Letter from Henriette in La Tuque to Claire Roy (June 2, 1952)

1952

Dear Mrs. Roy,

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Henriette Trépanier and I have been the La Tuque correspondent for Le Nouvelliste since the local office was established in 1951. I would like to raise some questions and concerns regarding contemporary society and culture.

Black and white photograph of two women standing behind a table. Claire Roy (left) is talking to the other woman. There are dishes on the table in front of them, and a lamp can be seen on the right.

Claire Roy (left), on the occasion of a lecture she gave at the Business and Professional Women’s Club

I am deeply concerned about the rights of women and families. I would be interested in writing articles on the subject. Do you think it would be possible for me to do so? We now have the right to vote, and I am happy for that. However, we are still unable to cash our Family Allowance cheques, which continue to be sent to our husbands.

Many battles remain to be fought. You may think I sound ambitious, but I intend to fight in the footsteps of other activists, such as Mrs. Thérèse Casgrain and Mrs. Florence Fernet-Martel. Thanks to their efforts, I have confidence that an issue such as the one surrounding Family Allowance can be resolved in the year 1952. They fought tirelessly against male politicians and the Catholic Church.

Two pages of a Family Allowance application form. The form is in English.

An early Family Allowance registration form

On another note, I am concerned by the influence the Church exercises over women who belong to Catholic associations. Some members of the Cercles des fermières and the Union catholique des fermières sent their cheques back to the government. Do they not deserve a measure of financial relief after years of rationing?

Black and white photograph showing members of the Cercle des fermières. In the main section of the auditorium, women are sitting on benches, on either side of the aisle. In front of them, three men appear to be making a presentation. More women are watching the proceedings from seats in the balcony.

Annual meeting of the Cercle des fermières in Yamachiche (1943)

Thanks to the efforts of Mrs. Thérèse Casgrain, the Méthot Commission is looking into granting married women full legal rights, transferring benefits to the surviving spouse under succession law and changing the available matrimonial regimes. For my part, I hope we will at least gain full legal rights.

It seems Le Nouvelliste is looking to increase its circulation, having opened a Shawinigan office in 1936, one in Saint-Tite last year and one in La Tuque this year. Lately, I’ve been hearing that a Louiseville office will open any day now. It strikes me as a great opportunity to hire some new journalists, and especially women journalists!

Black and white photograph of the aftermath of a landslide. Surviving houses are visible on the left of the photograph. On the right, a house impacted by the disaster lies among the ruins.

Landslide in Nicolet (November 12, 1955)

I’ll leave you on that positive note. I hope to see you soon at the activities of the Société d’études et de culture de la Mauricie. You would be helping me achieve one of my biggest dreams. I fervently hope that the public becomes better informed about these issues, which I consider so very important.

Yours sincerely,

Henriette

Letter from Henriette in La Tuque to Brigitte (September 2, 1945) Letter to Le Nouvelliste (August 18, 1957)