Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Grande Prairie Women's Residence Association fonds
General material designation
- Textual record
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on contents of the fonds.
Level of description
Fonds
Repository
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
Physical description area
Physical description
3.5 cm of textual records.
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Administrative history
The organizational meeting of a group interested in answering a growing need in Grande Prairie for adequate and affordable housing for single women was held October 2, 1979. Those attending that meeting were Walter Chledowsky, Barbara Stearns, Lynn Berry, Brenda Brochu, Joanne MacDonald, Pam Chislett and Margaret Bowes who hosted the meeting. Initial ideas that did not materialize included creating a hostel through the Hostel Association, renovating Barrydale House, and inviting the YWCA to come to town. But the group drew up a constitution and by-laws and Grande Prairie Women's Residence Association was created. The UCW, the RCMP and other local groups were supportive of the idea of a women's shelter. By May, 1980, the group was able to rent the Croken house on the corner of 100 Ave. and 98 St. and with a grant of $11, 995 hired Terry Conrad as their first supervisor. They received United Way funding and Elmer Borstad, MLA at the time, helped them get several provincial grants. They soon found that the need was for a shelter for women and children. By September, 1981, through a grant from the Clifford E. Lee Foundation they were able to move into a building of their own located at 10123-107 Ave. with accomodation for 21. Their new home became "Odyssey House". Jackie Gaboury, hired in September, 1980, as supervisor established a firm foundation for the service in both houses. Theirs was the first shelter to hire a man, Rob Smith, who worked half time as a assistant supervisor and half time a public relations officer, eventually becoming Public Education Director. The volunteer board was very fortunate to have dedicated men and women serve over the years. For the first six years all the grocery shopping and delivery, volunteer staffing, and for the first ten years the bookkeeping was done by board volunteers. In August, 1981, the Alberta Council of Women's Shelters was established to provide liason between shelters and government and to establish funding formulas and basic shelter guidelines. Grande Prairie hosted the ACWS annual conference in May, 1985, with 175 delegates in attendence.
Custodial history
The records were donated to the South Peace Regional Archives by Margaret Bowes in 2009.
Scope and content
The fonds consists of incorporation documents, board meeting minutes (1979-1984), annual reports (1981-1987), a copy of a Certificate of Appreciation, a booklet "History of the Alberta Council of Women's Shelters", four related newsclippings (1981-1999) from the Daily Herald Tribune and a historical summary of the association written by Margaret Bowes.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
The records were donated to the South Peace Regional Archives by Margaret Bowes in 2009.
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
There are no restrictions on access.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
A finding aid is available at http://southpeacearchives.org/finding-aids/grande-prairie-womens-residence-association/
Associated materials
Accruals
Alpha-numeric designations
Accession number: 2009.014
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number area
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Control area
Description record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules or conventions
Level of detail
Partial
Language of description
- English