Perspective: Sept - Oct 2026

By Marcia Swaby

Report on CFUW Ontario Council Meeting May 2026

It was an honour to go to the Ontario Council Meeting. I learnt that Ontario members are the largest group of members in Canada with 4,453 members out of the approximately 6,000 nationally. All clubs have similar problems in that executive positions were hard to fill and retaining new members was a priority. We shared our strategies and I shared that we had to work not to be too cliquey and to be welcoming of new members in our small groups. I feel this has paid off in that we have kept more of our new members, especially the younger ones who have more energy.

The Peterborough Club were wonderful hosts. As part of their community service, they serve a nutritional meal monthly to single parents and their children.

CFUW members of 50 years of membership were honoured with a certificate. CFUW Mississauga has seven members who were acknowledged. Congratulations to Lois Adams, Janis Alton, Joy Cunningham, Olga Fraser, Dianne Lawson, Jane McDougall, and Duane McIlwraith. Unfortunately, Lois Adams passed away this summer. I had the pleasure of speaking to most of the ladies and Jane McDougall told me she has been a member for over 70 years. She and Lois joined the club right after graduation.

The atmosphere at the meeting reminded me of feminist groups that I belonged to in the late ‘60s and ‘70s. It was needed as we have seen a rollback in some of the rights that women are facing in some countries and even the roll back of scholarship monies from the Ontario Government for post-secondary education. Again, this probably affects women more than men as even today we do not have pay equity.

The two themes of the workshops were Indigenous issues and how women are treated in politics. I went to a great workshop by 3 active politicians: one municipal, a parish reeve and a federal MP. All had to deal with misogyny but as more women get involved, the meetings were more productive and less rude. All Canadian federal parties had fewer women elected in the last election. The differences between rural and urban problems were also highlighted. They also said to get change, have the facts and a solution!

The differences with how Indigenous women were treated was discussed. Peterborough has a clinic where both Western and Indigenous medicines are offered. This is a first for a clinic. The hospital in Sioux Lookout has this which I saw when I worked there before the pandemic. In 2022, there were 39 reserves with drinking water advisories. The areas around Peterborough are working on this as there have been three water advisories on nearby reserves. The theme was that we all have a joint responsibility to look after the land.

The other exciting presentation was from CFUW London. They had university students as members who with their professors, also members, did research on Post-Partum Depression showing that it is not rare. One in 5 women experience this, and accessibility for treatment for rural women, Black, Indigenous and People of Colour was less than optimal. I was thrilled that students were involved and there is great hope for the future, even if they have to fight battles that we thought had improved or even those we thought we had won.

Perspective: April - June 2026

by Jane Moore

Food Insecurity 

At our March 2nd general meeting, we heard from representatives from Food Banks Mississauga. The excellent presentation outlined the needs of the community, the resources available and how the delivery of those resources is carried out throughout Mississauga. 

Food insecurity is the inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints. It is a serious public health problem, a marker of pervasive material deprivation, and a matter of public policy. 

Many of us may have met with food insecurity through life in time of war, a need to relocate to a new country, or financial crises. We may have heard from our parents about their experiences and watched how they managed to cope. 

Today, many of our members are involved with various services that provide food to people in Mississauga. We volunteer at food banks and religious based programs. We donate money and food to various community groups. We deliver food to families in need. 

Food Banks Mississauga’s Annual Impact Report for 2025 outlines how food insecurity is addressed in our community. The need for food assistance has risen 20% in the past year with over 500,000 visits. The number of visits a household makes to their local food program has risen from 3-5 times per year in 2019 to 10 times per year today. 

Food banks across Canada are striving to reduce food insecurity by 50% by 2030. This requires more income support programs, affordable housing, and job creation. Dropping off our donations weekly or monthly helps but we are only trying to sustain a system that appears to be unsustainable. 

Coming back to our own personal experiences, we are left with one nagging question: must we accept this relatively new phenomenon of food insecurity as a day-to-day experience for our community of Mississauga and communities across Canada? 

For further information, I recommend going to the Food Banks Mississauga website. Their Annual Impact Report 2025, subtitled Mobilizing in a time of Crisis is an extensive review of the work they do and their plans for supporting our city. Foodbanksmississauga.ca

Perspective: Feb. - March 2026

by Tamara Pope

Welcome to a New Year and the winter session for CFUW Mississauga. May this year offer all CFUW Mississauga members the warmth of friendship through your continued engagement in the study and interest groups and stimulating discussions at our monthly general meetings. You can engage further by volunteering on the Executive or Scholarship Fund Committee.

The turning of the calendar does bring opportunities for reflection: Our December Holiday Luncheon was a wonderful opportunity to enjoy each other’s company, along with the beautiful voices of the Burlington Welsh Ladies Chorus. It was terrific to catch-up with so many members, some of whom haven’t been able to attend the general meetings. Thank you to Teresa Arnold for spearheading this festive change for our December meeting. Donations to Armagh House and draws for Gift Baskets in support of the Scholarship Fund rounded out the celebrations.

Our fall speakers highlighted the important role of therapy dogs for Autistic Children, the importance of understanding, sharing and safeguarding the history of Canada, and hints on multigenerational and solo travel. We have a great line-up of presenters for this winter session: find the information in the speakers Information.