Canadian Martyrs Page Nine

Parish Credit Union

In the Spring of 1954, with the encouragement of Father Herlihy, a group of parishioners began a series of home workshops to familiarize themselves with the history, the philosophy and the mechanics of credit union operation. After several weeks of preparation, application was made to the Government of Ontario for a charter for the new credit union. The charter was granted on July 14, 1954, and the parish credit union came into being. Members' savings were used to make provident loans to members needing financial assistance.

Competition from other lending institutions and credit unions and diminishing membership, necessitated the closing of the Credit Union.

Parent- Teacher Association

The Federation of Catholic Parent-Teacher Association of Ontario was established in 1949 and diocesan councils and local PTA's were formed within the next year. The basic function of these associations was to promote the development of a better Catholic school system by bridging the gap between home and school and by obtaining much needed financial aid from the provincial government.

With Father Herlihy as spiritual director, and the strong support of Miss Cecilia Rowan, principal of Canadian Martyrs School for many years, the local Parent-Teacher Association was formed. For many years, the PTA, through the diocesan council and the federation, pressed for greater provincial aid to Separate Schools and for improvements at the municipal level, including expansion of physical education facilities in the Separate Schools. A notable accomplishment at the federation level was the introduction of the Christopher course to provide Catholic laity with an opportunity to learn the techniques of leadership.

The local PT A ceased to function some time ago. Some of its functions were carried on by a Parent Advisory Committee which was formed on the initiative of the principal of Canadian Martyrs School. It endeavoured to help out, where possible, in the smooth operation of the school by providing a means of coordination between the teaching staff and the parents.

Canadian Martyrs School was closed in June 1983 and the remaining children were reassigned to Corpus Christi and St. Margaret Mary Schools.

The Girl Guides and the Brownies

The 31st Canadian Martyrs Girl Guides Company was established in 1938 under the sponsorship of the parish Catholic Women's League. It continued to be quite active for some 40 years until it was disbanded owing to lack of enrolment.

The 31st Canadian Martyrs Brownie Pack, also sponsored by the Catholic Women's League, was formed on March 16, 1949. The pack was disbanded temporarily in 1951, reformed in 1958, but is no longer active in the parish.

The Boy Scouts and the Cubs

The Canadian Martyrs 33rd Scout Group was formed in March 1945 with
the issuance of an official charter by the Ottawa District Council Scout Headquarters. This followed a considerable amount of preparatory work by a group of dedicated parish members who later formed the first Scout Group Committee in the parish. Father Herlihy, as in so many cases, had been the moving spirit in having this service set up for the boys of his new parish.

Like the Girl Guides and Brownies, the Boy Scouts and Cubs are no longer active in the parish.

Continue to the next page