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Betty Joyce (Curran) Carter was born in Dartsmouth, Nova Scotia in 1933. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Mount St. Vincent University in 1972 and a Master's of Social World from Dalhousie University in 1974. She then moved to St. Catherine's, Ontario to be supervisor of the Special Child Abuse team at the Family and Children's Services of the Niagara. In 1984 she began her PhD at the University of Toronto and obtained her degree in 1990. She worked under the mentorship of Margit Eichler, Dorothy Smith and later Gillian Walker. Her thesis was entitled "But You Should Have Known: Child Sexual Abuse and the Non-Offending Mother." This was later published as a book titled "Who's to Blame?" In the 1990s Carter, along with Dr. Brian O'Neill, developed a course in LGBT issues for the School of Social Work at the University of British Columbia, the first of it's kind in Canada.
In 1995, she served as research associate to the Gove Inquiry into the death of a child known to child welfare services in BC. The Inquiry operated under the leadership of Justice Thomas Gove.
Betty Joyce Carter retired from UBC in 1998, the same year she would have gone up for tenure. In her retirement, she contributed to the Gay & Lesbian Centre in Vancouver in their development of social service outreach. She died in Vancouver on September 27, 2024.

"In early 1972, a group of women formed the Ottawa Women's Centre Association and drafted a proposal for a centre which would allow women to meet and pool their skills and resources. The Ottawa Women's Centre (OWC) was the result of their proposal. The Centre offered a space for meetings, counselling, training and education, and it became the hub of women's liberation activity in Ottawa from its opening in July 1972 until its demise in 1980.
Like many grassroots feminist organizations of the 1970s, the Women's Centre wanted to avoid traditional methods of organizing; the aim was to leave as much power as possible in the hands of the members themselves. Consequently, the OWC was structured as a collective, run by staff, volunteers and members together, and using consensus to decide on centre policy and direction. However, as the Women's Centre grew, the need for more structured organization became apparent, and while the collective structure was maintained, in 1974 a Policy Committee was elected to be in charge of the major decisions. It was also decided, in 1973, that the centre would be off limits to men.
The Women's Centre offered various services which revolved mainly around crisis help, counselling, information and support of various kinds. They were also very active in the community, helping to organize a number of events, such as the Native Women's March to Ottawa in 1979, protests against federal cutbacks affecting poor women, and ""reclaim the night"" parades. They inspired, supported and helped to organize many other women's organizations in the Ottawa community, such as the Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre, Women's Career Counselling, Interval House and Upstream, a women's newspaper. In 1975, the scope of their programs had grown so large that it was decided to split the two components of service and action. At that time, Women's Info, Referral and Counselling became a separate organization while continuing to share the same space and Policy Committee.
Financial support for the OWC came from a number of sources, including individual donations and support from other community organizations such as the Ottawa Women's Business and Professional Club. A major fundraising drive and benefit events were held in 1973, 1974 and 1976. The OWC also received grant money through the International Women's Year Program, the Local Initiatives Program and the City of Ottawa. In 1975, they were awarded a $10,000 grant from the Regional Municipality on the condition that they incorporate and register as a charitable institution. However, this decision was strongly opposed by some members who saw the potential for serious problems in reliance on government funding. These problems were illustrated the following year when the same grant was revoked. Although the decision was later reversed, the OWC was temporarily thrown into a funding crisis by the controversy.
In 1978 an open meeting was called to discuss the future of the OWC and it was decided that they would work towards becoming self-sufficient. A Business Committee was formed to help with this goal, and the result was the creation of Chez Nous, a small cafe which opened on the premises in February 1979. It was hoped that revenues from Chez Nous would allow the centre to survive without government support. Unfortunately, difficulties connected to their application for a liquor license threw them into even deeper financial trouble and they were forced to close in May 1980.
The OWC had various locations throughout its history. In 1972 they operated out of an old garage on Lewis Street; they moved to a new location at 821 Somerset Street West, where they remained until June 1978. In February 1979 they had found a new location at 410 Queen Street, which included space for Chez Nous.
