More about Upstream

Upstream got its start with a notice posted at the Ottawa Women’s Centre in January 1976. Seven women showed up to the first planning meeting. They agreed on the need for a women’s newspaper to link up different groups and organizations in the city and, more importantly, to reach out to a general audience about issues and events that would help raise awareness and swell the ranks of the women’s movement.

The sisters who produced the very first issue in 1976 had it right:

 “Putting out this first issue has been full of surprises for all of us for although we realized there is a huge amount of news about women not covered consistently in the daily press, we have found the number of events and issues beyond our wildest expectation. We have discovered while reporting that those who say the women’s movement is dead are way off course. Women are moving out and broadening the degree of their involvement in this society every day.”

The first issue appeared in October 1976 with front-page coverage of the Canadian Labour Congress national day of protest against wage controls. Covering women at work and in the labour movement remained a focus, not without internal controversy, for the next four years. Publication ceased in July 1980.

Initial plans for an Ottawa women’s publication were ambitious. With forty active volunteers, it seemed possible to produce a bi-weekly paper with news, arts, and sports coverage along with columns on the law, and on women’s physical and mental health. After five issues, it was clearly unrealistic, and Upstream shifted to a monthly publishing schedule. In late 1977, the collective decided to become a national publication in order to expand both the subscription and advertising base.

Over four years, so many women came through the doors and learned about writing, design, layout, working in a collective, politics inside and outside the women’s movement, running a small business, and much more. With support from the Secretary of State Women’s Programme, Upstream Typesetting was established to create a source of revenue and jobs for the paper, which continued to rely on a combination of meagre advertising and subscription revenue, government funding, and mostly, volunteer labour.

With so much energy spent on just getting the job done, there was little time to sharpen the editorial focus or collective decision-making process. Eventually, the flame burned out. The collective reported regularly to readers on its own progress and, in the final issue in 1980, explained the reasons for ceasing publishing. That final issue also listed other Canadian feminist newspapers, newsletters, arts and academic journals, both English and French – a grand total of 22 at that time.

Pat Daley, Upstream collective member, 1976-1980

Issues of Upstream

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Upstream – Vol. 1, No. 1 – October 1976

  • Year created:

    1976
  • Author(s):

    Patty Gibson, Ron Verzuh, Pat Daley, Jane Mingay, Rosemary Lippert, Karen Fish, Beatrice Baker , Rustin Steele Levenson, Sandy Garland, Peter O'Malley, Oksana Shewchenko, Diane Reed, Maureen O'Hara, Lana Ritchie, Joyce Cram, Dawn Amott, Jane Whitelaw, Bertie Lawton, Amy Chouinard, Iona Campagnola
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 1, No. 10 – September/October 1977

  • Year created:

    1977
  • Author(s):

    Jane Arnott, Karen Markham, Maureen O'Hara, Catherine Boucher, Kate Middleton, Alma Norman, Reid Feltmate, James M. MacLatchie, Josephine Edgar, Gina Clarke, Rosemary Billings, Shirley Greenberg, Beatrice Baker, Shirley Masuda, Hope Cadieux, Kate Middleton, Janick Belleau, Rosanna Desmeules, Gail Rock, Alexa DeWiel, Joan Marie Goodreau, Betta B. Anon, Gay Dreamboat
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 1, No. 2 – November 1976

  • Year created:

    1976
  • Author(s):

    Jane Mingay, Pat Daley, Karen Fish, Joan Shields, Rosemary Billings, Susan Wisking, Sandra Schofield LeGroulx, Jean Grant, Hope Cadieux, Shirley Greenberg, Beatrice Baker, Donna Shugar, Noni LeBlanc, Bitsy Bateman, Lana Ritchie, Joan Goodreau, Dorothy Elias, Ron Verzuh, Amy Chouinard, Sandy Garland, Bertie Lawson, Wayne Richardson, Jane Whitelaw
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 1, No. 3 – December 1976

  • Year created:

    1976
  • Author(s):

