Fonds FF - Fonds Franco-Femmes

A feminist nonprofit organization, Franco-Femmes was led by a group of Franco-Ontarian women from the Hearst and Kapuskasing area. Founded in 1977, the group functioned primarily on the principle of consensus and had the overall objective of improving all aspects of women’s lives. The group believed that, because of their geographical, cultural, social and economical isolation, the women of Northern Ontario had concerns and problems that were particular to the region where they lived. To achieve their goal, the members of Franco-Femmes organized different activities with the purpose of providing women with information relating to various aspects of their lives and various issues. In addition to their bimonthly newspaper column in the local paper, Le Nord, the group also planned different activities to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8 of every year. Franco-Femmes also organized an annual conference known as Au Féminin. After the 1979 conference, the group sponsored the creation of l’Association Parmi-Elles. In 1985, Franco-Femmes also created L’Escale, a resource center aimed at helping to improve the status of women throughout the region by obtaining a variety of services for them.

L’Association Parmi-Elles is a group of women whose primary objective is to promote the economic independence of women. The organization was interested in creating and supporting a small business able to create stable employment for women in the region. During the early 1980’s, the organization received grants in order to conduct feasibility studies for the establishment of a local company that was to be managed by women. After securing the financial backing of more than 70 local investors, l’Association Parmi-Elles officially proposed the creation of a commercial greenhouse in 1981. La Maison Verte, a greenhouse dedicated to the production of conifer seedling for restoration, was incorporated in the fall of 1982. Still in operation today, La Maison Verte has contributed to the regional economy while creating jobs for women.