by Susan Vecchiarelli

As announced at our May 19^th General Meeting, our membership fees for 2026-2027 will remain at $125.  When you receive the e-mail reminder on August 1 to register and pay your dues, please consider including a donation to CFUW K-W Charitable Fund. Simply make one payment ($125 membership fees plus Charitable Fund donation) by e-transfer or cheque; your donation amount will be forwarded to the Charitable Fund and a tax receipt will be issued this fall.

Member donations, investment income, club fundraising (mainly from our Annual Used Book Sale), and memorial donations provide important support to sustain and grow the awards and bursaries that the club has set up to assist local students. The CFUW K-W Charitable Fund provides scholarships, bursaries, and awards to students at our secondary schools, the St. Louis Adult Learning Centre, the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, and Conestoga College. 

For more information, please contact one of the Managing Trustees:  Susan Vecchiarelli (msvecchiarelli@rogers.com) or Janice Reiner (janicelynnreiner@gmail.com).

We met in our new location Knox Presbyterian church for a relaxed evening featuring Ice-cream by Four-all Ice-cream and cup cakes lovingly made by our own Carol Salisbury!

After presenting the proceeds of the book sale to the charitable fund and announcements of the slate of positions filled for next year, we had the pleasure of listening to Jane Mitchell.

Jane is community advocate extraordinaire, former Region of Waterloo Council member and now author.  In her down-to-earth manner, Jane entertained us with stories of her journey from her early days as a part-time librarian at Renison College and day care founder to her long tenures as Waterloo Region District School Board Trustee and Regional Council member, to today, when she has turned her hand to writing murder mysteries. 

Jane is still engaged with regional issues around water usage and development.  Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe joined her at the podium to a spirited discussion around current water challenges.  To close, Jane read tantalizing excerpts from her newly published novel, Bad Council. 

At the April meeting, we were very fortunate to have Dr. Jenna Hennebry, a globally known migration scholar and recognized expert on gender- responsive migration governance and labour migration as our speaker.

The focus of her talk was “Two steps forward, two steps back: the impacts of backsliding on gender equality for women migrants worldwide.”

She spoke about recent research documenting backsliding on gender equality in the context of foreign policy and migration and the UN system and also the fact that Germany and Canada have each recently stepped away from their Feminist Foreign Policy.

Dr. Hennebry pointed out that even world problems such as poverty, and climate change are affected by gender inequality. 

Since so many women migrants are not given the opportunity to get an education, often their only path is to be a domestic with no benefits and are often paid “under the table.”

It is appropriate that one of the resolutions to be voted on at the CFUW National conference I entitled, Response to the Education Crisis in Afghanistan.

At our March 17, 2026 General Meeting, (one year since its official opening, March 13, 2025) about 50 CFUW KW members met in the large, bright meeting room at the Southwest Library, KPL's newest location, 100 Rosenberg Way. This is a very special library! It won the Great Places Award from the city of Kitchener for their best practices of sustainable design. The Southwest Library is the first net-zero public building in Waterloo Region and is one of the first public libraries in Canada with a NetZero designation. 

Amanda Wiley, Area Manager for both Pioneer Park and The Southwest Library branches, was actually involved in the original planning way back in 2006. She met with us to talk about the net-zero features and how they teamed up with the Six Nations of the Grand River and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation for their input. She pointed out the test kitchen beside us and the special window markings, designed to prevent birds from flying into the windows.

The highlight of the visit was the tour of the library led by Amanda.

We saw first hand how the consultation with the Indigenous partners influenced the design in the choice of the circle motifs, the use of the colour purple, and the wood based art work. As we viewed the recording studio, Amanda pointed out the musical instruments library members can use for free. Another unique feature was the helmets, roller skates and safety pads available, also at no cost, for KPL members to use.

Along the wall of the welcoming Sunroom, facing the outdoors, we were able to view "The Canadian Library", the project supported by our club and put together by the Indigenous Issues Study Circle interest group, with the help of several other members. The bookcase holds 120 books wrapped in beautiful, colourful fabric with patterns created by Indigenous artists. Each book has a name that is embossed in gold letters on the spine. These names are from a long list of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2 Spirits.

