Beula Duffey was a remarkably talented pianist from Ottawa. She began playing the piano at the age of five and initially learned through the Fletcher Music Method. The musical method was made by Candian Maude Evelyn Ashton Fletcher Copp, who designed the method to introduce children to music in a fun and accessible way, which worked for Beaula since she excelled as a Pianist. 

As Beula grew older, she decided to move to New York to broaden her musical opportunities. Whenever she returned to Ottawa, she frequently performed for the Morning Music Club, much to the excitement of locals in Ottawa. On one occasion during the Club’s season, the demand for her concert tickets was so high that the event was moved to the ballroom of the Château Laurier. At another performance, she was accompanied by the Ottawa Symphonic Orchestra, in front of guests that included the Governor General. Beula appeared to be a generous individual who genuinely loved sharing her music, captivating listeners in ways that seemed almost unbelievable.

The Morning Music Club itself was an enthusiastic supporter of Beula Duffy and a strong advocate for music in Ottawa. Established in 1892 by its first president, Louise Carling and by the Countess of Aberdeen; the Club had a clear mission. Article II of its constitution states that its objectives are “to promote in Ottawa the best class of music and to develop latent talent, hoping to enlist the sympathy of all.” It is within this community of music l overs that Beula Duffy’s talent flourished, allowing her to leave a lasting impact on Ottawa’s cultural scene.

Chateau Laurier 

Originally built with a budget of $1.5 million, construction on the Château Laurier began in 1909 and was completed in 1912. Situated near Parliament Hill, this extravagant architectural project quickly became a cultural hub in Ottawa during the early 20th century. From performances and galas to luncheons and historical meetings, the hotel is referenced over 60 times in the HSO No. A1. Scrapbook : [1934-1935], an indication of its leading role in the city’s social and political scene. Among the many events held at the Château Laurier, one noteworthy entry from the HSO scrapbook documents a gathering on March 19, headlined:

“It’s man’s world, still, women M.P regretfully says.” 

At the Château Laurier, Miss Agnes Macphail make a beautiful speech to the Business and Professional Women’s Club, during their banquet. One of the attendees, Miss Mary Doyle, spoke about the dual roles women occupy:

“Women have two energies: the biological and the desire to serve the whole group according to her gift. We think of one in the home and the other in the great world outside. Our task today is to harmonize the two so that at least all friction will be eliminated and more and more they will merge and become one.”

Miss Macphail underscored that while women had only recently been recognized as “persons,” they still faced significant barriers in gaining equal footing alongside men. She famously stated:

“For good, or ill, woman is out in the great world. One with man in the search for Utopia towards which mankind has always yearned and stumbled.”

These words reflect the broader fight for women’s rights in Canada, epitomized by Agnes Macphail herself, who became the first woman elected to the House of Commons in 1921 and was pivotal in advocating for women’s full legal recognition. The “Persons Case” of 1927 (launched by the “Famous Five”) was a historic moment that not only redefined women as “persons” but also established how Canada’s Constitution should be interpreted.

Given the Château Laurier’s proximity to Parliament and the Supreme Court, it served as a fitting venue for pivotal discussions about women’s status and rights. This illustrates that culture is not solely about artistic or social events; it also encompasses the “controversial” issues of the era that shape society’s evolution.

Excerpt from the article "It's Man's World Still, Woman M. P. Regretfully Says" newspaper clipping from: HSO No. A1. Scrapbook : [1934-1935], City of Ottawa Archives, MG110-SBHS 01/05, p. 131

"It's Man's World Still, Woman M. P. Regretfully Says" newspaper clipping from HSO No. A1. Scrapbook : [1934-1935], City of Ottawa Archives, MG110-SBHS 01/05, p. 131.

National Art Gallery of Canada

Amid the HSO No. A1. Scrapbook : [1934-1935], clippings, two 1935 fairs: one on November 7 featuring a horse-jumping event, and another on June 25 basking in “perfect weather,” open a fascinating window onto 1930s style. Beyond celebrating with lively crowds and equestrian activities, these newspaper snippets capture the everyday life through clothes. Dresses, hats, and accessories highlighted in the articles point to fashion’s growing cultural weight...especially for women, who often led the charge in defining modern consumer taste.

In a study, "Working with Fashion: The Role of Art, Taste, and Consumerism in Women’s Professional Culture, 1920–1940", historian Marie Clifford shows how women expanded their influence by blending cultural refinement with the clothes market. Clifford insight resonates with these 1935 fairs; while visitors admired the horses and enjoyed the day, they were also partaking in a broader cultural shift that  made clothing express the “modern” taste.

The HSO Scrapbook thus offers more than a record of local events as it illuminates how women positioned themselves at the forefront of shaping trends. As Clifford notes, “good taste” became a kind of professional currency. By curating stylish outfits for a festive public gathering, fairgoers in 1935 exemplified that link between personal appearance and wider cultural aspirations. In short, those summer and winter fairs reveal how fashion went hand in hand with growing opportunities for women to assert both their aesthetics and their agency in the clothing marketplace.

Fair Clipping:

Perfect Weather Gives Fair Patrons of Connaught Park an Opportunity to Wear Lovely Summer Frocks; Large Attendance

“Perfect weather prevailed, giving the members of the fair sex the opportunity of wearing many summertime frocks. 

In Mr. J. K. Paisley’s box were his daughters, Mrs. Harold Kirby of Toronto and Mrs. John Horton of New York, the latter accompanied by her guest, Mrs. Delis Luckenbach, also of New York. Mrs. Kirby was wearing a lovely, printed crepe dress with a high flared collar. Mrs. Horton wore a black taffeta costume in deep circular length of matching silk, and Mrs. Luckenbach was smartly attired in black and white checked taffeta with which she wore a small black hat.

Colonel Chester S. McLure of Charlottetown, P.E.I., M.P. for Queen’s, was accompanied by his daughter, Miss Lena McLure, who wore a white crepe dress with a red coat and a white hat.

Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Wright were present, the latter accompanied by Mrs. Hugh Spence. Mrs. Wright wore a white crepe dress with a white fabric hat. Mrs. Spence was wearing a dress of pale green crepe with a white straw hat.

Mr. Edward Bassett was accompanied by Mrs. Bassett, the latter looking smart in a figured crepe gown with wide collars of tulle, and she wore a white hat with a brown ribbon band.

Mrs. William Stitt, who was present with her daughter, Mrs. W. McCullough Graham, and a party of friends, was wearing a navy-blue suit of crepe with a dainty white lace front and a navy-blue straw hat. Mrs. Graham was wearing a white crepe suit and wore a Panama hat.

Colonel Desmond MacMahon was accompanied by Miss Ruth Cameron, the latter wearing an attractive figured crepe dress in yellow, black, and white. She wore a yellow fabric hat. Mrs. Scott Murray was wearing a green and white figured crepe dress and a white straw hat.

Mrs. J. H. McBrien was wearing a lovely green lace dress with a white felt hat.”