Spring 2026 CFUW STRATFORD | In this issue: - President's Message
- International Women's Day
- April Meeting
- March Resolutions Meeting
- Advocacy
- Scholarship
- Interest Groups
- GWI
- Special Events
- Contact Information
| President's Message
To begin, a huge thank you to our CFUW members for supporting the very successful International Women’s Day Breakfast on March 7th. Many of you purchased tables, and came with friends and neighbours. Others gave generously of your time as volunteers - planning, postering, and welcoming our guests on the day. It was wonderful, and we could not have done it without your help. Congratulations to Wendy McNaughton and team for all of your hard work! Our Scholarship Committee has already received generous donations from some guests, and our speaker, and we will be presenting the final fundraising cheque at our May AGM. Speaking of our May AGM, remember that it will be held on Tuesday, May 19th at the Stratford Country Club when Judy Maddren will be our guest speaker. We will be in touch once menu selections have become available. Unfortunately, March also brought a spam email that circulated within the club. I am hoping it has disappeared by now, but please stay vigilant in your digital security. The emails appeared to come from someone in CFUW or someone known to the recipient. They had an attachment or link or an “evite”, which, when opened, compromised the receiver’s email, and then sent spam to those in that address book. Yuck! If you receive any email with an such an attachment, leave it unopened. Don’t click! Contact the sender to confirm the email's validity. Let’s all stay safe. This month we are welcoming award-winning educator Christine Ritsma to speak about youth leadership and the environment. A reminder that we will also be voting at the April meeting on two Motions presented at the March meeting; a Bylaw addition to our CFUW Stratford Constitution to outline our relationship with the Scholarship committee, and a proposed new scholarship for St. Michael's put forward by Scholarship. Finally, Gallery Stratford, in partnership with CFUW member Deanna Horton, is hosting a trip to the ROM in Toronto to visit the groundbreaking East Asian collection exhibit, SHOKKAN - Material Encounters in Japanese Art. If you would like to join the tour, details are below. I look forward to seeing everyone in April, and NOT having to contend with snow! Cambria Ravenhill
President 2025/26 | International Women's Day | Upcoming Meeting - Tues, April 28, 2026 at 7pm | 🌿 Grassroots Green:
How Youth-Led Action Shapes Our Future Guest Speaker: Christine Ritsma | Change doesn’t have to wait for Parliament Hill. Drawing on insights from David Suzuki and real projects led by the Stratford District Secondary School Eco-Club, Christine Ritsma will share how students are driving environmental change in their school and community—demonstrating that meaningful action begins at the local level. | Christine Ritsma retired this year after more than 40 years in education, beginning in museums before joining the Avon Maitland District School Board in 1990 and later teaching special education and history at Northwestern Secondary School. In 2019, she co-founded the Board’s first Green Industries program, giving students hands-on experience in agriculture, horticulture, and environmental stewardship. Her work has been recognized with the 2024 Baillie Award for Excellence in Secondary School Teaching from Queen’s University and the 2025 Upper Thames River Conservation Authority Inspiration Award, shared with the student-led Eco-Club, which she continues to co-advise in retirement. | | March Meeting - National Resolutions Night! For a number of us, this is our favourite meeting of the year. We were able to discuss the two national resolutions and one Ontario resolution seated within easy conversation at two tables each. These were circulated by email to members on March 18th. The consensus was that this year's resolutions were extremely well written, researched, and very timely! CFUW Stratford certainly endorsed all three. In particular, Leora Rissin spoke to Resolution #1, CANADIAN RESPONSE TO THE EDUCATION CRISIS IN AFGHANISTAN which was proposed by CFUW-Ottawa. She herself is involved with the Ottawa group which is now tutoring a number of Afghani women and spoke movingly of their need. A number of our members were interested in learning more. They are invited to contact Karen Shiegeishi Waite at vkaren.shigeishiwaite@gmail.com. Should you wish to make a tax receiptable donation to this UWHAW project in Ottawa for the purchase of computers for Afghani Women, you can do so through Right to Learn Afghanistan. For further information: info@righttolearn.ca. | Climate Change Advocacy Group | CCAC is delighted to be approaching the conclusion of two major projects. Thanks to Marylu Moyer, Carrie Stevens and many folk who trooped out to local nurseries, all local nurseries and landscapers have now received the updated Native Plants Wholesalers List. We have also nearly completed a survey of where no idling signs are needed at local schools, following which we will