One of the girls who crashed the Crystal Palace Rally for Boy Scouts in 1908, demanding to be part of this adventure, was Nesta Ashworth, who loved to tell of her early memories of those days.
Nesta was a Guider in Vancouver and received the Silver Fish Award in 1920.
Nesta Ashworth passed away in 1982.

Click on a decade in the timeline below to open information in a new popup window:

The Girl Guide Organization officially began in St. Catharines, Ontario in 1910.

The first recorded Company in BC was in 1910 in Sardis. Their badge was the local trillium. They camped down beyond the Vedder river by the Sumas Lake; to get to their camp, they travelled in a democrat (a two-horse rig), a buggy (a one-horse rig) and a riding horse. They went hiking, swimming, had bonfires and enjoyed singing in the evenings.

The first permanent BC Company was in Vancouver at St James Church in 1910. A highlight of those early days was a camp at Bowen Island.

The first Provincial Rally was held in Victoria in 1919.

Agnes Baden-Powell, sister of the founder of Scouting, Robert Baden-Powell, wrote two pamphlets about organizing Guides. During 1910, Guide companies opened in St. Catharines, Toronto, Winnipeg, Moose Jaw and Sardis.

The first St. Catharines Company was officially registered in London, England on January 11, 1910 by Agnes Baden-Powell and an historic plaque in downtown St. Catharines marks the event. B-P was in Canada that summer to open the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto where he reviewed the new Boy Scouts. In Like Measles, It's Catching Ann Gloin says, "The Girl Guides did not crash this party but according to newspaper accounts he did see Girl Guides as he toured the Toronto area, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Vancouver. It seems that wherever a girl gets her hands on a copy of Scouting for Boys she organizes a patrol and the game starts! Immigrating girls, who were Guides in England, are quick to organize companies as soon as they've settled into their new homes. Even in Dawson City!"

Guiding grew rapidly across Canada  and on November 23, 1911, a Dominion Council was formed. Agnes Baden-Powell appointed Lady Pellatt as the first Chief Commissioner for Canada in July, 1912. Lady Pellatt's home, Casa Loma, in Toronto became the scene of many Guiding events.

In 1979 the Pathfinder branch for girls aged 12 to 15 was created  by the Girl Guides of Canada - Guides du Canada. In 1988 a Spark branch for girls aged 5 was created.

For more information about the history of Guiding, visit the Girl Guides of Canada Web site. Click on "National Web Site" and choose "Who We Are" from the menu.

You may also with to visit these related pages on our Web site:

About Guiding
Around BC
International
Public Relations
Resources for Guiders