Residents of Berwick Comox Valley recently had the opportunity to attend this four-week presentation.
Asked why she came to approach Active Living about this, Carole said “I took a session on Roots of Religion last fall and during our discussions of that topic. I noticed that participants often asked about women’s role in the various religions. It made me think that they might be interested in a history of women’s equality rights in Canada, so I approached Ashley at our Active Living desk.”
Since the course would be heavy in legal content, she thought she would be lucky if twelve signed up to take it. Carole was both surprised and pleased that Interest was so strong. Several residents had to be turned away, even after the group size was extended to twenty. Because of this, there is a possibility that she will present the course again next spring. Each of the four sessions allowed an hour for Carole’s presentation and half an hour to hear participants’ stories. The first week covered the sources of our law – English Common Law, Equity and Statute Law. By the time she reached the last week of the course, Carole talked about Family Law, encompassing Marriage, Divorce, Custody and Guardianship, Property Division, Support Obligations and the increased encouragement and use of mediation.
Since she had been a lawyer and judge, I was curious to know if that part of her life had influenced her in deciding to offer this course and she replied: “I found that, because I was a woman in a traditionally male realm, I was often involved in breaking new ground. I practiced in Maple Ridge where I was a founding director of Cythera Transition House, a home for women and children fleeing violent relationships. When I was appointed to the Provincial Court bench, only 20 of the 255 judges on that court were women. Now it is half of them. We have come a long way and many of the most significant changes occurred in our lifetimes.”
Asked for feedback from the attendees, Joan S. said “Very informative. I was surprised there are still so many changes needed. Though we have come such a long way there is room for improvement. Good discussions with attendees after each lecture.”
Joan L. said “I learned a lot from Carole’s course and how far women have come. It was surprising how recently some of women’s rights have finally been enacted.”
Jeanie M. said “She makes the classes so interesting and informative that we all eagerly wait each week for the next class. At the end of each class, she provides notes on what we have been discussing during the session so that we can read them at our leisure. We are so lucky to have her live here!”
Written by Chris Neeter
Chris (Christine) is an exceptional writer and proud resident of Berwick Parksville. With a passion for storytelling and a knack for capturing the essence of everyday life, Chris crafts engaging, thought-provoking resident feature stories that resonate with our readers. When not writing, Chris is one of the original members of the drama group, Berwick Parksville Players, and can be found leading several and participating in other Active Living programs at Berwick Parksville and enjoying the beautiful community of Parksville.