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Nellie McClung's Grandaughter Marcia and Grandson David and former Manitou Resident Joanne Rodeck, who helped plan the design and pick out the material to make the dress.
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Nellie McClung's Grandaughter Marcia and Grandson David and former Manitou Resident Joanne Rodeck, who helped plan the design and pick out the material to make the dress.
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The Manitou Nellie McClung Heritage Site (NMHS) held its annual 'Lilac & Lace Luncheon' fundraiser to celebrate Nellie McClung's 150th birthday. The event took place on Thursday at Winnipeg's historic Metropolitan, where the sold-out event brought people together to do more than raise money, according to NMHS Co-Chair Barbara Biggar. 

"This was a crowd of men and women - 'fair-minded women,' as Marcia Mcclung reminded us, of individuals who wanted to come and gather as part of a collective, to say, 'Women's voices matter, women's voices need to be heard, and we still have work to do.' So, it was very moving because there were so many people dedicated to the cause and we welcomed them into Nellie McClung's family today from all walks of life, all ages across the spectrum of our community. That's what made today special."  

A wedding dress exhibit, spanning 150 years, welcomed guests to the historic landmark where guest speaker Marcia Mcclung, Nellie's youngest granddaughter, shared stories about her grandmother and challenged the crowd to continue the work toward gender equity for all women. Some of the donors of the dresses attended the event and were honoured to make a contribution to the "I Do" exhibit. 

Marcia shared her thoughts on this event being held in Nellie's honour to mark her 150th birthday. 

"That's right, can you imagine,150? And to raise money for further restoration and work in Manitou. She would have been thrilled to think that that 150 years after her time, that she was being honoured and her ideas. What she'd be pleased about is that her ideas, they're still relevant and alive, and there's still progress, even if there's no progress on temperance."  

Marcia's brother, David, was also in attendance at the event. They are the children of McClung's youngest son, Mark, the only child of five, not born in Manitou. He was born in Winnipeg. 

Biggar told the crowd she hoped they would be inspired or inspire others, before they left the luncheon, as she was inspired by Nellie. 

"I grew up in a family with no financial means, but when I looked around Manitou, I saw her everywhere. It was the name of our high school. I did documentaries on her and the more I learned about her, the more she influenced me. And I thought, 'Here was a young woman, 16 when she came to Manitou, no phones, no computers. She had a horse and the train, and that took her around the world, and across Canada, and across the prairies, to be an international icon. She changed my life. We talked about inspiration, Nellie Mcclung inspired me to dream, and to work hard, and to try to achieve things for myself, for my family, for my community. That's the message we're trying to deliver to people about Nellie." 

 

Biggar's sister, Joanne Rodeck helped plan the design and pick out the material to make the Nellie McClung dress on display. They did this by meeting in parking lots during the pandemic in the winter. Biggar is grateful for all the volunteers who help keep Nellie's legacy going past, present and future.  

Manitoba, Metis soprano, Camryn Dewar wore a red dress to signify the work still needing to be done for the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Girls and Two Spirited People. She sang an inspiring rendition of “A Million Dreams” with lyrics tailored to the event and the work of McClung. 

Marcia told the crowd she believed her grandmother's biggest accomplishment was getting some women the right to vote, although she carried disappointment with the work still needing to be done beyond her lifetime. While there were many victories, she did have many disappointments too. 

"She never stopped, in spite of any kind of opposition. She'd never stopped working for the vote, working for the Famous Five to get women admitted to the Senate. So, she saw it as a long stream of inequities that she would be a part of, but she also liked to get other people to work with her."  

When asked what she would say to her grandmother, if she could talk to her today, she replied, "Oh, I'd say, 'I hope you're happy with how we've taken on your mantle and we still have more to do, but you set us on the right course." 

For the full interview with Marcia McClung listen to the podcast here:

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