    Jane Mingay, Sandra Schofield LeGroulx, Rosemary Billings, Lana Ritchie, Maureen O'Hara, Lesley Newson, Shirley Greenberg, Beatrice Baker, Karen Fish, Susan Wisking, Patty Gibson, Kris Klaasen, Trudy Gahlinger, Dawn Arnott, Alice Brodie, Alma Norman, Ron Verzuh, Sandy Garland, Amy Chouinard, Beth Glassford, Jane Whitelaw
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 1, No. 4 – December 1976

  • Year created:

    1976
  • Author(s):

    Susan Bristow, Alexa DeWiel, Ann Silversides, Oksana Shewchenko, Nancy Rudge, Maureen O'Hara, Susan Wisking, Audrey O'Brien, M. Provost, M. Hamilton, Bob Thomas, Shirley Greenberg, Beatrice Baker, Dorothy Elias, Claire Harrison, Leslie Gay, Lana Ritchie, Marusia Bociurkiw, Betsy Struthers, Joan Goodreau, Bertie Lawton, Sandy Garland, Jane Whitelaw
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 1, No. 5 – April 1978

  • Year created:

    1978
  • Author(s):

    Pat Daley, Pat Brady, Pauline O'Connor, Marjorie Nightingale, Rose Lippert, Beatrice Baker, Esther Shannon, Shirley Masuda, Helen Levine, Shirley Greenberg, Rosanna Bechtel, Lisa Stothart, Rose Jones, Jean Frances, Alma Norman, Kate Middleton, Susan Quipp, Anne McLean, Tricia Balmer, Margaret Murray, Susan Bristow, Dory Preston
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 1, No. 6 – March 1977

  • Year created:

    1977
  • Author(s):

    Pat Daley, Lucie Sawczenko, Dan O'Connor, Philip Gibson, Patty Gibson, Jane Arnott, Nancy Rudge, Wynne Jordan, Shirley Greenberg, Beatrice Baker, Susan Wisking, Karen Fish, Susan Bristow, Amy Chouinard, Kate Middleton, Bertie Lawton, Alma Norman, Ron Verzuh, Sandra Schofield LeGroulx, Betsy Struthers, Sylvia Spring , Alexa de Wiel, Dawn Arnott, Stephanie Gatzegi, Julie Chadwick, Bruce Paton, Rose Desmeules
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 1, No. 7 – April 1977

  • Year created:

    1977
  • Author(s):

    Pat Daley, Jane Arnott, Karen Fish, Lucie Sawczenko, Patty Gibson, Lana Ritchie , Beatrice Baker, Trish Balmer, Belita Cowan, Elaine Lund, Chris Hanrahan, Rosemary Billings, Shirley Greenberg, Mary Annester, Beatrice Baker, Sandra Schofield LeGroulx, Berti Lawton, Amy Chouinard, Maridee Winter, Susan Wisking, Alma Norman, Jane Minguay, Wendy Marrow, Dawn Arnott, Arlene Raven, Dorothy Elias, Martha Lemieux, Susan Dambroff, Joan Goodreau, Kate Middleton, Kathryn Murphy, Lucie Sawczenko , Claire Harrison, Betsy Struthers, Dorothy Livesay
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 1, No. 8 – May/June 1977

  • Year created:

    1977
  • Author(s):

    Susan Wisking, Sue Donaldson, Bitsy Bateman, Melodie McCullough, Jane Arnott, Nancy Rudge, Beatrice Baker, Kate Middleton, Rosanna Demeules, Peggy Sanger, Maureen O., Karen Richardson, Gay Bell, Janick Belleau, Rosemary Billings, Shirley Greenberg, Amy Chouinard, Jill Stainforth, Alma Norman, Christopher Levenson, Maridee Winter, Joan Goodreau, Gert Beadle, Graham, Joani Flood, Jan Sutton, Toby Brooks, Betsy Struthers
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 1, No. 9 – July/August 1977

  • Year created:

    1977
  • Author(s):

    Karen Fish, Marc Lalonde, Pat Daley, Nancy Rudge, Jane Arnott, D. Lawson, Anne McLean, Mary de Bellefeuille, Dr. Paul de Bellefeuille, Alix Dobkin, Jen Sisler, Gay Bell, Alexa De Weil, Rosemary Billings, Beatrice Baker, Shirley Greenberg, Amy Chouinard, Shirley Masuda, Kate Middleton, Maridee Winter, Gina Clarke, Gert Beadle, Heather Tisdale, Mary Ambrose, Barbara Sandford, Joani Flood
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 2, No. 1 – November 1977

