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The No. 9 Service Flying Training School opened in January 1941 and almost immediately the wives of Summerside airmen formed a club. "The idea of the Club is to provide a meeting place for the number of new women coming from various sections of Canada, and at the same time provide an organization through which they can contribute to the social service work of the community," stated the Summerside Journal of February 18. They met weekly at member's homes and bowled on Mondays at the Capitol. All newcomers were encouraged to join.

By early April the Airmen's Wives Club had grown and an official meeting place was required. The ladies began to gather at the Red Triangle Club, which was located above Foley's Drug Store on Water Street. A major focus of the group for the duration of its existence was regular visits to the airport hospital. In the fall of 1941 local merchants generously donated fruit to be distributed on these weekly visits.

As the membership increased so did the activities. They held dances, planned picnics, and helped the Red Cross. In October 1941 the wives decided to call themselves the Contact Club. The name was very suitable because the group provided the means through which new women, some from other countries, could connect with others already in the area. The membership was constantly changing, but the numbers were enough to support the formation of another group in St. Eleanors.

With the departure of the personnel of the No. 9 School for Ontario in July 1942, there was a lapse in time before the group was re-organized in late October. Mrs. Alexander Lewis, wife of the C/O of No. 1 GRS was the driving force behind this new group. Through her dedication to the Club she brought the "Women's Auxiliaries" of the town together in June 1943 to discuss plans for a clubroom at 273 Water Street. It had been the former quarters of the Salvation Army and was obtained rent-free through the kindness of Peter G. Clark. The official opening was held on August 10, 1943 with members of the various women's organizations in attendance. The clubroom provided a place not only for airmen's wives to socialize, but also for members of the Women's Division to go for recreation and a home atmosphere.


The Contact Club continued to visit patients in the hospital at St. Eleanors and also began to visit the Mount Pleasant hospital. In connection with this work, members did mending, made sterilizer pads, collected and distributed magazines, and sewed curtains. Fundraising projects were conducted when necessary and some of the proceeds were donated to other societies doing community work. The women supported one another with birthday parties and strengthened friendships through celebrations held at Christmas and other holidays. They also provided the occasional wedding reception for W.D.s stationed in Summerside.

By September 1945 membership had dropped dramatically and smaller quarters were taken at the Knights of Columbus Home. A Journal article reviewing the work of the club noted that the remaining members were looking forward to "continued comradeship and effort in their new abode." Meetings were held every Tuesday afternoon, presumably up to the point in time when the president Mrs. Lewis moved to Greenwood with her husband in January 1946.

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