Violet McNaughton

How is it possible that we have heroes in our own backyard that we know so little about? Violet McNaughton was born in 1879 in England and immigrated to Canada in 1909. She married and lived near Harris. She was a leader in women’s issues, farm issues and co-operative movements. Motivated by the dire living and working conditions on the prairies, she dedicated herself to improving the lives of women and children. She organized the Saskatchewan Women Grain Growers (WGG), one of the most radical groups in Canada at the time because of the class and gender of its members! She worked tireless for the woman’s suffrage movement. She also led the WGG’s campaign to have more trained midwives, nurses, doctor and hospitals. The WGG advocated to have these service be affordable and in close proximity to farm families. Because of their strong campaign, legislation in 1916 allowed for the establishment of union hospitals, municipal nurses and doctors. This led to way to many hospitals opening in rural Saskatchewan. From 1919 to 1923, Violet was the president of the Inter-provincial Council of Farm Women and the Women’s Section of the Canadian Council of Agriculture. By the 1920’s, she was one of the most influential people in Saskatchewan Grain Growers Association. She helped to organize the Wheat Pools, the Saskatchewan Egg and Poultry Pool and the newspapers, the Western Producer. In 1925, she became the women’s editor of the Western Producer, a position she kept until 1950. Violet McNaughton is truly a home-grown Saskatchewan hero who fought hard to improve the conditions of her peers and those who would come after her. Learning more about the women who changed our world . . . it’s a good thing!