IRENE ELIZABETH GRANT, O.M.

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IRENE ELIZABETH GRANT, O.M. Irene Elizabeth Grant (nee Church) passed away peacefully at home on November 12, 2009. Predeceased by her husband Ulderic Alexander and her daughter Laura Lee, she is survived by her daughters Shelagh and Jocelyn, her granddaughters Jacquie (Randy) and Lynette, and her great-grandchildren Jordan and Bailey. Born on her family farm near Niverville on February 10, 1914, she survived the original swine flu in 1918 to go on to a life dedicated to education and equality of all people, especially women. As a young lady, living on the farm she was the first Lone Girl Guide in the province. Later in life she was a Girl Guide Captain. This was to be the first in a long line of many firsts . At the young age of 13 she was commuting to Winnipeg by train to attend Kelvin High School, graduating from Grade 12 two years ahead of time. After graduating from Normal School, as it was then called, she taught school in the Emerson area until 1939. Every summer she went to summer session at the University of Manitoba. In 1936 she was the assistant Dean of Women of the summer school. In 1939 having spent the summer as the Women's Co-ordinator for the Gimli Youth Camp, she moved to Winnipeg to teach in the Winnipeg schools. There she continued her interest in experimental teaching programs, children with learning disabilities, physical education and music. Not abandoning her rural roots, she continued to be an adjudicator for poetry and drama at rural festivals until she joined the WRENS' (Women's Royal Naval Service) in 1942. Responsible for personnel and troubleshooting she enjoyed postings in Boston, New York, Washington, DC, Ottawa, Halifax, Digby, Montreal, and Toronto. Resuming her teaching career in 1945 this time with Junior High students in Winnipeg, she married Ulderic Grant on November 23, 1945. In those days, for a female teacher to get married was professional suicide. Married females were not allowed to teach school in the city of Winnipeg. She successfully lobbied, setting a valuable precedent for others and was allowed to continue teaching after she married. Unfortunately, she was soon forced to resign because she was, (gasp), pregnant, and of course pregnant ladies could not teach anywhere. For the next seven years she managed the family farm and had three daughters. Another arcane rule was that although a married teacher could now teach, she could not if she had a child under two years of age. Returning to teaching full time after her youngest daughter was two in 1952 she retired as librarian at R.B. Russell in 1976. Based on her experiences, she was instrumental, along, with other committee members of the Manitoba Teacher's Society, in successfully lobbying and changing the following policies. Women were placed in the lowest pay classification, she and fellow BPW (Business and Professional Women) member Olive Flatt saw to it that that was changed. Married women were routinely denied salary advancement and all women were forced to retire five years earlier than men. Although busy raising family, teaching full time, and farming Irene maintained an active membership in many organizations and committees. The Business and Professional Women's clubs of Canada and the Associated Country Women of the World (Women's Institute) both honoured her with Life Memberships. As her girls grew older, she became even more involved in a broad range of committees and organizations. These included Dugald Costume Museum (Life Membership), Manitoba Craft Guild, Women's Canadian Club, Winnipeg and Manitoba Teachers' Associations, Manitoba Council on Aging, Planned Parenthood Manitoba, Women's Health Clinic, YW-YMCA, Manitoba Historical Society, Antique Motorcycle of America, Manitoba Action Committee on the Status of Women, and the International Peace Garden (Life Membership). From 1972 to 1982 she was a citizen advisor to Legal Aid Manitoba (eastern region), during which time she organized information meetings between rural women and lawyers. Many workshops and seminars were organized by her on family violence and women and the law to help educate women on their rights. Her work with the Provincial Family Law Reform Committee led to the passage of the Family Maintenance Act and the Marital Property Act. She was instrumental in the founding of the Fort Garry Women's Resource Centre, helping to draft its constitution, lobbing for grant money, and developed and monitored its initial stages. For 12 years she served as a member of the Land Use Committee of the Manitoba Environment Council and chaired the environment committee of the Provincial Council of Women for three years. In 1990 The Government of Canada recognized Irene with the Order of the Persons award. In 2005 she was awarded the Order of Manitoba by the Government of Manitoba. Flowers are gratefully declined. A donation in Irene's name to LEAF (Women's Legal Education and Action Fund) Manitoba's WISE (Working in Support of Equality) Endowment at the Winnipeg Foundation to help further equality of all people of Manitoba would be appreciated. Memorial service will be held at Thomson In the Park Funeral Home, 1291 McGillivray Blvd. on Friday, November 20 at 1:00 p.m. THOMSON IN THE PARK 925-1120 Condolences may be sent to www.thomsoninthepark.com

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Nov 18, 2009