Colpoy’s MIST - Clue #1

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Extraordinary Achievement comes from Ordinary People
After WI meeting, we anxiously awaited details from our intrepid team captain outlining our first WISH challenge. Find one of the WI plaques, halls or projects near you the challenge directed. Well, that is easy!!! We are part of the Colpoy’s Bay Women’s Institute (CBWI), and we have our own hall, we have plaques in the hall, and we have recently done some amazing projects to keep our hall a part of the community.

We decided that wasn’t very challenging, so we set off to see what other extraordinary achievements we could uncover in our area!

The first stop was the Kemble WI Outlook, what a magnificent achievement of the Kemble WI to have such a beautiful display honouring the longest active WI in the WORLD!!! Everyone needs to visit this location; it is really beautiful! Since we discovered it’s already in the FWIO Digital Collection we planned on continuing our search!

Our next stop was Oxenden where we found a plaque indicating that the Women’s Institute started in 1930 by the Oxenden & Lake Charles Women’s Institute; however sadly closed in 1995. Being a curious team, we set out to the Grey Roots Archives and found older and very interesting pictures of the hall that unfortunately had been sold a few years back.

Heading through Wiarton we discovered the Wiarton WI was operational from 1907-1989! We didn’t even know this WI existed. After a little hunting, we discovered that it was the Wiarton WI who were instrumental in establishing our beautiful Bluewater Park. When the weather gets nicer Colpoy’s MIST plans to wander throughout park searching for Wiarton WI’s accomplishments.

Let’s go over to the Lake Huron side of the Peninsula to the Oliphant WI (est. 1917) we decided. From their hall these industrious women have marked their community with some extraordinary achievements over the years. Upon talking with them they revealed their major accomplishments:

• Keeping the hall active for 50 plus years for the residents of the community for the seniors
• Facilitating the use of the hall for the OYAH ‘Oliphant Young at Heart’ who used the WI hall as their base for cards and social functions for decades.
• Coordinated the Saturday market at the WI location for 35+ years

This hall may be worthy of our photo submission, but alas we can only submit one photo. This will be a hard choice!

We were beginning to realize there were, and are, several WI organizations in our area. Next we ventured out to see what treasures the Purple Valley WI (est. 1934) held, but there were no WI plagues to be found.

Continuing north on the Bruce Peninsula we found the old MAR WI Community Hall. This institute, established in 1905, just folded in 2021. The hall itself was sold several years ago and the WI have been kindly donating the funds from the sale to the community. The Colpoy’s Bay WI was a happy recipient of a generous donation that was used to buy comfortable chairs for our hall; a much needed addition. Each chair displays a plaque indicating the donor – yes, the MAR WI. Maybe we could use those pictures, but again, our journey wasn’t over yet.

We wondered if there could be anything for the clue at the Lion’s Head WI (1904-1954). We were taking the “hunt” part of scavenger hunt to heart! After finding no signs of a building or plaque, we headed for the local community centre to inquire about the WI in Lion’s Head. The response was “ we don’t have a Women’s Institute here any longer but you should to the Colpoy’s Bay WI, they really have something going there.” So, we’ve come full circle and it’s right back to where we began.

The Colpoy’s Bay branch of the Women’s Institute was formed way back in December 1910. The establishment of the Colpoy’s Bay Women’s Institute (CBWI) introduced many new activities to the community. One of the main objectives of the CBWI was to build a community hall.
The hall was built in 1927 at a cost of $7,000. This could not have been done without the support of the community and government seen in the points below:
• C.E. Whicher donated land
• the Women’s Institute purchased land from the Cunningham family
• members of the community donated funds for the build and their names are on a Memorial Wheel on the main floor
• there was also a 25% grant from the Provincial Government with the stipulation that the hall be considered a Community Hall

Over the years, the Women’s Institute applied for and received Ontario Trillium Grants (2010, 2018) to help with extensive upgrades to this historic building. In the past, individuals have rented the hall for wedding and funeral receptions, family gatherings and celebrations and of course the much enjoyed dances. More recently the CBWI hosted plant and yard sales, fashion shows, ROSE (educational) programs, barbeques and fish fries, and concerts.
The Colpoy’s Bay Women’s Institute has celebrated many years of giving, volunteerism, and education within the community. This was accomplished through the hard work and dedication from many CBWI members since 1910. This historical hall is located 225 Bruce Rd 9 South Bruce Peninsula.

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