About us

Our history

The County Clothes-Line Foundation (CCLF), of Strathcona County, has evolved through a number of different guises since the early 1970s. Originally called the Family Life Education Council, its mandate was to promote family life education courses.

In 1978 Mr. Jim Common, director of the newly formed Preventative Social Services department, asked Anne Ryan to become the Family Living Co-ordinator of PSS. At this time the need for an advisory board was recognised and the Learning and Individual Family Enrichment Board (L.I.F.E.) came into being. This board formulated adult education programs, community development and family orientated activities. The board gradually became more project-oriented and less advisory.

In December 1983 the LIFE Board evaluated an informal clothing exchange that was being held in someone’s basement and decided it was so popular that it could become a store. They hoped that the money raised would cover operational costs and were surprised by the instant popularity and money generated. The County Clothes-Line store opened in April 1984 and was an immediate success. In May 4, 1984 the L.I.F.E. Board incorporated under the Societies Act of Alberta as the Strathcona County L.I.F.E. Education Council Society.

Over the next several years the focus of the L.I.F.E. Education Council Society changed. To reflect these changes the Council changed its name, on October 4, 1989, to the Learning, Individual and Family Enrichment Foundation. Then on February 9, 1993, the Foundation became the County Clothes-Line Foundation to more closely identify the link between the Foundation and the store it operates.