Fonds AR-1883 R - Women's Institute, Hockley Valley, Mono Township, 1949 - 2013

The Women's Institute was established on 9 February 1897 by Mrs. Adelaide Hunter Hoodless, with assistance from Mr. Erland Lee and his wife Janet in Stoney Creek, Ontario. By 1904, the Ontario Department of Agriculture was funding seven full-time staff to help promote and organize Women's Institute branches in communities across the province. By 1913, Women's Institute branches had opened in each province, and during a provincial representatives meetings in 1919, the Women's Institute rebranded itself by becoming a federated organization, thus forming the Federated Women's Institute of Canada.

Within Canada, the Women's Institutes governing structure is divided into its existing Provinces, then into Regions, Areas, Districts and Branches. Dufferin District was created in 1902, after Dufferin County welcomed the first four branches of the Women's Institute. Dufferin District operates out of the Central Area in the Western Region of Ontario.

Hockley Valley Branch was organized on 3 November 1949 at the home of Mrs. Gordon Moffat in Glen Cross. The Branch operated out of Mono Township with 23 members in its first year. After the reorganization of Dufferin District in 1949, the Branch became part of the Dufferin South District.

In 2005, Dufferin North and South were once again reorganized, and were joined with Peel Districts to create the Dufferin-Peel District. In 2013, due to another reorganization of the Branches, Camilla and Hockley Valley were amalgamated to form the Camilla-Hockley Valley Branch, which still remains active as of 2020.