The Women’s Place / Place aux femmes (fonds 10-020) was opened in 1986, after extensive feasibility studies and community surveys to determine exactly what type of service should be offered in Ottawa. The basic organisation, philosophy and services of Women’s Place were very similar to those of the previous Ottawa Women’s Centre, but there was more emphasis on meeting the needs of diverse groups of women in the community, and on working together with other organisations and agencies.
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Au début de l'année 1972, un groupe de femmes a formé l'Association du Centre des femmes d'Ottawa et a rédigé un projet de centre qui permettrait aux femmes de se rencontrer et de mettre en commun leurs compétences et leurs ressources. Le Centre des femmes d'Ottawa (CFO) est le résultat de cette proposition. Le Centre offre un espace pour les réunions, le conseil, la formation et l'éducation, et il devient le centre des activités de libération des femmes à Ottawa, de son ouverture en juillet 1972 jusqu'à sa disparition en 1980.
Comme beaucoup d'organisations féministes de base des années 1970, le Centre des femmes voulait éviter les méthodes traditionnelles d'organisation ; l'objectif était de laisser le plus de pouvoir possible entre les mains des membres elles-mêmes. Par conséquent, l'OWC était structuré comme un collectif, dirigé par le personnel, les bénévoles et les membres ensemble, et utilisant le consensus pour décider de la politique et de l'orientation du centre. Cependant, au fur et à mesure que le Centre des femmes se développe, le besoin d'une organisation plus structurée se fait sentir et, bien que la structure collective soit maintenue, un Comité de politique est élu en 1974 pour prendre les décisions les plus importantes. Il a également été décidé, en 1973, que le centre serait interdit aux hommes.
Le Centre des femmes offrait divers services qui tournaient principalement autour de l'aide en cas de crise, du conseil, de l'information et du soutien sous diverses formes. Il était également très actif au sein de la communauté, contribuant à l'organisation d'un certain nombre d'événements, tels que la marche des femmes autochtones vers Ottawa en 1979, les manifestations contre les coupes budgétaires fédérales touchant les femmes pauvres et les défilés ""Reclaim the night"" (récupérer la nuit). Elles ont inspiré, soutenu et aidé à organiser de nombreuses autres organisations de femmes dans la communauté d'Ottawa, telles que le Rape Crisis Centre, Women's Career Counselling, Interval House et Upstream, un journal de femmes. En 1975, la portée de leurs programmes s'est tellement élargie qu'il a été décidé de scinder les deux composantes que sont le service et l'action. À cette époque, Women's Info, Referral and Counselling devient une organisation distincte, tout en continuant à partager les mêmes locaux et le même comité d'orientation.
Le soutien financier du CFO provient d'un certain nombre de sources, notamment de dons individuels et du soutien d'autres organisations communautaires telles que l'Ottawa Women's Business and Professional Club. Une grande campagne de collecte de fonds et des événements de bienfaisance ont été organisés en 1973, 1974 et 1976. L'OWC a également reçu des subventions du Programme de l'Année internationale de la femme, du Programme d'initiatives locales et de la Ville d'Ottawa. En 1975, la municipalité régionale lui accorde une subvention de 10 000 $ à condition qu'il se constitue en société et s'enregistre en tant qu'organisme de bienfaisance. Cependant, certains membres s'opposent fermement à cette décision, estimant que la dépendance à l'égard des fonds publics risque d'entraîner de graves problèmes. Ces problèmes ont été illustrés l'année suivante lorsque la même subvention a été révoquée. Bien que la décision ait été annulée par la suite, l'OWC a été temporairement plongé dans une crise de financement en raison de la controverse.