  • Year created:

    1977
  • Author(s):

    Esther Shannon, Pat Daley, Anne McLean, Theresa Wallace, Sandra Hawkins, Rosemary Knes, Kathy Babcock, Jane Arnott, John Malcomson, Lorraine Berzins, Helen Slater, Emily Jane Nunn, Shirley Masuda, Amy Chouinard, Kate Middleton, Janick Belleau, Deborah Gorham, Joyce Rock, Glenda MacPherson, Jannette Hofstede, Jane Ohland, Gert Beadle, Laseine Cuore, Lynn Adamson, Janet McCallum, Josephine Edgar, Dory Preston
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 2, No. 2 – December 1977

  • Year created:

    1977
  • Author(s):

    Esther Shannon, Pat Daley, Amy Chouinard, Deb van der Gracht, Dorothy Elias, Kate Middleton, Maureen O'Hara, Elizabeth C. Lundy, Hope Cadieux, Marlene Fish, Shirley Greenberg, J. Grande, Rose Jones, Jean Frances, Alexa DeWiel, Wanda, Emily Jane Nunn, Rosanna Desmeules, Dory Preston
  • Region:

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Upstream – Vol. 2, No. 4 – May 1978

  • Year created:

    1978
  • Author(s):

    Maureen O'Hara, Bitsy Bateman, Nancy Stiefel, Judy Rabinovitz, Esther Shannon, Jean Frances, Maureen Cullingham, Dorothy Elias, Louise Leclair, Sheila Gilhooly, Lisa Strata, Pat Daley, Janick Belleau, Jean Frances, Gert Beadle, Steven Gilbert, Lucie Masson, Helen Levine, Shirley Greenberg, Rose Jones, Deb van der Gracht, Alma Norman, Marie-Claude Hequet, Ann Schachhuber, Tricia, Wanda Holden, Phoebe Pharoah, Oka Robitaille, Paula Clancy, Jennifer Sisler, Marilyn Walsh, Jean Frances
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 2, No. 5 – June 1978

  • Year created:

    1978
  • Author(s):

    Maureen O'Hara, Susan Livesay, Shirley Greenberg, Lorenne Clark, Pat Daley, Christine L. Blain, Marg Emery, Marie Harte, Alma Norton, Dorothy A. Drinkwater, Sylvie Groleau, Sibyl, Lucie Mason, Helen Levine, Marilyn Fuchs, Sue Goodman, Jan Frizell, Rose Jones, Jean Frances, Deborah Gorham, Marie-Claude Hecquet, Kate Middleton, Jackie D'Amboise, Wanda, Trish, Alexa DeWiel, Janick Belleau
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 2, No. 6 – July 1978

  • Year created:

    1978
  • Author(s):

    Pat Daley, Elizabeth Brady, Peter Gribbin, Teddy Price , Marie Hart, Susan Hopkins, Janick Belleau, Ann Riddle, Beatrice Baker, Lucie Masson, Marg Emery, Jean Frances, Marilyn Fuchs, Florentia Janson, Patricia Turk, Roisin Hanlon, Johanna Hickey, Helen Levine, Marilyn Fuchs, Sue Goodman, Jan Frizell, Shirley Greenberg, Havi Echengerg, Rose Jones, Alma Norman, Marie-Claude Hecquet, Dorothy Drinkwater, Janick Belleau, Nicole, Trish, Alexandra Newton
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 2, No. 7 – August 1978

  • Year created:

    1978
  • Author(s):

