| September
1 | Hilda
Strike. Born
Montreal, Quebec 1910. Died March 9, 1989. (Married name Sisson) An avid participant in almost every sport at high school she was encouraged
to join the Canadian Ladies Athletic Club. At the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics she
won silver in a photo finish with another athlete, Stella Walsh. Upon the death
of Walsh, an autopsy showed that Walsh was a man, but Strike has
never been recognized for the gold medal. She also won a silver as part of the
1932 Olympic relay team.
She is a member to the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. |
| |
Barbara
Smucker. (née Classen ) Born Newton, Kansas, U.S.A. 1915.
Died July 31, 2003. She came to Canada in
1969. This author, teacher, and children's librarian has won several awards for her works
including the Canada Council Children’s Literature Prize (1977).
Look for her “Underground to Canada”, “Days of Terror”, White Mist” and
other books. This author wove her stories for young people around little known
historical events and inserted a youthful fictional character with whom her
young readers could relate. Her books have been translated into several
foreign languages as well a Braille and talking books for the sight impaired.
. |
| |
Yvonne
De Carlo.
(Margaret "Peggy" Yvonne Middleton). Born
Vancouver, British Columbia 1922. For this
west coast Canadian the lure of Hollywood was very strong. 95 movie appearances
she is well know to the movie screen. TV found her on westerns Bonanza
and The Virginian, but she perhaps
left her most distinctive mark as Lily on the TV hit show The Munsters.. |
| |
Gwendolyn
MacEwen.
Born 1941. This writer began
her career with a collection of poetry in 1961 and in 1969 her poetry won the
Governor Generals Award. In addition she has published novels, plays, and children’s
books. |
| September
2 | Dorothy
Stevens.
Born Toronto, Ontario 1888. Died June 5, 1966. This portrait and figure painter studied in London and
Paris. Her early works were etchings
and later she was known for her oils and pastel portraits of women in Toronto,
Mexico and the West Indies. She taught
children’s art classes for 15 years in Toronto but, may have been better remembered
as throwing the best parties in the city of Toronto! |
| September
3 |
Christine
Boudrias. Born 1972. A member
of the Canadian National Speed Skating Team since 1990/91, Christine is a 3 time
Olympian with silver and bronze medals to her credit. |
| September
4 | Isabella
Preston. Born Lancaster, England 1881 Died January 31, 1965. She was the 1st
professional hybridist in Canada. (She worked with plants developing new varieties)
She joined the staff of the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa where during her
career she originated nearly 200 hybrid plants! Her specialty was lilies and she
wrote the 1st book on lily cultivation in Canada. |
| September
5 |
Francoise
Aubut. (married name Pratte). Born
St-Jérome, Quebec. Died October 8, 1984.
A renowned organist and educator.
She was the 1st North American to win the Grand Premier Prix
in Music. In 1961 she also received
the Prix de Musique Calixa Lavallée. |
| September
6 | Martha
Ostenso. Born Bergen, Norway 1900. Died 1963. She
was educated in a Winnipeg high school and the University of
Manitoba. While she taught school she worked on her 1st
novel,” Wild Geese” (1925). She spent time as a reporter, and
a social worker but still found room for her writings.
She would complete another novels. |
| |
Juliette
Kang. Born
Edmonton, Alberta 1975. She began studying the violin
at the age of 4! She attended university and holds a Masters degree from the famous
Julliard School. She is an international
celebrity. She has played with the most prestigious orchestras of Europe and North
America. A CD was made of her Carnegie
Hall recital in 1996. |
| September
7 | Martha
Billes. She
studied sciences at the University of Toronto but had more of an interest in business.
She has worked her way to become the Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Tire.
She is also married and has one son. In 1996 she was the Entrepreneur of the Year.
In 1997 she bought out her two brothers from the family business. She envisions
future beyond her native Canada with perhaps expansion to China and South America.
She received an honourary doctorate from Ryerson University in 2002. Dr.
Billes has striven for the creation of, and is the Chairman of, the
Canadian Tire Foundation for Families, an organization that is
dedicated to helping families in times of crisis. She is a trustee
of the Calgary Emergency Women’s Shelter Endowment Fund and has also
served as a member of Sunnybrook Medical Centre Foundation. She has
served on the boards of several other public corporations. Dr.
