Making women feel safe, included, and at home

guy for Husky Oil.

Leard is also the founder of the Lloydminster chapter of the Oil Wives Club, which is under the Association of Oil Wives Clubs (Canada).

“We moved to Swan Hills in 1972 and in the fall I was asked by a lady who went to the Oil Wives Club of Swan Hills if I would like to go to a meeting,” she said. “I went to the meeting and joined the club for the seven years I lived in Swan Hills, then when I moved to Lloydminster in 1979, one of my first questions to the welcome wagon was ‘Is there an Oil Wives Club?’ Which there wasn’t.”

Leard got in touch with Bunny Coutney from Estevan, who had also recently moved to Lloyd and was interested in starting a Lloydminster chapter of the club.

“We started talking to peo - ple we knew to see if there was interest in starting a club and by March we decided to open it up to the public and see what kind of a response we’d get,” she said. “That’s what lead to the start of the club.”

I went to the meeting and joined the club for the seven years I lived in Swan Hills, then when I moved to Lloydminster in 1979, one of my first questions to the welcome wagon was ‘Is there an Oil Wives Club?’ Which there wasn’t.

Oil Wives Clubs have been around since the 50s and were started as a friendship group for women whose husbands work in the oil industry.

“Now, we meet every month and have a dinner meeting,” she said. “We have our dinner meeting and then some form of entertainment. Once a year we also all get together to meet for a convention.”

This year’s convention is to be held in Brooks, Alta.

“In total, we have 511 members across Alberta and Saskatchewan, but at one time we had people from all over the world that had clubs,” she said.

“Through the years a lot of them have disbanded, but Lloyd’s club is still going strong.”

Leard was also recently honoured for 50 years of service with the Lloydminster Club.

“I’m the first one in this club to receive this honour, but there are many clubs who have members with over 50 years of service,” she said.

Looking back, those 50 years of service taught Leard many things, and despite all the things that have changed in that time, the need for Oil Wives Clubs still remains.

“Things have certainly changed since I started, especially technology,” she said. “For some folks who are originally from here and grew up with people in the area, it’s easier, but when you just moved to a new town or community, it’s tougher to make new friends and meet people.

“If you’ve been an oil wife from somewhere like Calgary, Edmonton and you moved here, you’re automatically welcomed into our club ... you are always allowed into a new club when you move.”

Leard also noted in order to become an oil wife, your husband has to work in the oil industry.

Originally from Regina, Lorelee Marin and her husband moved to Lloydminster in 1994 and lived in the County of Vermilion River until 2017 when they relocated to Lloyd.

Marin’s also one of the many Border City residents who can confidently say they never