    Pat Daley, Marilyn Burnett, Lucie Masson, Sue Calhoun, Sandra Corry, Margaret Dwight-Spore, Jean Ogilvie, Kris Klaasen, Dee Vardanega, Marie Harte, Leah Cohen, Constance Backhouse, Joanne Bucher, Gloria Plaskan, Lynn Sunwoman, Judy Wasylycia-Leis, Faye Bryers, Charlotte Wihak, J. Andres, Shirley Greenberg, Olga Lenko, Judith Bernstein, Havi Echenberg, Rose Jones, Joy Parks, Alice Switocz, Janick Belleau, Marie-Claude Hecquet, Brig Anderson, Sally Davis, Susan Bristow, Catherine A. Crosby, Jean Frances
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 2, No. 8 – September 1978

  • Year created:

    1978
  • Author(s):

    Lucie Masson, Marilyn Burnett, Sue Calhoun, Pat Daley, Marie-Claude Hecquet, Vera Wall, Georgina Chambers, Sondra Corry, Marie Harte, Pam Madsen, Brenda Longfellow, Alma Norman, Barbara Leimsnert, Georgina Garrett, Dianne Kinnon, Gert Beadle , Shirley Greenberg, Helen Levine , Julie McCoy, Havi Echenberg, Jean Frances, Marie-Claude Hecquet, Cyril Dabydeen, Gail Wexler, Audrey Eaglen, Tatyana Forrester, Susan Bristow, Kim Sowles, Catherine Adams, Emily Jane Nunn
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 3, No. 1 – October 1978

  • Year created:

    1978
  • Author(s):

    Pat Daley, Janick Belleau, Monique Dumais, Faye Bryers, Carrol Coburn, Cory Rundell, Shirley Greenberg, Kris Furlought, Rosemary Knes, Sharon Skead, Lucie Masson, Sue Calhoun, Constance Hunt, Florentia Janson, Maureen O'Neil, Jean Frances, Sylvie Groleau, Shirley Greenberg, Marie Harte, Helen Levine, Nancy Sheldon, Marusia Bociurkiw, Joyce D. Miller, Oka Robataille, Kate Middleton, Marie-Claude Hecquet, Wanda, Emily, Margaret Murray, Jean Frances
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 3, No. 10 – October/November 1979

  • Year created:

    1979
  • Author(s):

    Esther Shannon, Pat Daley, Mandy Chepeka, Stella Gaon, Sherene Razack Brookwell, Sondra Corry, Gay Bell, Wendy McPeake, Judy Lynne, Leslie Storozuk, Peggy Harris, Helen Murphy, Barbara Schrodt, Janick Belleau, Ann Patchet, Hannah Aach, Barb Arkle, Tamara Levine
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 3, No. 2 – January 1979

  • Year created:

    1979
  • Author(s):

    Lucie Masson, Sue Calhoun, Sue Vohanka, Maureen O'Hara, Sharon Stead, Sondra Corry, Pat Daley, Melissa Raven, Judith Lemay, Fred Dafoe, Shirley Greenberg, Marie Harte, Helen Levine, Alma Norman, Bob McKenzie, Elizabeth C. Lundy, Kate Middleton, Suzanne Camu, Dianna Pepall, N.C. Hough, Maureen McEvoy
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 3, No. 4 – March/April 1979

  • Year created:

    1979
  • Author(s):

    Pat Daley, Kathleen Macleod Jamieson, Richard Ashby, Nancy Sheldon, Suzanne Camu, Marie Harte, Shirley Greenberg, Kate Nonesuch, Barbara Freeman, Rita Moir, Kay Macpherson, Rosemary Knes, Rosanna Bechtel, A.J. McDonough, Kate Middleton, Maureen Fraser, Janick Belleau, Brig Anderson, Jean Frances
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 3, No. 5 – May 1979

  • Year created:

    1979
  • Author(s):

    Esther Shannon, Deirdre Gotto, Mandy Chepeka, Rosemary Knes, Jean Frances, Helen Levine, Marie Harte, Shirley Greenberg, Sondra Corry, Kate Nonesuch, Pat Daley, Kathleen Macleod Jamieson, Rose Jones, Alma Norman, Sheila Bird, Wendy McPeake, Maureen Fraser, Dorothy A. Drinkwater, Kate Middleton, Suzanne Camu, Jean Frances
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 3, No. 6 – June 1979

  • Year created:

    1979
  • Author(s):

