Political Organizing ~ Worker Organizing

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2022: Week 43 (ORGANIZED)

Earlier this month I attended the CUPE National Sector Conference in Ottawa on behalf of my union local. I am unsure how many were in attendance, but there were thousands across the different sectors.

"Canadian Union of Public Employees is Canada's largest union, with 715,000 members across the country. CUPE represents workers in health care, emergency services, education, early learning and child care, municipalities, social services, libraries, utilities, transportation, airlines and more" 1

At this conference there were breakout rooms for each sector, and lots of cross-sector opportunities. We joined the Red Dress walk at the Parliament & came together to discuss diversity needs in the workplace. The energy was palpable.

I attended the library sector with about 40 other folks from libraries across Canada. The stories shared by my library colleagues were exactly the same regardless of community size or province. This was both sad and encouraging. 

My #1 takeaway from this conference was the issues we are dealing with in library can no longer be explained away as society problems. 

They are now library problems that need library solutions.

Not unexpectedly the talk turned to politics, and how politicians have the means and ability to make change. 

After that week we all returned with new ideas and thoughts about making a difference.

The ability to make change needs organizing. 

That is how the union movement first began - the need to ORGANIZE!

This got me to thinking about my great grandmother, Elizabeth Young (nee Slicer) Thomson who was part of starting the political party, The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF),  when it was founded in 1932.

"The CCF aimed to alleviate the suffering that workers and farmers, the ill and the old endured under capitalism, seen most starkly during the Great Depression, through the creation of a Co-operative Commonwealth, which would entail economic co-operation, public ownership of the economy, and political reform." 2

Great grandma Elizabeth (some called her Lizzie) is the 2nd from the left in the front row wearing the white hat and shirt. 

This photo can be found all over the internet, in old books & encyclopedias, and on the wall of my home.

"The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) was founded in Calgary in 1932 as a political party to represent progressive farmer, socialist and labour forces, and to implement their agenda of nationalization of key industries, universal old-age pensions, health insurance, children’s allowances, unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation and other social welfare measures. J. S.Woodsworth, a long-serving Member of Parliament and social welfare activist, became the CCF’s first President at its initial convention in Regina in 1933. At the provincial level, the CCF government in Saskatchewan implemented important social welfare measures in 1944, and the first provincial medicare plan in 1962. At the federal level, the CCF never formed a national government, but its policies contributed greatly to the national hospital and medical services insurance programs." 3

"After much discussion, the CCF and the Canadian Labour Congress decided to join forces to create a new political party that could make social democracy more popular with Canadian voters. This party, initially known as the New Party, became the New Democratic Party (NDP) in 1961." 4

I became a fan of the NDP before I was old enough to vote after meeting Corky Evans who was not yet the MLA for my Kootenay hometown of Nelson.  

I met Corky on the step of my first rented apartment. 

He was going door to door for the upcoming election. 

When I said I wasn't old enough to vote he didn't treat me like a child. 

He continued to talk to me like I had value to the political movement of the day. He stood there with static cling causing his pant leg to be attached to his sock about 4 inches up his leg. 

I was fascinated by this man who was a politician, actually wanted to hear what I had to say, and didn't appear to care about his static cling. 

The next day I contacted his campaign office to ask about volunteering.

This was the first time I got an inside look at the election process, but it wasn't the last. I have spent many election nights with an inside look volunteering for my candidate of choice often hauling my family members along. 

In researching for this blog I discovered that Corky didn't win that night. 

For me that obviously didn't matter since I hadn't remembered. 

I'm sure he felt differently!

I believed the NDP messaging then & I still do. 

I didn't realize I followed in my great grandmother's footprints.  

I also didn't realize that Corky ignited in me a passion to try to make a difference in the world I live in. 

I wonder if that was his intent when he talked to that too young to vote young person on the steps that day. 

In 2002 my sons & I visited Great Grandma Elizabeth Young (nee Slicer) Thomson. 

We spent some time honouring her life with flowers & cleaned her grave marker. 

The CCF wasn't without controversy. 

