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From the FWIO Website – https://fwio.on.ca/
“For 124 years, Women’s Institute (WI) Members have actively worked together for family, home, community and country. The objective of the first Women’s Institute Branch, formed in Stoney Creek on February 19, 1897, was to improve women’s skills in the art of homemaking and childcare.

The Federated Women’s Institutes of Ontario (FWIO) was organized in 1919, giving Members a stronger voice by working together as a united group. Through education and support programs and services, FWIO’s original focus expanded to include personal growth opportunities, government lobbying and health and community wellness projects.

Our most notable initiative, the ROSE (Reaching Ontario Sharing Education) Program, encourages our Branches to help increase awareness and expand the skill sets of both WI Members and people in their communities. As a result, each year thousands of individuals become more knowledgeable on various social, health, domestic and environmental matters through their participation in “ROSE Sessions”.

Today, FWIO has approximately 2,600 Members in 220 Branches across Ontario.”

How to access resources:
A current list of all branches is available on the FWIO website, which is updated annually. It is under History > Branches: Past and Present. Besides listing the information on the branch, it also indicates whether books have been digitized and whether they are online for viewing or not – https://fwio.on.ca/branches-past-present.

As well, the WI now has a virtual archives where many Tweedsmuir and other books are now open for free viewing. This is an ongoing project as more books are being opened on a regular basis. The link is – https://collections.fwio.on.ca/search.