The Canadian Federation of University Women has been in Yorkton for 60 years in 2014, and in that time has been an integral part of the community, supporting a wide range of causes and the education of local young women through scholarships. To celebrate the 60 year anniversary of the group, they are holding a celebration on October 18.
Eileen Harvey, CFUW Yorkton president, says that the group has been focused on improving the area from its inception, whether that was advocating for the establishment of the Parkland Library and Kindergarten in schools many years ago, or more recent efforts such as a forum on affordable senior's housing or advocating for missing and murdered aboriginal women, sparked by the Tina Fontaine case.
"We focus on trying to improve women's education and their status in society, promoting their equality."
One of the programs which the CFUW has been heavily involved in was lobbying for a recycling program within the city, and Harvey says that this has been one of the big success stories for the group.
"We were instrumental in getting that going, and we received national recognition for our efforts on that."
The world has changed significantly since the group began, with more women in careers that previously would not have been open to them, as well as more women in public leadership roles. However, she says that while it's better than it was when the group was formed, there is still a lot of work to be done, and she notes that evidence can be found in the relatively small number of women in parliament or in the country's top CEOs. It's the club's goal, both on a local and a national level, to promote women advancing in those roles.
Harvey says that it's important to realize just how much has changed since the club's inception, and even in the past 30 years. She says that it can be a struggle to connect to young women, who haven't lived without the advances groups like the CFUW have worked to achieve.
"A lot of work has been done, but there's still a lot of work to do and improve."
The event itself will feature the Canadian president Doris Mae Oulton as its keynote speaker. Oulton has held a number of key positions both within the group and in her career overall, and Harvey says that she anticipates it being a great speech and that Oulton is someone they are proud to call the national president.
The supper celebration will be at the St. Mary's Cultural Center on October 18, beginning at 5:00 p.m. and is $30 per person. For tickets to this event contact Harvey at 306-782-5037 or Elsie at 306-783-4862.
