The First Group to call themselves "Raging Grannies" sprouted in the winter of 1986-87 in Victoria, on our Vancouver Island. Several peace activists who had been doing street theatre, dressed in Salvation Army gladrags, and with outrageous hats, began singing satirical songs to protest against nuclear-armed powered warships, uraniun mining, clearcut logging, pollution, militarism, poverty, racism, and corporate greed.
We were sometimes arrested but never taken to court, and we have appeared on CBCs "Man Alive", "What's My Line?", and "Front Page Challenge"; and on CTVs "Lifeline". We have been heard on CBCs radio show 'Morningside", and featured in many national, regional, and local magazines and newspapers. In 1988, we were refused entry into BCs legislature to present our briefs. But maybe because our briefs were an asortement of undies pegged on to a clothsline.
Raging Grannies groups quickly sprang up accros Canada all the way to Halifax, Nova Scotia. We cannot keep track of all of them but we heard about Grannies also in Saltspring Island, Gabriola Island, Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, Seattle, Los Angeles, and...Athens. Each group changes the words of familiar tunes to suit their particular circumstances.
We do not seek payment for booked performances, but we do accept donations in order to fund our activities. We sing for women's rights, a clean environment, better education, and an end to military spending.