What Can the Women Do? Women and Co-operatives

10/28/2026

So excited to share in Mabou on Sunday at Mabou Gaelic & Historical Society-An Drochaid

Join us in welcoming Assistant Professor at St. FU, Robin Neustaeter, to at An Drochaid Museum.
On November 1 at 2 PM, Robin will present her lecture "What can the Women do?: Women in the Antigonish Movement.
Women’s history is community history. This presentation highlights women’s work in the credit unions, consumercooperatives, and adult education of the Antigonish Movementfrom 1930 to 1950, with attention to the women of Inverness County. These women were organizers, advocates, educators, and leaders in the movement and their communities. To succeed, the Antigonish Movement needed women to be involved, yet in the movement women faced barriers to their full participation. What can we learn from the women in the Antigonish Movement to support the change we strive for in our communities today?

Robin Neustaeter is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Adult Education at St.F.X. Her research focuses on women’s work and learning to address the challenges and issues in their communities to build social justice and peace. Robin grew up in a small town in Manitoba and now lives in Antigonish.

Tea will be served.

10/26/2026

Getting ready for my presentation at Mabou Gaelic & Historical Society-An Drochaid on Sunday.

Of the 100 active credit unions in the research area in 1946, 20 had a woman as president or treasurer. Women were president and treasurer of the Canso and St. Joseph's (Petit-de-Grat) credit unions. In Guysborough county, 54% of credit unions had a woman as president or treasurer (or both as in Canso). That's the highest ratio across the research area and Nova Scotia.

10/17/2026

Excited to share the news! Upcoming What Can the Women Do? Women and the Antigonish Movement talk November 1 2 pm @ Mabou Gaelic & Historical Society-An Drochaid.

Join us for one of our many offerings at an Drochaid this Fall! We will be posting more details on each individual event in the coming days, but we wanted to give you the chance to mark your calendars. Nach tig sibh ann?

07/23/2026

‘Writing for their lives’ invites us to think about women’s writing in the Antigonish Movement as crucial for economic and social change. From speeches, pamphlets, radio shows, and newspaper articles, to lyrics and scripts, to meeting minutes, credit union ledgers and grocery lists (and more), women’s ’ordinary’ writing helped push this movement forward every day. When it comes to critical consumer literacy, may we never underestimate the lowly grocery list.

It is an honour to be included in this Visionary Feminisms special issue of the Canadian Women’s Study Journal

This article is not open access, yet you can read the abstract.

With this special issue, centred on the theme of Visionary Feminisms, we commemorate Luciana Ricciutelli, longtime Editor-in-Chief extraordinaire of Inanna Publications and Canadian Woman Studies/ les cahiers de la femme. In honour of Lu’s work and legacy, we have gathered contributions here by sc...

07/17/2026

You can now read about 'What can the women do' in the latest issue of the Journal of Cooperative Studies...

‘What can the women do’? Women in the Antigonish Movement (1930s – 1950s) in northeastern Nova Scotia, Canada

07/02/2026

This show is coming to Mabou July 7! Women in Inverness county were active in the cooperatives. For example Mary Anne Parker, mother and farmer, of Brook Village was the treasurer of the Brook Village credit union in 1946-1949 at least (according to what’s been found in the archives).

From Company Road and Colindale Road and all around Port Hood, Judique and Mabou, they are coming to meet the Keppoch folk, hear the Coady message and see the Murphys dance. Tickets at Strathspey Performing Arts Centre. Show is July 7 at 7 pm and it will be the talk of the town!

06/07/2026

You can now catch this show in Mabou! Moses Coady and the Sisters of St. Martha go to the Keppoch goes to the Strathspey Performing Arts Centre!
Inverness county has a rich and fascinating co-operative movement story!

It was a lovely night with JP Cormier last night, with lots of personal stories and special moments. Thanks to one and all who came to the theatre for the show! Now we are getting ready to host a new Ships of 1801 Society production featuring Margaree's own Father Moses Coady! July 7th at 7 pm is the show and tickets are on sale NOW! https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/moses-coady-and-the-sisters-of-st-martha-go-to-the-keppoch-registration-1991005281393?aff=oddtdtcreator

06/02/2026

Sister Irene Doyle was an artist in the Antigonish Movement. Her work is found on numerous Extension pamphlets and the famous banner outlining the goals and actions of the movement. Now we can see more of her art, and the art of more Marthas, at the People’s Place library in Antigonish in June and July 2026.

Psst - that original banner that went to community mass meetings and short courses in the 1930s and after is hanging in the Angus MacDonald library at StFX.

As part of CSM 125th Anniversary celebrations, we are pleased to present "Made by a Martha: Artistic Expressions of the Sisters of St. Martha", an art exhibit on display from June through July 2026 at@The People's Place: Antigonish Town and County Library. Through six interpretive panels, the exhibit highlights the artistic lives and creative works of Sisters Irene Doyle, Inez Grant, and Adele Cormier, while also exploring landscapes, needle arts, and spirituality. We invite you to visit the Antigonish Library and experience the creativity of these talented Marthas as we celebrate 125 years of service and community.

05/17/2026

People are storied beings. We tell stories to learn, remember, make meaning, and build identities and connections

Thank you Duncan MacDonald for your work to write this story of the Antigonish Movement into a script and the Ships of 1801 Concert for bringing it to the stage! ( and for coming to our presentation at Antigonish Heritage Museum in October).

And thank you to Let's Talk Antigonish for this story of stories.

Duncan MacDonald discusses Antigonish's beloved community theatre production

05/05/2026

Super excited to see that this summer, The Antigonish Movement is coming to the stage! These annual shows blend fact, imagination and music to tell local history. If you are interested in going, it's recommended to get tickets early as they sell out.