ST. GEORGE, Ont. – The white clapboard house is a federal heritage site but is in dire need of funds.
Dating back to 1840, the house near Hamilton is where Adelaide Hunter Hoodless was born and lived until her marriage in 1881. She was one of three founders of the women’s institutes in 1897, a movement that educated women about their homes and communities and now encompasses an international group credited with nine million members.
The Hunter homestead house was bought by the Federated Women’s Institutes of Canada in 1959 and relies on voluntary donations from WI members across the country for its budget.
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Sue Doiron, the curator for the past 14 years and a WI member herself, said it costs $80 a day to operate the house, whether open or closed. She suggests the FWIC should make a mandatory fee of $1 per member per year to provide a regular budget.
The museum features some authentic articles of Adelaide’s such as her Bible, marriage certificate and pink china set. Some furnishings are from the period such as the sofa, quilts and kitchen implements while others are new, but made in the fashion of a century ago, such as the braided rugs.
The busiest times at the house are July and August when about 900 visitors come. Hours are limited the rest of the year.
A 45 minute drive away is a museum dedicated to the other founders of WI. That is the Erland and Janet Lee home in Stoney Creek, Ont. The white board and batten home with gingerbread decoration around the front was bought in 1972 by the Federated Women’s Institutes of Ontario. It still pays half of the $60,000 annual budget.
Curator Michael Gemmell said the main part of the house and accompanying carriage house date to 1873, although the oldest parts are from 1808.
Erland and Janet Lee organized the first meeting to which farmers and their wives were invited to hear Adelaide Hunter Hoodless speak about household science. The Lees later lobbied for funding for the first WI. The museum features the dining table where Janet Lee drew up the first WI bylaws. The Lee museum operates year-round and draws 3,000 visitors a year.
Other than a summer student grant, the federal government does not support either museum, say the two curators. Ironically both museums are in the backyard of heritage minister Sheila Copps.
Gemmell said there is no rivalry between the two museums.
“We’re much more co-operative. We don’t compete on events. We’re drawing from the same pool of visitors – women’s institutes. If you’re going to go to one museum, you’ll want to see the other.”
