Home > War Brides Today > History of Canadian War Brides Associations
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Click image for larger view of entire group. Founding officers of the Saskatchewan War Brides Association. Photo courtesy of Gloria Brock.
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| Click image for larger view of entire group. Group photo of the "one day outing" at the Saskatchewan Legislature in 1975. Photo courtesy of Gloria Brock. |
The History of the Canadian War Brides Associations is
based on research and notes provided by Mrs. Gloria Brock, Founding President of the Saskatchewan War Brides Association.
Click here to see a list of Canadian War Bride organizations, contact names and numbers.
On April 3, 1975, Mrs. Gloria Brock of Abernethy, Saskatchewan, Mrs. Bette Frame of North Battleford, and Mrs. Helene Smith from Glaslyn, arranged a gathering of War Brides for a one day get-together in Regina to celebrate the fact they had been in Canada for 30 years. Two bus-loads were taken to the Legislative Building where Mr. E. Kramer, MP for Transportation, treated the group to a lunch and issued an invitation for them to attend the opening of the Business Section of the Legislature.
Mr. Kramer addressed the Speaker of the House and announced there was a large group of War Brides attending. He added a few nice words on choosing Canada as their new home. Mr. Davey Stewart replied and made sure the women really were an asset to Saskatchewan as one lady, namely Mrs. Barb Warriner of Big River, had brought 13 new Canadians into the world, meaning her children were good for Saskatchewan.
The group returned to the Royal Canadian Legion where the lunch was arranged in the Lancaster Room and where they enjoyed a good visit. This was only a one day outing, not the start of the Saskatchewan War Brides Association. However, the interest was created that day. Many War Brides had to stay over for three days in Regina due to a very bad blizzard. After this day outing, Gloria received so much mail on the enjoyable day and one letter from a War Bride, in particular, who wrote: "I wish you would start something for us in a regular way because I am a widow and many doors that are open to us when we have our husbands, close when your husband dies or for some reason one or the other is gone."
Gloria had been thinking about things she could do now, as her own children were grown up and moved away to University etc. She had time on her hands, so she made a list of people she had spoken with on that one day trip and phoned the following ladies:
- Mrs. Gay Garside, who was still working as a secretary in Regina, Saskatchewan
- Mrs. Helen Smith, a farmer's wife in Glaslyn, Saskatchewan
- Mrs. Ray Ferris, a farmer's wife in Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan
- Mrs. Dorothy Wastrodowski, also a farmers wife
- Mrs. Mary Dament, at Bengough, Saskatchewan, a Registered Nurse who was now living at Yellow Grass
- and Mrs. Bette Frame, who unfortunately was in ill health and was unable to attend the founding meeting of the Saskatchewan War Brides Association. Mrs. Frame died two years later.
The above named are the ones who took the chance to along with a dream of Gloria's that none realized would go beyond a once-in-a while meeting.
Gloria and Kay contacted every available media outlet and there was quite a lot of interest in the new group. They appeared on the Johnny Sandison television show in Regina on the The Gerry Peppler Show in Yorkton, which served to broaden awareness of the War Brides and their plans to establish a new organization.
Some of the women put advertisments in their local newspapers in the free ad sections. And since they had to have a room to organize, the Cornwall Street Royal Canadian Legion offered the brides the use of a room downstairs to hold their founding meeting. Since they had no funds, Kay and Gloria paid for a ledger and receipt book and the fledgling group went from there.... Click to read more.
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