Outside, through the swirling snow, we could see the raised beds dedicated to a learning garden as well as another food garden. Some of the plantings have deep roots in Indigenous history, like the "Three Sisters": a traditional companion planting of corn, beans, and squash. The gardens support the teaching kitchen, providing fresh veggies and herbs for cooking programs offered by the library.

More than just a building, this library is a true community anchor. It represents what is possible when a passion for bringing people together is combined with the very best in sustainable design.

Advocacy Highlights for February 2026:

• “Finding Hope Despite the Despair:  Moving forward to end gender-based violence”, CFUW Perth & District’s January General Meeting speaker, Pamela Cross;
• Upcoming Ontario Council Speaker Series event “AI:  Artificial Intelligence and Education”, Feb. 21 via Zoom;
• 2026 Ontario Council and National CFUW Resolutions.

Canadian feminist lawyer and author Pamela Cross spoke to CFUW Perth & District on January 19 about “Finding Hope Despite the Despair: Moving forward to end gender-based violence (GBV)”. Susan Vecchiarelli and Lisa Warmerdam attended via Zoom and learned about recent developments, some long fought for, that do give Pamela hope. Federal Bill C-16, The Protecting Victims Act, is expected to go to second reading this month. It would make femicide a first-degree crime and criminalize coercive control.  Also going into second reading is private member’s bill C-223 which would expand the excellent 2021 updates to the Divorce Act by making screening for family violence mandatory for all lawyers involved in family law as well as including a list of myths and stereotypes around family violence right in the Divorce Act. Consider reading Pamela’s 2024 book  “And Sometimes They Kill You:  Confronting the Epidemic of Intimate Partner Violence”.  

Upcoming Ontario Council Speaker Series:

“AI: Artificial Intelligence and Education”, the topic of Ontario Council’s speaker series on Saturday, February 21^st from 10:00 am to noon is open for registration: https://cfuwontcouncil.org/standing-committees/

Reviewers for the 2026 Resolutions are needed. Individuals and teams will look at the resolutions and their intents, background materials, and bibliographies. Recommendations to support the resolutions or not will be presented to club members. The decisions of our members will direct our club’s voting delegate at the upcoming Ontario Council and National AGMs in May and July respectively. Ontario Council’s resolutions will be published February 15; April 1 is the deadline to receive amendments.  CFUW National’s Resolutions will be published in the March 6 Club Action Newsletter; the deadline for receiving amendments is April 30^th. Please contact our Vice-President, Anne Strickland, at rtrez0402@gmail if you are interested in reviewing a resolution.

 - Kristin Culligan

We’re excited to share some wonderful news from the Tiny Home Takeout Community Closet! Thanks to the generosity from our last meeting the closet recently received over 250 essential items, each one a tiny but powerful act of care. Items like these may seem simple, but they make a world of difference for people accessing the Community Closet.

More than just supplies, these 250 items represent dignity, comfort, and compassion. The Community Closet is a welcoming, judgment-free space where anyone can access what they need — no ID, no referral, just care and respect.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this possible. Your kindness reminds our neighbours that they are seen, supported, and valued. Together, we’re building a stronger and more caring community one tiny act at a time.

~ Anita Davis

It is extremely challenging to do justice to Dr. Strickland’s talk and presentation – After all she is one of the very few female professionals who has been awarded a Noble Prize.  We are blessed with having her in our own backyard.

Dr. Strickland’s credentials are amazing:  As a distinguished Professor in the Dept. of  Physics and Astronomy at the University of Waterloo, in 2018, Dr Strickland was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, for her ground-breaking inventions in high-intensity laser physics. I had not made the connection between laser physics and laser cataract surgery, which  I have had, and even laser treatment on my toes!  It was great to hear how she attempted to bring science this down to earth; the pin men sketches helped! 