En 1978, une réunion publique est organisée pour discuter de l'avenir de l'OWC et il est décidé de travailler à son autosuffisance. Un comité d'entreprise a été formé pour aider à atteindre cet objectif, et le résultat a été la création de Chez Nous, un petit café qui a ouvert ses portes dans les locaux en février 1979. On espérait que les revenus du Chez Nous permettraient au centre de survivre sans l'aide du gouvernement. Malheureusement, des difficultés liées à leur demande de licence de vente d'alcool les ont plongés dans des problèmes financiers encore plus graves et ils ont été contraints de fermer en mai 1980.
Le Centre des femmes d'Ottawa a occupé divers endroits tout au long de son histoire. En 1972, l'organization opère dans un ancien garage de la rue Lewis, puis déménage dans un nouveau local 821 Somerset Somerset Ouest, où il reste jusqu'en juin 1978. En février 1979, il a trouvé un nouvel emplacement au 410 Queen Street, qui comprenait un espace pour Chez Nous.
Le Women's Place / Place aux femmes (fonds 10-020) a ouvert ses portes en 1986, après des études de faisabilité approfondies et des sondages auprès de la communauté pour déterminer exactement quel type de service devrait être offert à Ottawa. L'organisation de base, la philosophie et les services de la Place aux femmes sont très semblables à ceux de l'ancien Centre des femmes d'Ottawa, mais l'accent est davantage mis sur la satisfaction des besoins des divers groupes de femmes de la communauté et sur la collaboration avec d'autres organisations et agences."

Gwen Brodsky is a lawyer, published law scholar, and recognized expert on equality rights and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms both in Canada and internationally. She was born in [add place and year] and obtained her L.L.B. in [year] from the University of Victoria, her L.L.M. in [year] from Harvard, and her PhD in [year] from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University.
Over the course of her career, Brodsky gained expertise in equality rights cases by acting as counsel to cases in the Supreme Court of Canada, including Andrews, Gosselin, Gould, Keys, McIvor, Melorin, Moore, Mossop, Swain, Thibaudeau, and Vriend, as well as appearing before commissions and treaty bodies of the United Nations and the Americas. In addition, Brodsky held the position as the first Litigation Director of the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF). Her work has primarily focused on the connections between equality rights, social and economic rights, and Indigenous rights within a constitutional and human rights context. She has also served as counsel for the Yukon Status of Women Council in Gould, as counsel to Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere (EGALE) and the “Equality Coalition” in Rosenberg, and as counsel to the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) in relation to the issue of murdered and missing Aboriginal women and girls at the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry in BC [dates] and at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights [dates]
During her participation with the Women’s Court of Canada [dates needed], Brodsky also worked together with other lawyers, academics, and litigators to rework Supreme Court of Canada equality judgements, such as that of Gosselin [other cases if needed]. Together, these women would revisit key equality-related decisions made by the Supreme Court of Canada, using equality-based arguments to rewrite these judgments, and exploring alternative outcomes. Through this process, and by creating new symbolic decisions, they challenged existing legal interpretations of equality cases and promoted a feminist perspective on equality. Brodsky also worked closely with other lawyers on human rights and equality cases, such as Martha Jackman, Shelagh Day, Rachel Cox, Claire Klassen, Mary Eberts, Nitya Iyer, Yvonne Peters, Karey Brooks, Melina Buckley, and Cynthia Peterson, among others.
Gwen Brodsky lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

"The Nellie Langford Rowell Library began its existence in 1969 with the collections of documents by the radical feminist group Toronto New Feminists. This group disbanded in 1973 and its library collection was moved the Women's Place on Dupont Street in Toronto. Afterwards, the collection was handed over to the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) of Metropolitan Toronto on Birch Street.
Upon Birch Street's Y's closure, the documents were put in storage. Joanna Stuckley, the library's first organizer, a faculty member and an advisor to the President on the Status of Women at York's University, was able to arrange for the library to be moved to York University as the York-YWCA Collection. York University has provided a budget to cover one third of its library expenses. In 1985, 1987 and 1994, a donation by Mary Coyne Rowell, through the Jackman Foundation, enabled Founder's College to establish the library on a permanent basis. The library was renamed to honour Mary Coyne Rowell Jackman's mother, Nellie Langford Rowell.