be meeting with Autumn Loosemore, the Climate Change Manager, to discuss installation of additional signs. | We are now preparing for the Earth Day Street Party on April 25th at Factory 163, 11:30-2PM where we will be highlighting the Sustainable Shopping Cart (Come and join the fun and excellent exhibits!) We have also been invited to take part in the City celebration of World Migratory Bird Day, May 9th at the Destination Stratford Lobby on Downie from 1-4 PM. We will be showcasing our beautiful wildflower painting by Patsy Berton, along with materials supporting habitat gardening. We're looking forward to an outing around the Orr Street Storm Ponds to see the native plants and wildlife. New Word: Ankose', an Anishinaabe word for everything is connected. | | Scholarship There is a new CFUW Stratford Scholarship to presented to a student at St. Michael's Secondary School: an Athletics and Wellness Award to the female student who has contributed in a significant way to sports and wellness. She will have demonstrated leadership, coachability and integrity. We will also be voting to discontinue the two Zonta scholarships that were presented to each high school as our three-year funding commitment will be completed. Final donation amounts from the International Women's Day Breakfast and generous individual donors will be announced later. | Our DNA Group has been making great strides through this winter! A few have found missing family members! We've worked on the "dot" method of sorting matches and reviewed workshops that were offered at RootsWeb this spring. | An American in Paris Tuesday, April 21st at 4:00pm Join us at The Little Prince Cinema, 62 Wellington St., Stratford. Space is limited, so please RSVP to Leora Risin each month. Cost: $12.00 pp to be paid at the door. | | Saturday Breakfast Social | Starting the weekend at the Stratford Country Club On Saturday, March 28th, there were nine members that attended. The food was delicious! | | Three GWI National Federations and Associations (NFA) to host “Climate Mitigation: Peatlands of the World” Conversation
Co-hosted by Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) North Delta/Surrey, Graduate Women Scotland (GWS), and the Paraguay Federation of University Women, this online conversation titled “Climate Mitigation: Peatlands of the World” will take place virtually on 23 April 12:00 pm EST. The discussion will feature Eliza Olsen of the Peatlands Protection Society and CFUW North Delta/Surrey (B.Ed., Simon Fraser University; Honorary Doctorate, KPU), and Catriona Sutherland (GWS), Past Chair of GWI Policy Resolutions. They will explore the vital role of peatlands in climate mitigation and the urgent need to protect these ecosystems, while highlighting international efforts and encouraging dialogue on sustainable solutions. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with the speakers. GWI members and guests are encouraged to register in advance.
Register HERE. Please see the flyer below for more information. Note: This event has been rescheduled from 26 March. | Gallery to Gallery: Royal Ontario Museum Join us on Tuesday, May 5th as we travel from Gallery Stratford to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto to view...... SHOKKAN - Material Encounters in Japanese Art This groundbreaking ROM-original exhibition explores the profound connection between Japanese objects and the human sense of touch, known as shokkan—a vital element in the creation, appreciation, and circulation of Japanese art. Transcending the tactile sensations felt at the fingertips, shokkan is the personal, psychological impression of touch that is influenced by sight, sound, language, and memory. | This first-of-its-kind exhibition showcases over 80 objects, including textiles, armour, paintings, lacquer works, ceramics, prints, and contemporary art, many of which were made as integral parts of everyday life rather than solely for display. | | Our group will be met by Deanna Horton, Co-Chair of Bishop White Committee at the ROM which supports the East Asian collections. BWC is a sponsor of the Shokkan exhibition. Deanna has also donated items from her own collection to the ROM for this exhibition. A private tour of the exhibition has been arranged for us beginning at 1PM. Gallery Stratford’s curator Robert Windrum will be aboard and happy to help you engage with the gallery exhibits. Leaving from Gallery Stratford at 9am and returning about 6pm. Please allow time for traffic and unavoidable delays. $75 includes entrance to the ROM and bus transport. Lunch is available on site or other options of your choice. The bus will not be waiting on site so if you wish to bring your own lunch please plan on carrying it with you. Druxy's ROM Café or Coffee Shop or B Espresso Bar at the Koerner Hall (no reservation required) or Clay Restaurant - (reservation required). Water and snacks will be available on the bus. If time allows you may also wish to cross the street and visit the Gardiner Museum. Please note that there is an additional entrance fee for the Gardiner. | | | | |
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