Mrs. Kemp's boarding house and ladies-only dining room



Winnipeg Free Press,
November 13, 1914

Mrs. Kemp's boarding house and ladies-only dining room

Location: 277 Donald Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Opened/Closed: Around 1914


We've reported on several women-only boarding houses, at least one of which has been documented as a lesbian space (see Edith Mary Chapman's Boarding House in Salt Lake City).

Donald Street - Winnipeg (1910)

Mrs. Kemp's boarding house is interesting in that it explicitly advertises its ladies dining room as ladies only:

Also Mrs. Kemp has opened a ladies' dining room in connection, and would be pleased to see old friends and new ones looking for a select dining room for ladies only.

This is more unusual than you might think. Typically, ladies dining rooms were designed for "unescorted" women and women in the company of men, as women were typically not admitted into "regular" (male-only) eating and drinking establishments.

Lady bicyclists in Winnipeg (1900)

The result, as we have seen in many cases, were so-called ladies restaurants and cafes that were--paradoxically--dominated by men. (See this 1885 complaint from a woman in New York City.)  

In addition, the dining areas, parlors, and other semi-public rooms in most women's hotels, dormitories, and the like were usually considered "co-ed" spaces where women might entertain a beau. It seems, however, that Mrs. Kemp had no interest in any (male) suitors or "friends" mucking about her establishment.

Though Mrs. Kemp doesn't explicitly say that her boarding house is women-only, I think it is safe to assume that it was, given that men were explicitly not invited to any meals in her dining room.

Ms. Purdy's Women's Club

Ms. Purdy's Women's Club

Ms. Purdy's Women's Club

Location: 226 Main Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (1984-1990); 272 Sherbrook Street (1990-2002)

Opened: Established 1983; opened January 1984

Closed: August 2002

When she finally shut her doors for the last time, Ms. Purdy's was Canada's oldest lesbian bar--this according to the Rainbow Resource Centre. (However, they also report--erroneously--that the bar opened in 1974, not 1984.)

Here's how Gay-MART listed her back in the day:

Ms Purdy's Women's Club 226 Main, R3C 1A8, (204) 989-2344. Lesbian-owned or operated. Lesbian clientele, Gay men welcome Friday nights. Wheelchair accessible. Dancing, Pool Table, Games.

And Roughguide:

Ms Purdy's 226 Main St 204/989-2344 Long-running women-only lesbian bar

Fortunately there is a bit more detail in this piece from 2000, that apparently appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press. (I say "apparently" because it's quoted in a Google group where the men are whining about all-women spaces and whether they should be "allowed.")

Ms. Purdys
In a city with so many live venues, Ms Purdy's remains a relatively unexploited gem. That's to be expected, since this intimate downtown space only allows men inside once a week.
Nevertheless the venue that claims to be North Americas longest running women's club is trying to expand its clientele by booking live acts a few times a month. Given the location and the atmosphere, this place deserves serious consideration as a jazz Winnipeg venue.

226 Main Street - Winnipeg today

"By its nature Ms Purdy's is a very exclusive place," says manager Rachael Stone. "We want women to feel comfortable there, but we also want men to feel comfortable on certain nights- we don't want this to be a clique."
Males are allowed in for all live performances. The next one is Nov 23 when Winnipeg singer songwriter Karen Kosowski takes the stage.

Another commentator at the same site reports the following (which may or may not be true). If true, though, this certainly illustrates the precarious existence of a lesbian bar:

272 Sherbrook Street today
Integrow Multicultural Job Centre

Ms. Purdy's was in its first form a dyke bar, it closed down for a couple of years and was rented by a couple of bands as a rehearsal space - one of those bands was mine. We had big parties in there, essentially social events with tickets, cash bar and stuff - usually to pay rent for the rehearsal space.
Thankfully, no one ever busted us for holding these events without all the required paperwork.
The place was cool, it had filthy bathrooms, a walk-in beer cooler, nice bar with draught taps and a fair amount of space. But, all good things come to and end and the dyke faction collected enough money to re-open the club known as Ms. Purdy's. Landlord opted for lesbians instead of rock bands as preferred tenants. Understandably so.

We are probably on surer footing with this information from the University of Manitoba library archives:

Shortly after The Winnipeg Women’s Building closed, a lesbian venue called Ms. Purdy's opened at 266 Main Street in January of 1984 and provided space for women artists to perform. By April, the club had more than 200 members and continued to thrive as the only lesbian social space in Winnipeg. Ms. Purdy's relocated to 272 Sherbrook Street in 1990 where it remained until it closed in August of 2002.

