This is our Club statue. It’s called “Discourse” and portrays three women with arms extended toward each other. The artist is Mary Hecht (1931-2013), an American-born Canadian sculptor, educated in the USA before coming to Canada to work and teach at McLaughlin College, York University.

In 1976, CFUW National had a newly elected President, Jean Steer, who was very concerned with the issues of Canadian regionalism, especially Quebec Nationalism. When the Parti Québécois came to power in Quebec with the aim of separating from Canada, Jean decided to get CFUW involved. She obtained a grant from the Secretary of State to be used to assist clubs and regions to hold mini conferences on Canadian unity, coinciding with the federal government’s Task Force on Canadian Unity, chaired by Jean-Luc Pepin, former federal cabinet minister, and John Robarts, former Ontario premier.

CFUW Etobicoke, along with neighbouring clubs, cooperated in a Quebec-Toronto mini-conference in 1978, and entertained eight Quebec City FCFDU guests at our annual banquet at the Old Mill, where Mme. Solange Chaput-Rolland (1919-2001: journalist, author, lecturer, politician, and Senator), was the guest speaker.

The door prize was Mary Hecht’s statue, representing dialogue – person-to-person – a fitting symbol for the goal of cooperation, understanding and national unity. It was won by one of our members. However, rather than that person keeping the statue, it was given to the Club. Since then each President has had it in her possession for the duration of her term.

How lucky we are to have this statue made by such a passionate, talented artist!

Learn more about Mary Hecht on these CBC videos: Mary Hecht’s friend Brian Borts on her art and Artists ‘better protected’ against dementia, study finds.