Home »
Jenny Humphrey CFUW’s Woman of the Year 2013
Whether you know her from as a keen hiker, as a master gardener, volunteer with Cranbrook in Bloom, the Arts Council, a teacher, the co-founder and writer for the Cranbrook Guardian, a member of the Citizens for a Livable Cranbrook, or just your neighbour, you will appreciate the hard-working, highly ethical ways and dedication to her adopted community of 40 years that you have found in this year’s choice of Woman of the Year 2013: Jenny Humphrey.
One of the letters of support for her nomination came from Tara Gillanders. She wrote, “…Jenny takes her (volunteer) commitments to the next level.”
“We often know when we have made the best choice from the nominations we receive,” said Cathryn Henley, Chair of the Woman of the Year Committee of the CFUW Cranbrook Club, “when the response from the surprised candidate is a shocked question wondering what special thing they did!”
This was certainly the case for Jenny Humphrey when Gerry Sobie told her that not only had he put together a nomination committee for her, but she had been chosen. “I am so humbled by this,” she said.
Jenny was chosen by the Woman of the Year 2013 Committee of CFUW Cranbrook Club because of the varied volunteer work she has done recently as well as in the past several years to improve the lives of its citizens, not only visually and emotionally, but as well as in educating the community through such things as the Cranbrook Guardian blog she was instrumental in getting off the ground in April 2010, and still writes for with other volunteers.
“Although I speak my mind, I speak from the heart, say what I believe and always want to do what I consider is the right thing, the fair and proper thing,” she stated. “Doing that doesn’t always make me popular in some circles, but I feel in my heart and soul all citizens need to know all the facts about issues that come to Cranbrook. Having been honoured in such a way as the CFUW Cranbrook Club choosing to give me this award validates my beliefs and some of the things I have struggled with recently. It is actually very emotional,” she said. “Although I was never on a serious debating team, I honestly think all worthy issues deserve good discussion and all points should be heard,” she added.
One of the women who wrote letters of support in this nomination, Tara Gillanders said, “Jenny Humphrey is a force of nature and Cranbrook is a better place for it.”
Jenny comes from a long line of gardeners on her mother’s side and farmers on her father’s side. Perhaps that is why she is so grounded and knows instinctively how to get to the root of controversy and how to produce palatable results. Even more interesting, she comes from the first garden city in England, a place called Letchworth. This especially designed garden city just north of London was the first in England and the latest is a small and brand new Cranbrook in Devon! Added to that, Jenny comes from a long line of gardeners with her great grandfather being founder and chair of the London Chrysanthemum Society. On her father’s side, there were and still are farmers both in Canada and in England. Little wonder mucking about in any sort of soil and creating gorgeous results comes naturally to her.
Jenny met her husband, David, at Bath Spa University in Somerset. The Newton Park College, which she attended for her teacher’s certificate, is the one Newton Park Estate, which is owned by Prince Charles. One can just imagine the lovely setting, and yes, the gardens!
Jenny always had a hankering to come to Canada because of the connections in Saskatchewan and this province. Their first posting was in an ‘end-of-the-road’ Saskatchewan town called Goodsoil, located between Cold Lake and Meadow Lake on the edge of the muskeg. The school of about 150 students mostly of post First World War German descent was staffed by nuns. Although there were no apartments or even an old house for Jenny and David to live in, space was found at the back of a house. “I had never seen an outhouse before; the entire experience was an adventure,” she mused. One of many favourite memories of her first Canadian posting was learning to curl from Sister Angelina. As was the rule then, this nun had to wear her habit at all times. The headpiece keep flapping in her face, but never deterred Sister Angelina from enjoying the game.
When asked about the cold, she said, “I have always loved the cold. The dry cold in Northern Saskatchewan and in Cranbrook is far less chilling (damp) than that of England,” she explained.
They moved to Saskatoon so David could upgrade his teaching qualifications and that is where their second child, Kate, was born. David was able to secure a teaching position in Cranbrook the following year. Cranbrook became home.
Once the children got to school age, Jenny went back to teaching for another 21 years all the while being an active volunteer in Cranbrook. She was president of the Cranbrook Cooperative Preschool and a Kinette. Nomination supporter Maureen Quinn wrote about the high quality of Jenny’s talents, saying, “Jenny recognizes potential in people and works hard to bring that out in them through her teaching even now. She is inspiring to work with and be around and is truly an educator.”
On her first visit to Cranbrook, Jenny’s mother looked around and said, “It’s not a very pretty place, is it?” Jenny believed that if her mother could see that, most other travelers could and would too. In those days, the “strip” was rather unappealing and did not encourage travelers to turn off into the city center.
The idea of making this long and busy road attractive was part of the work she did with the Communities in Bloom team, the financial help of the medical community, business owners and City help. Ideas were presented to business owners and Communities in Bloom set about ‘the greening up’. Year after year green spaces were created to visually improve the look of Cranbrook which benefitted residents and tourists. This work is still being carried out by Jenny working with other volunteers and city council.