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La bibliothèque Nellie Langford Rowell a commencé son existence en 1969 avec les collections de documents du groupe féministe radical Toronto New Feminists. Ce groupe s'est dissous en 1973 et sa collection a été transférée au Women's Place, rue Dupont, à Toronto. Par la suite, la collection a été remise à la Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) du Toronto métropolitain, rue Birth.
À la fermeture du Y de Birch Street, les documents ont été entreposés. Joanna Stuckley, la première organisatrice de la bibliothèque, membre de la faculté et conseillère du président sur le statut des femmes à l'université de York, a pu faire en sorte que la bibliothèque soit transférée à l'université de York sous le nom de York-YWCA Collection. L'université de York a fourni un budget pour couvrir un tiers des dépenses de la bibliothèque. En 1985, 1987 et 1994, un don de Mary Coyne Rowell, par l'intermédiaire de la Fondation Jackman, a permis au Founder's College d'établir la bibliothèque de façon permanente. La bibliothèque a été rebaptisée en l'honneur de la mère de Mary Coyne Rowell Jackman, Nellie Langford Rowell."

Imrich Stolárik was born on January 16th, 1899 in the village of Turzovka, Žilina (Slovakia). During World War I, the Stolárik family suffered from terrible want and deprivation, but in 1919, Imrich Stolárik pursued his education, winning scholarships and taking part in the emerging literary and cultural life of Slovakia. He graduated from the Ján Palárik in Žilina in 1928. For two years he taught school in the villages of Divina and Dlhé Pole in the former Trenčin county and later became a notary. He served in the Czechoslovak army where he reached the rank of sergeant, and after his discharge, he worked for the Czechoslovak and Slovak Department of Taxation.
As World War II ended, Imrich and his wife Margita (Vavro) fled with their six children to Austria where they lived in refugee camps until 1951. In that year, the Stolárik family immigrated to Canada. Living in Hull, Québec (Canada) and working as a labourer, Mr. Stolárik supported his family, studied at night and learned the English language and the Canadian system of accounting. Finally, in 1959, he passed the Civil Service exams and obtained employment at the Dominion Bureau of Statistics in Ottawa, where he worked until his retirement in 1974.
As a strong Slovak nationalist, Imrich Stolárik championed the right of the Slovaks to their independence until they achieved it in 1993. In 1951, he founded the Ottawa Branch of the Canadian Slovak League (CSL) and was its president from 1954 to 1997. In 1963, he was elected to the national Executive Board of the League, rose to Vice-President in 1974 and President in 1978. In 1987, Stolárik was elected Honorary President for Life. He also supported the Slovak World Congress (Svetový Kongres Slovákov (SKS)) and the Slovak Studies Association (SSA)
A prolific writer, Imrich Stolárik participated in the literary of Slovakia while at home and abroad. In Žilina, he served as Secretary of the Anton Bernolák Literary Society. After he emigrated, he contributed hundreds of political and literary articles to the newspapers Kanadský Slovák, Jednota, Slovák v Amerike, Katolícky Sokol and was for many years, the Chair of Kanadský Slovák’s Editorial Board. He was also one of its most prolific contributors of articles and a generous contributor of financial support. Furthermore, he contributed to Kalendár Kanadskej slovenskej ligy to Jednota katolícky kalendár and to Národny kalendár.
Mr. Stolárik also produced several books on the Canadian Slovak League (CSL), on Canadian Slovaks and on Slovak life in Canada. His enthusiasm for Slovak traditions and his spirit of multiculturalism also inspired Mr. Stolárik to launch the monthly Slovak spectrum television program, still being broadcast monthly on Rogers Cable Television. In 1980, he helped set up a Slovak school for young members of the community, which also continues. He was a major sponsor of the Chair in Slovak History and Culture at the University of Ottawa.