If you are interested in learning more about how and when the CCF became the NDP or the history of the party check the sources below. 

When you discover your ancestor's impact on the world as you see it!!!

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Footnotes:

1 About Us. CUPE. Canadian Union of National Employees. Retrieved October 25th 2022 from https://cupe.ca/about-us

2 Co-operative Commonwealth Federation. Wikipedia.  Retrieved October 25th 2022 from 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Co-operative_Commonwealth_Federation

3 Co-operative Commonwealth Federation. Canadian Museum of History. Retrieved October 25th 2022 from 
https://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/hist/medicare/medic-2k03e.html

4 Co-operative Commonwealth Federation. Wikipedia.  Retrieved October 25th 2022 from 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Co-operative_Commonwealth_Federation

Sources:

The CCF’s Regina Manifesto, Canadian Dimension. Originally published May 7th 2018, Retrieved October 28th 2022 from
https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/the-regina-manifesto-1933-co-operative-commonwealth-federation-programme-fu

Co-operative Commonwealth Federation. Learning. CBC History. Retrieved October 28th 2022 from 
https://www.cbc.ca/history/EPISCONTENTSE1EP13CH3PA1LE.html

Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (1932-08-01 - 1961-08-02). Profile. Political Parties. House of Commons. Parliament of Canada. Retrieved October 28th 2022 from
https://lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA/Parties/Profile?partyId=2027

Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF). Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 28th 2022 from
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/co-operative-commonwealth-federation

Co-operative Commonwealth Federation political party, Canada. Brittanica. Retrieved October 28th 2022 from 
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Co-operative-Commonwealth-Federation

Corky Evans. Wikipedia. Retrieved October 28th 2022 from 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corky_Evans

A Study in Continuity and Change. The CCF in Saskatchewan. Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan. Originally published February 2nd 1943. Retrieved October 28th 2022 from
https://www.saskarchives.com/CCF_in_Saskatchewan

What Does the CCF Stand For? Maclean's Magazine. Originally published September 1st 1943. Retrieved October 28th 2022 from
https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1943/9/1/what-does-the-ccf-stand-for

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________

The Rainbow Bridge ~ Saying Goodbye to Furry Family Members

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2022: Week 42 (LOST)

We said goodbye to Simba last week. 

She turned 19 on August 27th, and passed away on October  12th. 

Simba, just a few weeks before she died

She was predeceased by her sister Frodo, on May 28th 2017, three months short of her 14th birthday. 

Frodo, just a few weeks before she died

Right until they died they were referenced as the kittens.

It didn't matter how old they were they would always be THE KITTENS.

In late 2001 my husband got a fulltime position with the ambulance service in Vancouver. We were unsure about moving to the Vancouver area. We decided to rent out our house in Grand Forks, and rent in the lower mainland to see if the job and city were for our family.  

In summer 2003 we realized the job was definitely what my husband needed, and our family needed to stay together so we started making long-term plans.

We began by giving notice to our tenant . While we waited for the tenant to move out we stayed in a family member's place in nearby Christina Lake. 

Around the middle of September the boys and I went to the general store in the plaza to pick up some supplies. When we entered the store we noticed staff of the store holding 2 tiny kittens. 

We heard these tiny kittens had been abandoned in a Proctor-Silex coffee pot box in the laundromat. They were found in the morning by the person opening the laundromat hearing their cries. It was realized that they were left alone in the box overnight. The person closing the night before never noticed the box or heard the kitten cries. No one was sure how long they had been in the box in the laundromat.

Given how small they were they were lucky to have survived that long without any food or water. 

It's a sad world we live in that that folks just dumped these adorable little kittens. 

The staff at the store asked the boys if they wanted to give these 2 tiny kittens a home. 

The boys were hooked. 

I was out-numbered. 

Plus they were so cute.

That night when I called my husband I started the conversation with "You know when you are out of town I will have to make some executive decisions on my own". 

There was a pause before he asked "What have you done?". 

I told him the story about the kittens at the store ending with "their names are Simba and Frodo".

