Members of the Oliver Women’s Institute reminisce on the community stage during the 90th birthday celebration August 18. From left are Maria Duarte, Marie Bourgh, Heather Pitts, Ruth Gregoire, acting mayor Maureen Doerr, and Women’s Institute president Helen Overnes. Missing from photo is Debbie Au.
Lyonel Doherty photo
The squeaky wheel gets the grease, and for 90 years the Oliver Women’s Institute has kept a lot of grease manufacturers in business.
“They make a lot of noise, and I’m proud of what the group has done,” said member Ruth Gregoire during the institute’s 90th birthday celebration August 18.
Gregoire was one of 25 people who attended the event at the Oliver Community Stage, where participants lauded the institute’s accomplishments.
Gregoire said women of today are not the women they used to be. Since being educated, many women are now “bringing home the bacon,” she pointed out. “We’re not the docile creatures we used to be years ago.”
But sadly, children do not have the role models they once had, and families are falling apart, with children on the streets, Gregoire said.
William Overnes, the son of institute president Helen Overnes, said the group has done many things to improve the quality of life in Oliver. “It’s a shame there are no young people here (at the event),” he pointed out.
William said it’s important for younger people to carry on the work of the institute in order to push for change.
“There’s no unified voice,” he noted.
Local resident Eileen Bendixsen expressed her admiration for the institute, adding she hopes someone takes over for Helen when she can no longer lead the group.
“I’d love to see it continue.”
Elaine Steinke, a member of the Rock Creek Women’s Institute, wondered how many positive changes would have been made if not for women pushing for them. For example, crosswalks in the community, and the promotion of natural, healthy foods as opposed to genetically modified foods.
“We need groups like this to speak up and voice opinions for the general public.”
Garth Dixon from Grand Forks said the Women’s Institute has its fingers in many pies, calling the women “silent behind-the-scenes pushers.”
Dixon said it would be nice to get some young people involved to start a new legacy.
Helen Overnes gave a brief history of the Oliver group, which started in 1922 with 15 women who met every month.
She said the concern back then was there was no healthcare 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, and the men weren’t going to do it.”
Overnes said there was a community centre in 1922, along with a pharmacy, a butcher, grocer, a hotel, bank and a Shell station.
Transportation was done via horseback, and the mail courier used to leave his bag in a tree in Okanagan Falls, waiting for the next courier to take it to Oliver, Overnes said.
Members of the Oliver Women’s Institute listed 33 projects that the group has been involved in over the years. They include the following:
Organized social events in the community hall and purchased a piano for the facility
Housed a lending library in a local café
Purchased playground equipment
Provided ongoing education for women
Established Crippled Children’s Hospital
Gave clothing and food hampers to the poor
Established a hospital fund
Furnished a public health unit
Supported St. Martin’s Hospital built in 1942
Sent Red Cross parcels and knitted for servicemen in the Second World War
Raised funds for South Okanagan Neurological Society (for disabled children)
Helped establish Fairview School for the mentally challenged
Established a bursary for graduating students
Requested “zebra” stripes at the pedestrian crossing on Highway 97
Researched the need for a traffic light at Similkameen Avenue and Highway 97
Presented the need to keep the birthing unit open at South Okanagan General Hospital
Prompted Interior Health to provide a speech pathologist for preschoolers in Oliver
Overnes said their latest project is to establish more affordable housing (100 units) in Oliver. She noted the institute has pressed Town council to come up with a strategy towards this, but nothing has been done yet.
“They said they’re waiting to see what developers will do, but that’s not good enough.”
Overnes said more working poor are using the local food bank, which is just not right.
Lyonel Doherty
Oliver Chronicle