All the meanwhile, her deep love of gardening and design burned a hole in her soul. She created her wonderful gardens, gave of herself to Cranbrook in Bloom and started the floral baskets in 2000, but still desired more. Off she went to Horticultural College in Writtle, Essex in the UK for nine months to study garden design. Her mother was 90 then, so it gave her time with her Mom in those later years of her life as well. With her Garden Design Diploma and her Royal Horticultural Society Certificate, Jenny could easily work in private business (on large estates) designing terrific gardens, but is happy with all her other interests in Cranbrook where “gardening is hard work, and the nasty weeds are brutal.” She maintains, “If it grows here, have it! There are limited plants that do well as compared to, say Victoria, but wonderful gardens can be had with lots of hard work.”
Jenny spearheaded the restoration of the Fink Fountain in front of Gerick Sports on Highway 3 by raising the required funds. As well, she designed the delightful Centennial Garden that surrounds it. It took Jenny’s vision to be the first in the Kootenay area to use Karl Foerster grass in the Centennial Garden she designed.
“The deer will not eat the feathery grass and it does not spread,” she said. “After that Invermere and Coeur d’Alene used them in their gardens,” she added. Her boundless energy does not end there as she is often been seen in the spring, summer and fall leading an army of volunteers planting gardens and shrubs, cleaning the green spaces on the Van Horne-Highway 3 strip, constantly improving the visual impact for drivers at all entrances. She now sits on the Highway 3 Committee of the City Council with other volunteers to ensure improvements continue to be made now that the Cranbrook in Bloom has run its course. “The City has taken over the downtown flower baskets now that they are self-watering rather than the moss type one I started with in 2000,” she stated. “It is good to see these projects improve and continue through the years.”
Jenny was president of the Garden Club of Cranbrook from 1993 to 1998. She initiated the Club’s Open Garden Day which involves many hours of volunteer time to organize; and provides the community with an entertaining function still appreciated by 300 area residents and visitors each year.
Supporter of her nomination Pat Adams wrote: “Jenny is very community minded and encourages others to be involved in the betterment of this city. She has taught landscape design classes though the City’s Leisure Services Department, encouraging many to approach their home landscapes with thoughtful and sustainable plantings.”
Forever the educator and mentor, Jenny has helped people overcome the trails of gardening in glacier till.
Jenny had vision for the City of Cranbrook and is very interested in preserving historical buildings. Recently she has been the driving force behind trying to organize the restoration of the Armond Theatre and continues her research into ways to revitalize our downtown by attracting new investment.
When asked why she attends the city council meetings, she said she likes to be informed about city because she cares about it. “I want Cranbrook to become a more beautiful and sustainable town,” she stated. “There are many like-minded people wanting to see good growth and economic development.” Thus, came about The Cranbrook Guardian blog (www.liveablecranbrook.blogspot.com) she cofounded through Citizens for a Livable Cranbrook Society, which is a group of volunteers concerned about how the city is growing. The blog publishes short articles seven times a week and reports on topics ranging from organic gardening to City Council meetings, from local events to economic development. “In 2010, we had 2000 hits per month. We now get 13,000 hits per month,” said Jenny when describing her work with the blog.
Gillanders wrote, “Jenny is unfailingly fair, ethical and truthful. She researches stories thoroughly, conducts interviews, takes photographs and is the driving force behind the blog’s success, making it more popular than we could have imagined.”
Jenny invites anyone and everyone to log in and learn about the many topics in Cranbrook and share in the discussions. “It is important for all of us to see and hear the different perspectives on an issue so a solid decision can be made,” she said.
Jenny’s latest adventure in the world of volunteering is her busy involvement in the Cranbrook and District Arts Council. Having spent many hours writing grant applications and fund raising for Cranbrook in Bloom, her skills are most helpful to the Arts Council’s special 40th Anniversary Celebration project called “The Artsy Deer Hunt and Competition” which should be known by the summer.
In his summary to his nomination, Gerry Sobie wrote, “In essence, Jenny Humphrey loves Cranbrook and our East Kootenay. All her efforts center on this passion to the benefit of all our community.”
The CFUW Cranbrook Club couldn’t agree more and is pleased to award this most deserving volunteer and tremendous educator. The award ceremony of Jenny Humphrey, a true ambassador of Cranbrook, will take place during International Women’s Week at the Manual Training School. The CFUW Cranbrook Club invites all former ‘Woman of the Year’ recipients to join them at 4 p.m., Thursday, March 7 in recognizing yet another inspiring, awesome woman who has made Cranbrook a much better place to be for all its citizens.
Please join us Thursday, March 7 at 4 p.m. to honour this incredible woman as Woman of the Year 2013.
CFUW Cranbrook
Above image from: Cranbrook Guardian