Billes is the Honourary Consul Emeritus, Southern Alberta region,
for the Republic of Chile. A firm believer in encouraging
entrepreneurship and in 1996 through 1998 she has been a Judge,
Entrepreneur of the Year, Prairie Region; in 2001, Ontario Region;
and in 1998, a National Judge, Entrepreneur of the Year. When she is
not working, Dr. Billes enjoys theatre, gardening and bicycling. Not
unexpectedly, she is an accomplished handyman. |
|
Beverly McLachlin. Born
Pincher Creek, Alberta September 7, 1943. She practiced law in Edmonton,
Alberta and in British Columbia before she took up a teaching position in
law at the University of British Columbia. In 1981 she was appointed to the
Supreme Court of British Columbia and by 1988 was the Chief Justice in
British Columbia. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney appointed her to the Supreme
Court of Canada in 1989. On January 7, 2000 she was the first woman to
become Chief Justice of Canada. |
© Famous Canadian
Women |
| September
8 | Barbara
Frum. (nee Rosberg)
Born Niagara Falls, New York U.S.A. 1937 Died March 26, 1992.. Barbara was a multi media journalist.
She wrote for numerous magazines, she was a host for the CBC Radio program
“As it happens” also a host of CBC TV’s nightly current affairs program “The Journal”.
She was Canada’s most respected and best-known interviewer. |
| September
9 | Alison Sydor. Born
Edmonton, Alberta. 1966. A graduate of the University of Victoria,
she has also found time for her love of sport, especially riding her
mountain bike. She is considered one of Canada's most accomplished
women mountain biker and a tough competitive athlete. She has
dominated her sport both at the national and international level
with gold medals in World championships in 1994, 1995 and 2002. She
places second at the world level championships in 1999, 2000, 2001
and 2003. In 1996 she won silver at the Olympics as was the Canadian
Press Female Athlete of the Year and World Cyclist of the year from
the Velo News. In 1998 she ran the last part of a race with her
broken bicycle on her back to cross the finish line! Today she works
for her sport through a kids ride program in North Vancouver. |
| September
10 | |
| September
11 | Daphne
Odjig.
Born Wikwemikong,
Ontario 1919.
This artist draws on her Potawatomi native heritage for her inner artistic
strength. In 1970 she opened a Native
Art Gallery in Winnipeg. Her own
works have been exhibited in Europe, Israel and Japan.
She painted a large mural at the national Arts Center in Ottawa. In 1987
she was made a Member of the Order of Canada. She has also published her memoirs
“Paintbrush in My Hand” (1993). Why
not check your public library for her book to learn more about this prolific Canadian
artist. One of her paintings was used for Canada's Christmas stamp in 2002. |
© Canada Post Corporation |
| September
12 | Do you know of a name that could
be added to this date? |
| September
13 | Florence
Daly Thompson. (née Lucas) Born Hitchin, England 1865.
Died August 4, 1915. Florence emigrated
from England with her family. She was the oldest of ten children. Well educated,
she was also an accomplished artist. She married William Henry in 1892 but continued
to work for pay outside the home. Before World War 1 it was quite unusual for women
to work for salary after they were married. .She was a successful and published
science researcher and a librarian at the University of Manitoba. In addition
to her job she was a busy lecturer in the local arts community of Winnipeg, a
charter member of the Women's Canadian Club and an honourary member of the University
Women's Club. |
| September
14 | |
| September
15 | Fay
Wray. Born Cardston, Alberta 1907 Died August 8, 2004. An actress who played opposite such
leading men as Gary Cooper, Ronald Coleman, Frederic March, and William Power.
She is perhaps best remembered for playing opposite an ape by the name of King
Kong. |
| |
Marjorie
Harris.
Born Shaunovon, Saskatchewan 1937.
Her career as editor-in-chief of Gardening Life Magazine has not kept this energetic
author from publishing some 19 books, many of which are on her first love of gardening.
She has written articles for all the major Canadian magazines and appears regularly
on both CBC and CTV radio and television. She was featured in Toronto Life magazine
with a biographical sketch. Her latest book, in 1999, is Seasons of my garden.
She is already researching another book on the social and anecdotal history of
native plants in North America. Have an interesting anecdote to pass on about
plants in your area? Contact Marjorie at: florana@interlog.com.
A good web page on Marjorie is: http://www.marjorieharris.com/ |
| September
16 | Ursula
Martius Franklin.
Born Munich, Germany 1921. She is a specialist and pioneer in the structure of metals and
alloys. In 1984 she became the first woman to be named a University Professor
at the University of Toronto. A tireless
advocate for Science for Peace she was made a Companion of the Order of Canada
in 1992. |
| |
Jennifer
Tilly.
(née Chan) Born Harbour City, California U.S.A. 1959. Jennifer grew up in British Columbia with her mother and her
sister Meg. Both sisters chose to have their life careers in acting. Jennifer
has appeared in many TV and movie hits including Hill Street Blues (TV
1981); The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989); and Liar Liar (1998) along
with fellow countryman Jim Carey. In 2003-2004 alone she has worked on some
13 films!!! |
| September
17 | Eunice
Williams.
