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Printed from The Vanier Institute of the Family's website at www.vifamily.ca. © 2007.
The Vanier Institute of the Family How the Vanier Institute of the Family Began “The Vanier Institute of the Family can be compared to a Royal Commission established to investigate and learn all there is to know about the families of Canada in a world of change. But since the need for knowledge and study will continue as long as we inhabit the globe, this Royal Commission will never be discharged.” Governor General Georges Vanier, 1964 The Vanier Institute of the Family began its work in 1965 immediately following The Canadian Conference on the Family convened at Government House by Their Excellencies, Governor General Georges P. Vanier and Mme Pauline Vanier. That founding conference brought together distinguished men and women from all walks of life each of whom knew that the contribution of families is vitally important and ultimately shapes the world in which we live. Governor General Vanier’s vision to create an enduring organization dedicated to the cause of our society through the family was supported by the leadership of Canada’s renowned neuroscientist, Dr. Wilder Penfield. Basic to his commitment to the role of the Vanier Institute of the Family was his belief that it is the family that shapes us as individuals and ultimately serves as the essential cornerstone of our society. It was the combination of Vanier’s vision, Penfield’s determination and the support of Lester B. Pearson that succeeded in the creation of a legacy that they left to the Canadian people. The tangible expression of that legacy took the form of a six million dollar endowment fund representing the generosity of governments, foundations, businesses, faith groups and individuals. It is these funds which, well-invested, have grown over the years and continue to support the core programs of the Institute. Complementing the vision and determination of its principal founders was the scholarship of Dr. Frederick Elkin. In 1964, in order to equip those who took part in The Canadian Conference on the Family, Elkin undertook to survey the state of knowledge about Canada’s Families. His research resulted in the now classic text entitled The Family in Canada: an account of present knowledge and gaps in knowledge about Canadian families. During its first years of operation, the Institute sought to fill some of the gaps in knowledge that Elkin had identified and, in the process, opened new avenues of investigation among which were included the first Canadian studies of family violence, single-parent families, the diversity of family forms, divorce and its consequences. The lessons derived from these studies equipped the Institute to move beyond scholarship as it made its early contributions to policy discussions and legislative frameworks about such topics as family law reform, divorce legislation and immigration policy. The Vanier Institute of the Family Comes of Age The exploratory work and early studies carried out in the early years led to the definition of two primary contentions articulated in 1972 by the then President of the Institute, Beryl Plumptre, namely:
Since that time, the Institute has, on this foundation, established itself as an independent and balanced voice for Canada’s Families. Guided by its Board of Directors, which draws upon the commitments and talents of Canadians from all walks of life and from all parts of the nation, the Institute has worked bilingually with, and on behalf of, researchers, elected officials, policy-makers and analysts, teachers and students, family service agencies and professionals, businesses, non-governmental organizations and Canadian family members themselves. In its efforts to focus attention on the importance and significance of family life, the Institute has, over the years, monitored the evolving patterns of family formation and functioning. In doing so, it has adopted the following definition of family to guide both its research and policy analysis. According to this now often-cited and influential definition, a family is: …any combination of two or more persons who are bound together over time by ties of mutual consent, birth and/or adoption or placement and who, together, assume responsibilities for variant combinations of some of the following:
This ‘inclusive’ definition of family emphasizes not only what families look like but equally what they do in the service of their individual members and the larger society. This definition directs attention toward the work and accomplishments of people who commit themselves to one another over time – to what people do as distinct from where they live or how they are related to one another. It is a definition that acknowledges and respects heterosexual and same-sex couples, lone-parent families, extended patterns of kinship, step-families and blended families, couples with children and those without, the commitments of siblings one to another and the obligations and affection that unite the young and the old as their lives weave together. People in families provide for and care for one another, they teach and discipline, they are financially, economically and psychologically dependent upon one another and they love one another. Within families, we encounter the opportunity and responsibility to act not just as isolated individuals, but as spouses and lovers, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters. In keeping with the second of the contentions articulated by Plumptre in 1972, The Vanier Institute of the Family has also sought to understand and focus attention on the inter-related economic, political, social, technological and cultural institutions and practices that constitute the context within which family members seek to fulfill their obligations to one another and to the larger community. The Institute assesses how these institutional practices promote or impede the well-being of persons, families, communities and, ultimately, the nation. It is practically a truism to acknowledge that the one constant in life is change. And, without doubt, the strategic and programmatic themes to which the Institute has turned its attention reflect how families have adapted - sometimes well and sometimes at great cost – to the changing environments in which they live. Among the central preoccupations of the Institute have been:
Having addressed these programmatic themes, the Vanier Institute of the Family has served Canadians as their principle source of accurate information on family trends and balanced commentary and interpretation about family trends and the challenges confronting families and those who work to strengthen and support families. On an annual basis, the Institute responds to more than 350 requests for media interviews and another 1,500 requests for information from teachers, students, researchers, policy analysts and members of the public. The Institute has used the information it has assembled and the knowledge it has created as a foundation for:
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