Ján Okáľ, a Slovak poet and political writer, was born on November 25th, 1915 in Hubová, Žilina (Slovakia). Upon the completion of his studies at Turčianske Teplice’s teachers’ college, he first worked as a teacher followed by a position at Matica slovenská in Bratislava. In additional to his employment, Ján Okáľ published his first two poetry collection Nehnem sa (I will not move) in 1942 and L’ubosť (Love) in 1944.
After the Second World War, Ján Okáľ fled Slovakia and first settling in Austria. Afterwards, je joined Assisi’s Slovak emigrant community in Umbria (Italy) consisting of Ján L. Doránsky and his family, Jozef Varinský, Andrej Cinčura and Jozef Martinka. After spending some years in Italy, Ján Okáľ finally settled in the United States, first living in Berwyn and then Chicago, where he resumed his studies in teaching at the University of Chicago. He eventually chose the United States and settled in Berwyn and finally in Chicago. All though his years in the United States, he exchanged with Slovak personalities in North America and abroad, among others, Ernest Žatko (pen name: Ján E. Bor), Imrich Kružliak (pen name: Marian Žiar), Gorazd Zvonický (pen name: Andrej Šandor), L’udovit Kandra (pen name: Peter Klas), Ignác Zelenska (pen name: Eugen Vesnin) and Ján L. Doránsky (pen names: JED, J.D. Harmonik, J.D. Oravec and J.O. Ravec).
In the North American Slovak community, Ján Okáľ was known for his editorial work for Slovak newspapers and periodical. Between 1951 and 1958, he was one of the editors of the newspaper Slovák v Amerike. From 1979 onwards, he became the editor of the Slovak World Congress (SWC)’s official publication Bulletin. During his tenure, Ján Okáľ brought to life several SWC events, among others, annual general meetings, the First, Second, Third, Fourth World Festival of Slovak Youth, the Canadian International Triennial of Slovak Art, the Slovak Graduation Ball and the 50th anniversary of Slovak Independence.
Ján Okáľ is most famous for his poetry on the emigration experience of Slovaks and his works various Slovak personalities. In exile, he wrote several poetry collections, some with Jozef G. Cincík’s illustrations, among others Voda a vino detailing Ján Okáľ’s experience in Italy and Velký kalendár kočura na roky. He also wrote memoirs on Slovak intellectuals, such as Jozef G. Cincík in the biography Dr. Jozef G. Cincík pútnik dvoch svetov (Dr. Jozef G. Cincik, a pilgrim of two worlds) in 1980, the books Leto na Traume (Summer at Traume) in 1986 and Výpredaj l’udkosti (The sale of humanity) in 1989. Ján Okáľ passed away on March 19th, 1990 in Chicago, Illiinois (United States).

Karol (Charles) Murín was born in 1913 in Slovakia. After obtaining his Doctorate of Law from the University of Bratislava, he studied in Paris. From 1939 to 1945, he was the personal secretary to Dr. Jozef Tiso, president of the wartime Slovak Republic.
In 1948, he arrived in Canada with his wife Isabella and daughter Janina. To his European degrees, he added a M.A. and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Montréal. A few years after his arrival, he started teaching philosophy at the University of Montréal, where he taught until retirement.
A specialist on Nietzsche and Thomas Aquinas, Dr. Mikuš published Nitzsche problème: généalogie d’une pensée (Paris, 1979). In the French periodical Étude d’histoire littéraire et doctrine appeared his extensive study “De l’être moral dans l’œuvre de St. Thomas” (Paris, 1962). He also wrote Zahraničí matica slovenská (1987), later published under the new title Priatelia prezidenta Tisu (1991, 1992) and in English under the title "Remembrances and testimony: Dr. Jozef Tiso and the Slovak Republic, 1939-45)" (1992). His scholarly writings also include numerous articles and book reviews for Slovak newspapers such as Kanadský Slovák, Slobodné Slovensko and the English quarterly Slovakia. Professor Murín passed away on July 17th, 1998 at the age of 85.