Born Deerfield, Massachusetts U.S.A. 1694. Died November 26, 1785. She was also known by the names Marie, Maria, Margueritte,
Marguarett, Gannenstenhawt (meaning she who brings in the corn), Ouangote, Aongote
(meaning they took her and placed her as a member of the tribe). Eunice was captured
by Indians in her home in Deerfield, in the colony of Massachusetts in 1703 or 1704. She was taken with
100 other prisoners to Canada. Her father spent many years trying to trade or
exchange his daughter and bring her home. The tribe she lived with became very
fond of the child and she learned their ways. Eventually she married a brave.
She would keep in touch with her family and often visited her brothers with her
own husband and children. Her children took their mother's name as is the native
tradition. One of her grandsons became a chief of Sault-Saint-Louis. Her descendants
may be found living in this same area today. |
| | Nancy Margaret Reid.
Born September 17, 1952. Starting out in
computer studies she soon learned that she preferred statistics. She earned
her B.A. from The University of Waterloo in Ontario, her masters' from the
University of British Columbia and her PhD. from Stanford University
,U.S.A. (1979 ) . She is currently a Professor of Statistics at the
University of Toronto where she has taught since 1986 and served as Chair of
the department from 1997-2002. an elected member of several distinguished
societies and associations in her field she was the winner of the
President's Award of the Committee of Statistical Societies in 1992. The
award recognized outstanding contribution to the profession of statistics.
In 1995 she was the first recipient of the Krieger-Nelson Prize Lectureship
for distinguished research by a woman in mathematics. She has produced over
50 journal publications in statistics as well as three major books in the
field. All of this while being an mother of two active children!. |
| September
18 | Ella
Cora Hind.
Born Toronto, Ontario 1861. Died
October 6, 1942. A journalist and
women’s rights activist she was the 1st western woman journalist.
Originally denied a job with the Winnipeg Free Press she would shortly
become a respected agricultural editor for this same publication.
She was president of the Canadian Women’s Press Club in 1904. At the age
of 75 she traveled around the world to observe and write about agricultural methods.
|
| |
Bertha
Wilson. (née Wernham).
Born Kirkaldy, Scotland 1923. She and her husband
immigrated to Canada in 1957. She was appointed to the Ontario Court of Appeal
in 1975 where she became known for her “imaginative and humane decisions”. (Canadian
Encyclopedia) She was the 1st woman appointed to the Supreme Court
of Canada. |
| September
19 | Catherine
Mary Wisnicki. (née
Chard). Born Winnipeg, Manitoba 1919.
She was the 1st woman to graduate from the prestigious Schools
of Architecture at McGill University in 1943.
She would leave her architectural mark with modern designs in the post
World War II era on Canada’s west coast. She began to teach architecture in 1963
and retired in 1986. |
| |
Sylvia
Tyson. (née Fricker).
Born Chatham, Ontario 1940. At age 15 Sylvia
knew she would be a folk singer. She
moved to Toronto where she met Ian Tyson. The duo became full time singers with
their 1st recording in 1961.
They were among the leaders of the 1960’s North American fold music boom.
Sylvia wrote songs such as “You Were On My Mind”.
In 1970 they had the their own TV show “Nashville North”. In the 1970’s
Sylvia headed out on a solo career. She hosed a CBC Radio show, recorded albums,
and formed her own company “Salt Records”. She still enjoys performing today. She has teamed up only three times with Ian to do special performances,
preferring to concentrate on her solo efforts. |
| September
20 |
Eva
Gauthier. Born
Ottawa, Ontario 1885 Died December 26,1958. As a mezzo-soprano she made her Ottawa debut in 1901. She returned
to Europe and worked with contemporaries Sarah Bernhardt and Enrico Caruso.
She would help introduce more than 700 new songs in concerts or recitals
after she left the stage in 1910. |
© Public Domain |
| |
Kathleen
Parlow. Born
Calgary, Alberta 1890. Died August 19, 1963. This internationally known violinist made her professional
debut in 1907 in Berlin Germany. She toured Europe, Russia, North America and Asia. After 1927
she settled into teaching and playing chamber music. She founded the Parlow String Quartet. She enjoyed introducing
the works of young Canadian composers. |
| |
Judith
Claire Francesca Marie Bernadette Thompson.
Born 1954. After graduating
from Queen’s University in 1976 and the national Theatre School in 1979 she turned
to writing plays as her form of expression.
In 1987 “I Am Yours” won her 2nd Governor General’s Award and also the
Chalmers Canadian Play Award. Her plays have been translated and performed worldwide. She has expanded into radio, screenplays, and plays for youth
and is currently teaching and directing. |
| September
21 | Anne
Wilkinson. Born Toronto, Ontario 1890 Died May 10, 1961. Chiefly
a poet, her works appear in various anthologies (books of collected poems or stories)
and were published in several small magazines.
