From Lady Tweedsmuir

Lord and Lady Tweedsmuir served as the Vice Regal couple in Canada from 1935 until 1940. Both were writers of some note in their native England, and Lady Tweedsmuir was an avid supporter of the Women's Institute – in fact she was a member of the British WI as well as a member here in Canada. One of the final columns she wrote for the National News magazine was of a trip she took through parts of the Peace River country, both on the British Columbia and Alberta sides - it follows here.

My Visit to Peace River “The Country of Beginning Again”

by Susan Tweedsmuir

My time in the Peace River District seems already like a happy dream back in the past – so much that is unpleasant has happened since I was there.

I was struck by many things; first of all by the friendly kindliness of everyone and the way everybody waves to everybody else. We waved to children going to school on horseback; we waved to all and sundry on the roads and on the doorsteps of houses.

The flowers in the district are very beautiful, both in colour and size. The summer is short, but the sun often shines for so many hours in the day that flowers and vegetables grow apace. This year was a wonderful one for berries of all sorts, and I heard several most interesting discussions on the best way to can these woodland fruits.

We visited the  Sudaten-German settlement at Tupper Creek, and were struck by the contented look of the new settlers, who had decorated their wooden houses with spruce garlands in our honor. These settlers are anxious to learn English, and I was able to send them several dictionaries  and phrase books in German and English. The Women's Institute and the Handicraft Association of Edmonton have undertaken to plan a winter programme of handicraft work for the women of the settlement.

I was very much interested in the home spun wool for socks and jerseys shown to me by Mrs. Tuck of Pouce Coupe, at the Women's Institute exhibition I attended. That strikes me as a very useful war-time activity, as it may not be easy to get enough knitting wool to supply the needs of war-time knitters. The home-spun wools are soft and should knit up well.

I met many Women's Institute members who were very keen on their meetings, and looked forward to them each month, and I felt that there was a magnificent “institute spirit” of sharing knowledge and of helpfulness among the Peace River groups.

In the country districts we saw the golden harvest framed in bare green hills, and the Peace River flowing through terraced hill country. It looks deceptively  smooth, and it is only when you embark upon it in a boat and look at it closely that you  see how strong is the current and how dangerous it would be to trust one's self to it if you were not a strong swimmer.

The little boys who met us at the ferry at Dunvegan seemed quite at home in it, however, as they dived in and out from a boat. “Welcome to Dunvegan” was written on their bare backs respectively – one word on each of them.

The Peace River District is sometimes called “The Country of Beginning Again,” and in happier days I hope that many people may find a haven in this country with the beautiful name.

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Lord Tweedsmuir had a stroke and then a fall in which he received a serious head injury. He was given the best care possible, but passed away a few days later. Both Lord and Lady Tweedsmuir were well liked by Canadians, and the affection between the Vice Regal couple and Canadians in general was well known.

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Ruth Fenner; Provincial Historian, British Columbia Women's Institute