Donna shared the fascinating science behind her prestigious award and took us on a  vivid   behind-the-scenes look at her unforgettable Nobel Prize week in Stockholm, Sweden.  Donna was engaging, down to earth and amusing.  Donna took us on a journey to Stockholm: the hunt for a formal dress, which stole the show.  The briefings on protocol and etiquette and being escorted into the formal dinner by the King of Sweden is something Donna will never forget.  It was refreshing to hear that the King was extremely charming and down to earth.

Donna is a wonderful example of what women can do in the field of science.  I worked in a high-tech company, where 4 decades ago, we hired two young women who had just graduated with degrees in Engineering from McMaster and Waterloo Universities.   Back then, this was an amazing accomplishment.

It wasn’t too many decades ago, when CFUW, and teachers in academia were encouraging girls to go into mathematics and engineering.  CFUW can be proud of having had a vision, for over 100 years, to encourage young women to attend University.   CFUW continues to award scholarships towards that aim.

A very special thank you to Roberta Hickey who worked with the staff at Golf’s Steak House to organize the venue, the meal, and the extra seating and a thank you to Peggy Rose and the CFUW KW Program Committee.

Author, editor and teacher Susan Scott was our special guest presenter at our January 20^th General Meeting.  In her engaging talk, Susan helped us understand how we might go about what some call writing our memoirs and what Susan encouraged us to think of as telling our stories.  She spoke about how to not only recount the details of our stories, but how to express those everyday epiphanies and hard-to-voice experiences that often go unsaid. As Club member Sophie Wilson articulated in her thank you remarks, “Susan gave us  a full and energizing exploration of memoir.  She told us how to go about writing our own stories, with practical concrete advice, and gave us examples of books to read on the topic. She shared stories about how she herself learned about writing memoirs and the craft of storytelling from her 93-year-old aunt and holocaust survivors she interviewed at the start of her career.   

“And most of all, Susan inspired us to find our own voices.  She urged us to remember that if we have a story to tell, someone needs to hear our story.  Our stories change people.” 

by Janice Reiner

I was happy to attend one of the graduation ceremonies at the St. Louis Adult Learning & Continuing Education Centre on November 8th, to give out two of the Hildegard Marsden Awards. It was held at St. Mary Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows Roman Catholic Church – and it was a full house! Lots of excited graduates and their families were there to celebrate, and it was heartwarming to witness.

I presented one of the awards along with our congratulations to Kira DeGraaf, who was also the Valedictorian that evening. She is a mother of 2 children, and it took every minute of her time and attention to juggle family, a part-time night shift job, and a full-time in-person class schedule. She is now continuing along a path to become a Registered Nurse.

The second award recipient is Heba Adam, who unfortunately was unable to attend the ceremony. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Applied Biotechnology, with plans to focus on genetic engineering. Congratulations to Heba, as well!

Marg Fannon attended the school’s second graduation ceremony the following week, to give out another Marsden award to Eva Przybyla.

Please let Janis Randall Simpson know if you are interested in attending any graduation ceremonies to give out awards on behalf of our club.

Local community partners emphasize the 5D Active Bystander Model for safe intervention when witnessing problematic or harmful situations:

1. Distract: Interrupt the situation indirectly. This could involve spilling a drink "accidentally," asking the person causing harm an unrelated question, or creating a commotion to break the flow of potential harm.
2. Delegate: Ask for help from a third party or someone in a position of authority, such as a store manager, bouncer, or bus driver. You can also ask others nearby to assist, as there is safety in numbers.
3. Document: Record the incident with video, audio, or notes, but only if safe to do so. Always ask the person being harmed what they want done with the documentation before posting or sharing it, as a lack of consent can cause further harm.
4. Direct: Directly respond to the harm by naming it (e.g., "That's not okay" or "Leave them alone") or showing disapproval with body language (frowning, crossing arms). Assess the situation for safety first, as direct intervention can sometimes escalate the situation.
5. Delay: Check in with the person who experienced the harm after the incident. Offer support, acknowledge that it was not their fault, and help them find resources. This can prevent self-blame and reduce trauma.

The primary principle is to prioritize your own safety and the safety of others. There is a difference between feeling uncomfortable and feeling unsafe; trust your instincts.