He realized it was too late - they had names.

Simba was named by our 6 year old because she looked so much like Simba in the Lion King. 

Frodo was named by our almost 10 year old because she had furry toes. 

The Vet told us he thought they were about 3 weeks old. 

This was why they were not able to eat the food we had purchased for them.

Back to the store for kitten milk, and they began to thrive.

They were too young to have left their mother.

I had suggested that we should put a poster up on the Post Office's Community Board letting whoever had abandoned them know they received a good home. 

My husband said 'Not a chance. Let them suffer knowing they abandoned those kittens to certain death.' 

Those kittens lived a long life. 

Frodo was almost 14 years old when she died peacefully at home wrapped in a blanket, held by me, several hours after having a stroke. 

Simba lived 2 months past her 19th birthday. She suffered some sort of neurological event, and was held by my husband on her final visit to the vet. I was not able to join them because I was in covid isolation. 

When the kittens arrived to our home we had an almost 5 year old Manx cross that hated both kittens on sight. He never did warm to Simba, but Frodo became his buddy.

She was loved by all the furry friends she met.

Frodo had long white hair. 

It was a lot of work to keep herself groomed so she was grateful for the assistance of Oliver who passed away 3 months after Frodo. 

Frodo wasn't sure why she was loved by dogs. 

I'm pretty sure they thought she was a sheep. 

They herded her, and she complied by doing what they wanted her to do. 

She was a good natured cat. 

A dog and her cat ... Or Is that a cat a her dog?

Simba wasn't as tolerant of the dogs, but even she was their friend.

Siska really wishes Simba would leave so she could lay down but she's patient.
Simba thinks a cat on the hearth is a happy home

No longer having a canine friend Tori begins wooing the cat.
Wonder how long it will take to wear Simba down?

Simba was so small she could sit fully in the palm of our hand when she first arrived. She stayed pretty small her whole life. Her fur was super soft - she was known as the Velveteen Kitty! 

It wasn't until she needed some help grooming as a senior that we discovered her hair was short, but had the texture of a longhaired cat. 

Her legendary leaping skills of her younger years is likely why she was a good jumper into her senior years even after developing arthritis and going blind.

Tag team - dog pushed the pillow onto the floor from the couch - cat claims her throne

Her famous monorail 

always climbing and hiding

Seeking a little sun on a cold rainy day

When we first realized she was blind

Wearing her birthday hat

Cleaning her toes

Always willing to try a new food

Tea Time

She was an adventurous eater

And a few more photos of Frodo

Frodo has a Moby Dick tale

Frodo used the fish tank as her personal water dish

A perfect moment in time - a book, a tea, and a cat

Rest in Peace Simba - may you be wrestling with your friends. 

When your furry family members don't live long enough. 

Oh what a party there must be over the Rainbow Ridge!!!

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________

Family History Books ~ Handed Down

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2022: Week 41 (PASSED DOWN)

My favourite genealogy hand-me-down is the book I received from a newly found cousin. 

The book is called OUR COURAGEOUS PIONEERS:  History of Gronlid and Surrounding Districts of Argus, Athol, Edenbridge, Freedom, Maryville, Murphy Creek, Sandhill Creek, Taelman, Taras, Teddington. It's written by Gronlid and District Historical Society .

This family history book was gifted to me
from a newly found cousin

The first time I got a look at this book was via an interlibrary loan. I had the book in my possession for 2 weeks. It was just enough time to decide I really needed to own this book. There was no copies available from any traditional source. It was many years before I would be able to call a copy my own. All because a new cousin gifted it to me. 

I then realized I have been gifted quite a few family history books.

This family history book was gifted to me
from a newly found cousin on 23&Me

This family history book was gifted to me
from my grandmother's brother's daughter-in-law

This family history book was gifted to me
from a cousin on a family Facebook page

This family history book was gifted to me
from my husband's grandfather

This family history book was gifted to me
from my husband's grandmother

If any of these family history books have anything of interest to you - reach out via comment below, and I will share.

Hand me downs are such a great source of information!!!

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________