This week’s article will not preface with a local event that hundreds attended. It will address a local organization that has worked tirelessly as part of the local fabric of our community and, much like many of our service organizations, is in great danger of becoming obsolete unless younger citizens come forward to continue the work it has provided for almost a century in the South Okanagan.
The Oliver Women’s Institute celebrated its 90th birthday last year with a community picnic and spent time reminiscing back in 1922 when the area was opened up for agriculture for veterans of the First World War and other people hoping to find a better life for their families.
Helen Overnes, longtime president of the Women’s Institute, said that the group, exclusively women, would meet once a month to discuss concerns and issues about the community and what they could do about it.
For example, she said the concern back then was there was no health care to speak of, just one doctor in the community.
“There was no hospital, no welfare, no employment insurance, so we felt something had to be done,” she stated.
The Women’s Institute has branches located in communities throughout the province, and offers opportunities for women to become informed on a variety of family and community issues, for community action and involvement, for personal development, and for networking with other women.
“Once a month we meet and discuss a chosen topic, sometimes a guest speaker, and many other activities depending on the will of the group,” says Helen. “We are a grassroots organization that talk to women, support women and their needs, and at times then present issues through the proper channels to try to make change.”
Since its inception in our area in 1922, the Oliver Women’s Institute has been involved in 33 projects which included providing ongoing education for women, sending Red Cross parcels and knitting for servicemen in the Second World War, helping establish the Fairview School for the mentally challenged, and presenting the need to keep the birthing unit open at the South Okanagan General Hospital.
Their most recent plight which has spanned close to a decade has been to establish more affordable housing in Oliver.
The Institute, who came up with their own data collection in 2004 on the topic, spurred Town council to do a combined Affordable Housing Study with Osoyoos back in 2009. An Affordable Housing Strategy was then adopted by council, but as far as the Women’s Institute is concerned, nothing has been done yet.
“They said they’re waiting to see what developers will do, but that’s not good enough. More working poor are using the local food bank, which is just not right,” Helen claims. “The Women’s Institute, after almost a decade of research, lobbying and discussion, believes that a non-profit affordable housing society needs to be formed to set up a trust account and work towards future community projects, including opportunities to partner with the Penticton college and perhaps Habitat for Humanity – the problem of affordable housing will not simply go away on its own.”
The biggest challenge that the Oliver Women’s Institute currently faces is the lack of new members to carry on the plight for women’s issues and concerns in the South Okanagan.
“Over the last 20 years, we have lost many of our old time members,” she said. “In difficult times, we have always managed to have growth in our membership, but that has changed. Young people now communicate through new technology.”
Helen argues that this form of gathering of the minds is not the same.
“It is very necessary to have interests outside of a home – a support group where you congregate, learn, and contribute as a collective group. A wide range of ages is beneficial to the whole group, as the younger members can show us how to use technology, and help spread the word of what we do and the impact we can make on women and their families. The idea that we have tea parties, are not educated, or work for the community is a misconception,” she stated emphatically.
Helen’s plea of needing the younger generation to take on the torch is not an unrealistic one, nor one that our community hasn’t heard of before. The difference, in this writer’s opinion, is that the Oliver Women’s Institute has such potential to continue to be a force, to be the voice of a targeted audience – women – and have their interests validated, consolidated, and heard.
We have a strong social women’s network that already exists for Oliver via social media, the “Oliver Moms R Us” on Facebook where items are sold and purchased, and advice is solicited and exchanged.
One can only fathom if this group of 350 members actually met, started to discuss and lobby for community issues, wants and needs.
The potential of this group, all women and most of them mothers, is staggering and untapped with regards to being heard at a municipal and provincial level.
A group of this magnitude has the opportunity to have a unified voice – one that can carry political clout and move collective concerns and visions forward much like the Oliver Women’s Institute has done in the last century.
The Oliver Women’s Institute, although hoping for new members to keep their organization alive, I think would take solace in knowing that any group of women, regardless what they choose to call themselves, will continue to be the collective voice for women’s issues.
It makes one wonder then that perhaps the tragedy is not failing at trying to make a difference in the lives of those around you, but having the capability of achieving greatness, and not knowing.
The AGM for the Oliver Women’ Institute is November 9, and based on its membership, will decide if it will be their last.
So wondering what’s coming up that you can take a break from your schedule and check out?
Thurs Oct. 23 – V-Day meeting at OIB Resource Centre 7 pm
Tues Oct. 28 – CBC North By Northwest – CBC taping of the weekend morning show will take place at the Frank Venables Theatre at 3 pm – free admission
Friday Oct. 31 – Oliver Scareview at the Community Centre – 6-8 pm by donation
Tues Nov. 3 – All-candidates forum at Frank Venables Theatre, 7-10 pm
Life is hectic and everyone is busy. Take the time to get out and about, and enjoy what is around you – you’ll be glad you did.
Marji Basso
Special to the Chronicle
