Victoria’s Read

Canadian Women’s Press Club was founded in 1904, the year that the Louisiana Purchase Exposition was held in St. Louis, Missouri. In June of that year, journalist and feminist Margaret Graham of Ottawa went to see Col. George Ham, the publicity agent for Canadian Pacific Railways. Graham went straight to the point. It is reported that she said “Can you tell my why your road has taken men to all the excursions and Fairs and other things and has ignobly ignored us, the weaker sex?” Apparently, Col. Ham was a little amused by her outburst. He promised that if she could find twelve professional women journalists, he would send them to St. Louis.

Margaret Graham found sixteen qualified women. They traveled to St. Louis in style by private railway car with fresh flowers every day and afternoon tea at five o’clock. After ten days, the group returned to Toronto. Col. Ham traveled with them. As the train neared their destination, the women discussed the solitude of their professional lives, excluded from male journalists’ gatherings and press clubs. Col. Ham, smoking his pipe nearby, quietly said “Why don’t you form your own press club?”.

This was done immediately. Kit Coleman, a popular columnist and foreign correspondent was chosen as the first president. Col. Ham was made an honorary member. Until 1971, he was the only male member of CWPC.

CWPC grew rapidly. Among the famous Canadian women who were members were Nellie McClung, Cora Hind, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Emmeline Pankhurst, Emily Murphy, Byrne Hope Sanders, Marshall Saunders, Doris Anderson, and Charlotte Whitton. By its Golden Jubilee in 1954, it had over 500 members with branches from Victoria to Halifax. In 1971, at a general meeting in Toronto, it was decided to change the name of the Club to Media Club of Canada. This would make the name translatable into French and would open the doors to male members. The Club celebrated its 90th birthday in Halifax in 1994. However, the need for networking for young women journalists was no longer so great. The club declined until it was finally un-incorporated in the early 2000s.

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