[7] She then became a teacher when she was fourteen;[8] she later got enough credits for a teaching certificate and moved to Saskatchewan;[9] she returned to Ontario several years later to help her mother run the general store.
At the time of their marriage, Henry was working as a clerk at a local bank;[12] but several years later, he and Kate bought a poultry farm.
Although she had little experience with farming, she had immersed herself in every book and government publication she could find, and soon acquired enough expertise to begin giving talks about such topics as raising fruits and vegetables for the Ontario Department of Agriculture.
"[16] In 1923, she set up a "Country Kitchen" in the Women’s Building of the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) in Toronto,[5] where she gave talks about canning and preserving, while selling some of her own home-made jams and baked goods.
[19] While serving as director of women's activities for the CNE, she became known for creating unique displays for the Exhibition, such as persuading the British government to allow one of Queen Elizabeth's famous dresses to be shown.
[13] She was also known for booking guest appearances by celebrities and dignitaries: among them was former American first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who gave a 1951 talk at the Exhibition that was also carried by the CBC.
[21] Kate Aitken also served as supervisor of conservation for the Consumers Branch, Wartime Prices and Trade Board during World War II.
[5] Kate Aitken was offered a radio show in 1934, when a broadcaster at CFRB in Toronto broke her leg and the station manager needed an emergency replacement.
[23] Her radio programs were also profitable for CFRB: she was able to get her own sponsors, and she proved that a daytime show aimed mainly at home-makers could gain a wide following.
[31] Beginning in the late 1950s, and continuing until 1962, she was a columnist for the Globe & Mail, offering her opinions about fashion, food, raising children, and current trends in society that affected the home.
[34] A number of contemporary historians, including culinary expert Elizabeth Driver, have compared her to Martha Stewart, for her popularity and the high esteem in which she was held by homemakers and people who loved to cook.