And finally, this is how Ms. Purdy's described herself:

Established in 1983, Ms. Purdy's Women's Club is North America's oldest continuously-run women's club and the only club of its kind in Manitoba. As a not-for-profit private club, it is owned by its membership, who elects representatives to the Board of Directors annually. As the directing force of the organization, the Board oversees the aims and undertakings of the Club and is responsible to the general membership. Members are encouraged to participate, by attending monthly Board meetings, forums and the Annual General Meeting , as well joining committees to help the Club function and succeed. Operated by minimal staff, Ms. Purdy's relies on volunteers for everything from bartending to carpentry to fundraising to event planning. It strives to offer employment and training to as many women as possible and there are many opportunity to get involved. Ms. Purdy's strives to maintain facilities which provide the opportunity for women to meet on a casual basis in a comfortable social atmosphere. Whether it's quiet conversation over a drink, a pool game or a night of dancing, Ms. Purdy's offers a safe and welcoming environment. Through diverse programming, Ms. Purdy's also provides a unique and intimate space for women performers and artists to be recognized. From musical concerts to drag shows, poetry readings to film viewings, workshops to performance art, Ms. Purdy's aims to offer a wide variety of events which appeal to a broad audience. Ms. Purdy's works to cooperate with other organizations having concerns for the interests of women and the community. It offers a free space for fundraising and other social events and works hard to serve and strengthen ties with the community, resource centres, community members and many not-for-profit organizations. In 2001, Ms. Purdy's celebrated its 18th birthday, marking a turning point in the Club's history. Without the tireless and often-unheralded efforts of the many women who have spent much of their lives volunteering time and expertise to maintaining this Club, Ms. Purdy's would not exist. Eighteen years ago, 100 strong and dedicated women came together to build an organization that would serve the needs of the community while still offering a fun and interesting space. One can only hope that in another 18 years, Ms. Purdy's doors will still be open for all who wish to enjoy it. Alas, she was to live for only another year....

Mary-Martha Home

Mary-Martha Home

Mary-Martha Home

Location: 437 Mountain Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Founded: 1925

Closed: 1959

From the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encylopedia:

Established in 1925, Mary-Martha Home was a social and spiritual centre for young Mennonite women who moved to Winnipeg to work as domestic servants. The Home was an outgrowth of the Winnipeg city mission of the Mennonite Brethren Northern District Conference. Anna Thiessen, a Mennonite Brethren (MB) missionary in Winnipeg, began a Thursday evening sewing circle for Mennonite women around 1916 and within nine years this sewing circle had expanded in size and function to become the Mary-Martha Home. At first rooms were rented, but in the early 1930s a house at 437 Mountain Avenue was purchased, providing a home for young Mennonite women working in the city.

Source: "The City Mission in Winnipeg" (CMBS)

While a small number of young women did live in the house for longer periods of time, the home served mainly as short-term accommodation for young women who were in between jobs or for those who were newly arrived in the city and looking for employment. The Home provided a place for young women to gather and socialize on their days off, and regular Bible studies were held by Mennonite ministers. The Mary-Martha Home also served as an employment agency, helping young women find work and, when the need arose, removing young women from working situations in which they were mistreated. The Dorcas Circle, organized in 1929, arranged for the young women to do handwork for mission or relief and for visiting the sick. Anna J. Thiessen was matron of the home 1925-47. Other workers in the Home included Mary Klassen (married name Wiens), Katie Guenther (Neufeld), Sarah Warkentin (Voth), Elizabeth Unruh (Friesen), Lena Isaak (Sawatzky), Tina Friesen, Mary Klassen, Lena Bargen, Bettie Enns, Anne Thiessen, Elsie Falk, Martha Thiessen (Schulz), Katie Fast, and others.

Source:"The City Mission in Winnipeg" (CMBS)

In 1948 supervision of the Mary-Martha Home was taken over by the Manitoba Provincial Conference of the MB Church. In 1949 there were 12 young women in the home, while 117 others who were working and living in other locations were connected with the home. A variety of changes after World War II, however, slowly diminished the need for the services offered by the Home. Most domestics began working only during the day and no longer lived in their employers homes. This allowed them more free time to develop their own social networks. Many Mennonite young women also began to find different kinds of employment, including work as secretaries, salesclerks, and factory workers. Since an increasing number of Mennonites were moving to the city, Mennonite churches grew rapidly and offered more developed programs for Mennonite young people in the city. When the Mary-Martha Home closed in 1959, more than 2,200 young women had benefited from its services.