    Bitsy Bateman, Pat Daley, Patty Brady, Penny Kome, Chris Wihak, Kate Nonesuch, Heni Nadel, Suzanne Camu, Donna Dupuis, Marie Harte, Shirley Greenberg, Rosemary Koes, Lucie Masson, Janick Belleau, Michelle Hill, Marguerite Moro, Barbara Stewart, Kate Middleton, Dierdre Gotto, Brig Anderson, Marie-Claude Hecquet, Sondra Corry, Jean Frances
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 3, No. 7 – July 1979

  • Year created:

    1979
  • Author(s):

    Pat Daley, Maureen Karagianis, Lynne Shapiro, Jeanne Cordova, Michelle Carrier, Marie Hart, Helen Levine, Shirley Greenberg, Kate Nonesuch, Patty Brady, Brenda Mcintyre, Helen R. McFadyen, Alma Norman, Michelle Hill, Cornelia Rundell, Suzanne Camu, Sathi Sutherland, Rosemary Knes
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 3, No. 8 – August 1979

  • Year created:

    1979
  • Author(s):

    Esther Shannon, Somer Brodribb, Patty Brady, Cornelia Rundell, Sondra Corry, Peggy Harris, Claire Culhane, Odette DesOrmeaux, Maureen O'Hara, D. Kidd, Alma Norman, Deirdre Gotto, Rosemary Billings, Janick Belleau, Jean Frances
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 3, No. 9 – September 1979

  • Year created:

    1979
  • Author(s):

    Maureen O'Hara, Sathi Sutherland, Joan Newbigging, Pat Daley, Rosemary Knes, Helen Murphy, Peggy Harris, Judy Lynne, Patty Brady, Judy Lynne, Melodie McCullough, J. Reid, Sondra Corry, Bonnie McMackon
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 4, No. 1 – December 1979

  • Year created:

    1979
  • Author(s):

    Esther Shannon, Vivan McCaffrey, Mandy Chepeka, Judy Lynne, Maureen O'Hara, Sondra Corry, Tamra Thomson, Marie Harte, Leslie Storozuk, Margaret O'Hara, Bernadette Bulfin, Jane Keeler Millman, Kathleen McDonnell, Sherene Razack Brookwell, Pat Daley, Helen Forsey, Kate Nonesuch, Patty Brady, Joan Francuz, Wendy McPeake, Sathi Sutherland
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 4, No. 2 – January 1980

  • Year created:

    1980
  • Author(s):

    Sheila Klein, Rosemary Koes, Sondra Corry, Helen Forsey, Patty Brady, Jane Graham, Margaret A. McPherson, Helen Levine, Sherene Razack Brookwell, Marie-Claude Hecquet, Micheline D'Amours, Pamela Lewis, Hellie Wilson, Paige Cousineau, Anne Patchet, Rosemary Billings, Wendy McPeake
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 4, No. 3 – March 1980

  • Year created:

    1980
  • Author(s):

    Pat Daley, Patty Brady, Mandy Chepeka, Letitia Healey
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 4, No. 4 – April 1980

  • Year created:

    1980
  • Author(s):

    Patty Brady, Pat Daley, Barbara Freeman, Maureen O'Hara, Sherene Razack Brookwell, Sheryl Manson, Gracia Lalande, Sondra Corry, Sylvie, Nancy Marcotte, Denise Messier, Sylvie Bourget, Letitia Healey, Diane Palmason, Wendy McPeake, Reva Landau, Astrid Davidson, Diana Pepall, Michelle Robidoux, A. Finlayson, Cellan Jay
  • Region:

    Ontario
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Upstream – Vol. 4, No. 5 – July 1980

  • Year created:

    1980
  • Author(s):

    Esther Shannon, Judy Lynne, Dorothy Elias, Pat Daley, Wendy McPeake, Patty Brady, Kate Nonesuch, Paula Clancy, Mary Schendlinger, Ellen Frank, Diana Pepall
  • Region:

    Ontario

Upstream – Vol. 3, No. 3 – February 1979

  • Year created:

    1979
  • Author(s):

    Pat Daley, Kate Nonesuch, Sondra Corry, Marie-Claude Hecquet, Kate Middleton
  • Region: