Winter 2025

CFUW STRATFORD

December Newsletter

In this issue:

 

  • President's Message
  • Our Fabulous Seasonal Celebration
  • Our November Meeting
  • Advocacy
  • Interest Groups
  • Extra! Extra!
  • Contact Information

President's Message
 

Welcome to December in the snowbelt! It may play havoc with traffic and our plans, but Stratford in the snow is undeniably lovely.

What a great November meeting! Kim Anderson was a wonderful, insightful speaker. Apologies for the very long Business portion – 68 minutes! – but our busy Advocacy groups wowed me with all that they do in this community. I am so grateful to be part of such an active, generous club. Grandmothers indeed!

Speaking of generous, thank you to all for the Emily Murphy donations – Lisa Wilde was absolutely thrilled and thankful - we actually needed a moving dolly to get everything inside! And, as is now becoming tradition, we will also be collecting gift cards on December 4th – the details are below under Extra! Extra!

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence launched on November 25th, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Until December 10th, Human Rights Day, our CFUW Stratford Facebook and Instragram will feature posts and calls to action to raise awareness, challenge harmful attitudes and behaviours, and call for better policies and support services. Please follow our accounts if you have not already.

After two years of leading the Montreal Massacre remembrance flag service at City Hall, CFUW Stratford is happily passing the torch. The City of Stratford recently adopted a new Flag Policy, acknowledging the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women every year going forward. This year, the day is Friday December 5th, and we will gather at 8:15ish for the 8:30am flag raising. Please wear purple or your white ribbon if you can.

Finally, do remember to RSVP for our December luncheon and book sale. It is always fun and festive, and the sale is a fundraiser for Scholarship.

Hoping to see everyone on December 13th, but if not, have a wonderful holiday and New Year!

Cambria Ravenhill
President 2025/26

Our Fabulous Seasonal Celebration!

🌲Lunch will include a full buffet including salads, turkey with all the trimmings, dessert and coffee/tea. The cost at $44.11 already includes tax and gratuity!  Meals to be paid by members at the luncheon.

 

🌲Please comb your book shelves for used book offerings for that day's book sale. Please no large reference books, encyclopedias etc. Proceeds from the book sale will go to our scholarship fund.

🌲Last year members were invited to share their reasons for continued membership in CFUW. This year you are being invited to share a brief anecdote about the most memorable Christmas gift you ever gave or received.

🌲Don't forget to bring food and gift certificates for the children at the Emily Murphy Centre outlined in EXTRA! EXTRA!

Please RSVP by DECEMBER 2nd to Marg Thompson

Our November Meeting 

Dr. Kim Anderson is introduced and welcomed by Ruth Symons with a traditional offering of tobacco. Dr. Anderson is a Métis writer and Professor in the Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition at the University of Guelph. She holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Relationality and Storied Practice.

In a tremendously engaging talk, Kim spoke of the "Grandmothers" who had influenced her with their wisdom and generosity. Her current project is the creation of Nokom’s House, a land-based research lab in the U of Guelph Arboretum that will connect Indigenous scholars to explore questions of relationship in an interdisciplinary research environment.

Our business meeting was full of the many Advocacy actions our club undertakes, our scholarship donation goals, as well as announcements and updates on our special social and fundraising events. 

Advocacy 

Climate Change Action Committee

We will be meeting with the City's new CAO to seek idling by-law signs at every school. 

Stratford Today has offered to run information pieces about the resources we have on the CCAC webpage. (Thanks Sue and Norah Jean) Watch for Idling and Plastic Alternatives to start in Stratford Today online.

We are completing an update of a native plant wholesalers list which we plan to take to local nurseries to encourage them to stock native plants for insects and the food chain. That will take place in January/February 2026. (Thanks Wendy and Marylu)

We are also planning a visit to an upcoming CCAC meeting by Emily Skelding, Waste Management Coordinator to clarify the changes in recycling. Please send any questions you have to Pat Reavy. 

You are encouraged to write to the Provincial Government re: Bill 5 (repealbill5.ca) and also the recent plan to consolidate Conservation Authorities.  Our fantastic Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) will be subsumed in a HUGE Lake Erie area that will greatly reduce local connection, education, and service. Your voice is needed!  Environmental Registry open for comment until December 22,2025.

Proposed boundaries for the regional consolidation of Ontario’s conservation authorities

General Advocacy Group

At our November Meeting, Cambria read an official CFUW Stratford letter directed to our MPP Matthew Rae. It referenced our national Water Resolution of 2001. We called upon him to:

  • Immediately rescind the permit granted to White Wolf Management / Ice River Springs
  • Reinstate public and Indigenous consultation for all water bottling permits.
  • Commit to ending all bottled water extraction in Ontario.
  • Invest in real, just, and regenerative solutions to ensure safe water for all, including long-term infrastructure in Indigenous communities.

Water is for life not for private profit.

Sheila notes that when we talk about advocacy, it's important to link it to our  Adopted Resolutions: 

cfuw.org/assets/pdf/Adopted+Resolutions+2025/

Indigenous Rights Learning and Advocacy Group

Join us at the Little Prince Theatre, an intimate 12 seat movie theatre, 62 Wellington Street, Stratford. 

Our December 9th offering will be Trick or Treaty? This NFB film made history as the first film by an Indigenous filmmaker to be part of the Masters section at TIFF. 
Guests are welcome. If interested please email Co-Chair Pat Reavy or 519-273-0176

Prevention of Violence Against Women

Our Prevention of Violence Against Women Committee renews this year's campaign with the above poster. It stongly urges all members of society to take action against abuse and delivers a QR code to scan for free training!

Part 1: We will be putting this poster up throughout Stratford and Perth County.

Part 2:  We are hosting a Panel Discussion on Domestic Violence at Stratford City Hall on January 29th, 2026 at 7 pm. This promises to be an enormously informative session!

 

Panelists will include:  

  • Gwen Lamont author of The View from Coffin Ridge A Childhood Exhume
  • Lisa Wilde Executive Director of the Emily Murphy Centre
  • Cst Darren Fischer, Community Resource and Media Relations Officer Stratford Police Service

Tickets are free but order online. Information will be provided in the January newsletter.

Interest Groups

Excursions 

How adorable is this! On October 30th, our group got to walk and pet the most darling alpacas at the TLC Alpaca Farm.
Our next excursion will be at the Art of Ideas Gallery in St-Marys on Monday, December 8 at 10:30 The cost is $25 Please confirm by Friday, November 28th.

The Gourmet Group

Mmmm...Sweet Potato Chili Lime Soup. The theme was Fall comfort food.

Each member takes turns hosting on the first Thursday of the month. The hostess selects the theme and supplies the main dish. Everyone else contributes all the rest. A delicious way to get to know each other! There are two openings. Please contact Mary Fisher.

The Prize Book Club

Great Gillers! Our group believed that the winner would be " The Tiger and the Cosmonaut" by Eddy Boudel Tan. Instead, Souvankham Thammavongsa once again took home the $100,000 prize. This time for her first novel, "Pick a Colour". Yes, a really good read as well.

Quilting Plus

 

Kate made and gifted this quilt to the first patient in our brand new Chemo Suite at Stratford General Hospital.


Here is Norah-Jean Perkin crocheting poppies for the November 11th display in Stratford.


Nancy is proud of her first quilted cushion all done by hand.

 

Extra! Extra!

Join Leora at The Livery Yard at 104 Downie St, Stratford on Thursday, December 4th at 2pm to drop off your gift certificates for the Emily Murphy Centre.

Support for the Emily Murphy Centre

A Second Stage Housing Facility for women and their children

Food Drive at monthly meetings we will again be collecting food items most needed: coffee and tea, ketchup and mustard, school snacks, Kraft dinner, Mr. Noodles, shampoo and conditioner, body wash, toilet paper, soup ( except tomato), tinned meat (tuna, salmon, ham and chicken) fruit and fruit cocktail, laundry soap, bleach and dryer sheets.

Christmas Gift Cards for teens. 
Please plan to bring these to our Holiday Lunch and Book Sale. They have 10 children between the ages of 13 and 17 and gift cards are a huge hit. Suggestions: Amazon, Walmart, EB games, Giant Tiger, Indigo, and Canadian Tire. Gift cards that exceed expectations for the teens are given to the moms :-)

Contact Information

Our website https://cfuwstratford.ca

General inquiries president@cfuwstratford.ca     

Membership membership@cfuwstratford.ca                                                                            
For inquiries to our treasurer or email transfer: cfuwstratfordtreasurer@gmail.com 

For donations to the scholarship fund: scholarshipfundcfuwstratford@gmail.com

Visit us on Facebook - CFUW Stratford: Cfuw Stratford

Newsletter submissions - bgsymons@gmail.com  or newsletter@cfuwstratford.ca

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