258 DEEP FURROWS 



Canada. The farmers of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward 

 Island and Quebec are showing much interest and have 

 sought to have the Movement extended. Meetings have 

 been held and no doubt in due course the Eastern 

 farmers will be prepared for unity of action in every 

 province. 



What about British Columbia? On February 16th, 

 1917, the " United Farmers of British Columbia " was 

 a development in the Pacific Coast Province. Prior to 

 this there had been quite a number of individual 

 farmers' organizations scattered throughout the agri- 

 cultural sections of British Columbia. The initiative 

 for closer unity was taken by the Cowichan Creamery 

 Association, which called a meeting of the farmers in 

 the Cowichan district to discuss the cost of production 

 and serious labor conditions which were threatening 

 complete failure of agriculture in British Columbia. 

 At this meeting what was called temporarily the 

 " Vancouver Island Farmers' Union " was formed with 

 over one hundred members. Representatives from 

 other districts were on hand to assure the expansion of 

 the movement and a provisional organization com- 

 mittee* was appointed to carry on the missionary work. 



This Provisional Committee called into existence 

 by a mass meeting of farmers held at Duncan, B.C., 

 on November 4th, 1916 at once prepared a strong 

 circular, setting forth the case of the farmers and the 

 need for organization. This was sent out to the 

 secretaries of all Farmers' Institutes and suggested 

 that a special meeting of delegates should be held at 

 Victoria when the usual farmers' conventions were in 

 session a few months later. Thus came about the final 

 large organization meeting of February 16th, 1917, 



* See Appendix Par. 16. 



