Aylmer celebrates 100 years of Le Cercle de Fermières

Women who create things. This is how the Cercle de Fermières du Québec could be described. February 20 the Aylmer Branch celebrated the 100th anniversary of this Quebec-wide group. The organization was founded in 1915 in Chicoutimi. The group was founded to cultivate interest and proficiency among women in areas such as bee keeping, farming and textiles.

“With the War going on, Le Cercle de Fermières wanted to encourage women to make more things for themselves through weaving and baking and to be more self-reliant as the men were off fighting,” said Esther Cyr Nadeau, a member of the Aylmer Branch’s administrative council. “Also, they wanted women to be able to stay in the rural areas and not go to the city.”

The Aylmer’s local branch of CFQ was founded 42 years ago by Cecil Dumouchel and is part of Fédération 15 which comprises other CFQ branches from Gatineau, Pontiac and Papineau.

Some of the goals of the CFQ are to improve the conditions of women and families, preserving Quebec’s artisanal heritage and engage in social causes.

Hélène David, Québec’s Minister of Culture and Communications, planned to be on hand Saturday to help the women of Aylmer’s Cercle de Fermières celebrate the centennial. The organization has been recognized by the government as a key part of Québec’s heritage.

The Aylmer branch has gotten involved in the community through teaching Scout members how to knit and by making blankets for the homeless.

Upcoming events include a “Journeé de printemps” at the community centre in Buckingham on March 12, and they will also be taking part in the “Salon de la Femme” on the weekend of April 9-10 at the Hilton Lac-Lemy Conference Centre in Gatineau.

Those wishing to take part or to join can simply attend one of their meetings which are open to anyone. On Monday evenings at 7 pm, the Aylmer Branch holds a quilting session at 46 chemin Eardley.

“It is great to always be learning something new,” said Églantine Imbeault, one of the members of the Aylmer Branch’s administrative council.