Peace River, Grimshaw, Fairview, Berwyn, Griffin
Creek, Hinterland, Whitelaw and three new ones at Clear Hills, Brownvale,
and Callaghan: Grouard Constituency with seven Branches at High Prairie,
Enilda, B i g Meadows, McLennan, Kinuso, Faust and a new Branch at Canyon
Creek known as Wide Canyon. Conferences were held in all Constituencies
both in the summer of 1937 and 1938. Handicraft exhibitions were a feature
of all Conferences. Also we were most pleased and proud to have our
President, Mrs. Stewart, at all these Conferences and are only sorry to
report on one occasion the skies poured in true Peace River fashion, so that
Mrs. Stewart, Mrs. Wishart and myself spent the night on the bridge at
the Little Smoky River. We were later towed up the hill by a faithful team
and arrived weary and worn but in time for the meeting despite the mud
on our clothes. Also on one occasion my husband drove Mrs. Stewart and
myself through roads which were more liquid than solid only to arrive at
our destination i n the very early morning with " no room at the inn." We
considered breaking a plate glass window so that the police would have to
lock us up in the cell but finally decided against it and woke up Mrs. Butler,
who like the good W. I. worker that she is, promptly put her husband out
of his bed on to a couch so that we might sleep. In spite of the rain and mud
we are pleased to report that all Conferences were very well attended, from
80 to 120 women registering at each meeting.
Public Health still leads as an activity among the Branches in the north.
One Branch sends a deaf child to the special school in Winnipeg, several
have purchased equipment for their local hospital, or f o r the district nurse.
Beaverlodge I think merits special mention as they worked very hard to
aid the community in building a hospital. This Branch raised the sum of
$ 644.00 for the hospital which was used in providing an adequate water
supply. One Branch maintains a waiting home for maternity patients living
a distance from the hospital. Seventy- two women have taken advantage of
this service during the past two years. Practically all Branches contributed
to the cancer fund and Grande Prairie raised the grand total of $ 247.15
for the fund. Several Branches sponsor or conduct baby clinics. All re­member
the needy and sick especially at Christmas. Fairview no longer
operate their hospital as the district has been organized as a municipal hos­pital
but they did furnish a complete ward in the new hospital.
Education probably takes second place in the projects undertaken in
the last two years. All Branches report something done for the school even
if it is merely helping with the Christmas concert and treat. Sexsmith
sponsored a move to encourage music appreciation in the school and pur­chased
an orthophonic and records. They also engaged a musical instructor
for the school for a year. Many Branches provide magazines for the school
and some help with a hot lunch. Two Branches are actively engaged in;
founding a public library in their town. They report a large measure of
success and response from the public, one having collected over 500 books
in the few months since this project was undertaken. Fairview have as their
chief work the purchasing, equipping and maintaining of a children's play
ground.
We have only one girls' club in the north— at Grimshaw. Under the
leadership of Mrs. Tomlinson this club is doing very good work.