Stories

Stories tagged: domestic work

A photograph of Robert Goulet in a suit with slicked-back hair speaking to Laura Lindsay, who is elegantly dressed in front of a fireplace.

Laura Lindsay, First Lady of Daytime TV in Alberta from 1955-68

Katherine Koller

When Sunwapta Broadcasting first produced local television in Edmonton in 1954, CFRN aimed daytime programs at the homemaker audience. Laura Banks was the popular face of this programming from 1955-1968, under the stage name Laura Lindsay. Decades after her death, she remains well-loved by women who tuned in for her sewing and cooking demonstrations and celebrity interviews.

Around fifty women gathered in front of a wooden building. Included in the crowd are young children, smiling mothers, and older women. They are dressed in simple but comfortable-looking clothes, with some women holding babies.

Making Home: The Role of Homemakers’ Clubs in Life on Reserve

Shayne Giles

Women like Emma Minde joined Homemakers’ Clubs to overcome isolation by doing work like sewing, canning, and charity drives together. Indian Affairs required its approval to start these clubs though, and used them to monitor members’ activities.