She was the founding editor of the magazine the “Tamarack
Review”. She also published a biography
of the famous Canadian Osler family, a couple of novels, and a modern fairy tale
for children. |
| |
Kerrin Lee-Gartner.
Born Rossland, British Columbia 1966. She grew up in
Rossland B.C. and became a member of the elite group of skiers to hold an Olympic
Gold medal. This medal was the first
in history for a Canadian (male or female) on the downhill event in an Olympic
games. |
| September
22 | Catherine
Jérémie de Lamontagne. Baptized 1664.
Died July1, 1744. In her era, this mother of some 11 children would become a well
known midwife and amateur botanist. She collected plants and sent them back to
France for study. Her shipments were made more valuable by the descriptive notes
she included with explanations of the properties and effects
of the medical herbs. |
| |
Louise
Crummy McKinney.
Born Frankville, Ontario 1868. Died
July 10, 1931. She was one of
the 1st women to be elected to the Alberta Legislative Assembly and
later the federal Parliament. She was an organizer of local, provincial, national
and international vice-president of the Women’s Christian temperance Union.
She fought for laws to aid immigrants, widows, and separated women.
She was the second woman to sign the famous “Persons” act which lead to
women in Canada being able to be considered “persons” She is one of the group
now called “The Famous Five” |
| |
Gail
Bowen.
Born Toronto, Ontario 1942. The author of several novels, she has set her mystery stories in the
province of Saskatchewan. Maybe you will read of the adventures of the character
Joanne Kilbourn, an amateur sleuth who also is the mother of three teenagers.
Sound like good stories don't they? Check you library to see if you can
borrow these books. |
| September
23 | Anne
Wheeler. Born Edmonton,
Alberta 1946.
Actress, filmmaker, producer, director and writer are her professions.
She worked for the National Film Board of Canada in the 1970’s working
on numerous documentaries. Her film
“Bye Bye Blues” (1990) won 3 Genie Awards. |
| September
24 | Nancy
Ellen Garapick. Born
Halifax, Nova Scotia 1961.
A swimmer who did well in butterfly, free style and individual medley events she
had the most success in the backstroke event.
She set the world record in 1975 and in the same year was named Canada’s
female athlete of the year. She was
just 14 years old! In the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal she won two bronze medals. |
| September
25 | Mary
Scovil. (née
Barber) Born 1803. As a young woman she was a teacher. She worked in Sutton Township
( Lower Canada) in 1834 for her room and board and a salary of $1.00 a week! She
married a farmer, Stephen Scovil. At 44 she was pregnant, a widow and already
a mother of three older children. She worked harder than ever with her farm. Against
the sentiment of her own era she worked herself into the position of a prosperous
farmer. A strong minded individual she left her estate to her family assuring
that her daughters inheritance could not become part of the estate of their husbands! |
| September
26 | Alice
Jones.
Born 1853. Died 1933. This author wrote using several pseudonyms such as Alix
John, Isobel Broderick. She would leave Canada in 1905 to live in France but would
continue to include Canadian characters and setting in her novels. |
| September
27 | Clara
Hughes. Born
1972. Clara is a dynamo on wheels. This cyclist holds 13 Canadian National titles.
She as silver and bronze medals from the 1991 and 1995 Pan American Games; a silver
medal from the 1994 Commonwealth Games; a silver medal from the 1995 World Championships.
In the 1996 Olympics she won 2 bronze medals which were Canada's first cycling
medals in 100 years! |
| September
28 | Angella
Taylor. (née Issajenko) Born
Jamaica, 1958.
Known in her sports career as Angella Taylor, she is one of Canada’s outstanding
sprinters. She holds international
medals from the Commonwealth, Olympic, Pan-American, and World University games.
She has been female athlete of the year and holds 7 Canadian Championship
titles. She became a Member of the
Order of Canada in 1985. |
| |
Catherine
Robbin. Born
Toronto, Ontario 1950. This mezzo-soprano studied in Toronto, Vancouver, London, Paris and New
York City. Her rich voice is in demand throughout North America and Europe.
She has made several classical recordings that have brought her acclaim. |
| September
29 | Constance
Elvia Crook.
Born 1930. This retired teacher and grandmother is perhaps best known by her pen
name : Connie Brummel Crook. She has written Laura's Choice (1993), Nellie
L (1994) and Meyers Creek (1995). Be sure to have a look at her books
at your local Public Library. |
| |
Lauraine
(Laurie) Diane Dennett.
Born 1946. This writer drew from her own experiences publishing stories of pilgrimages.
She has made walking pilgrimages in France, Spain, Italy and six other countries.
All her walking efforts have raised over 200,000 dollars for medical research.
She has been the Honourary Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada.
In 1993 she received the Confederation Medal to honour her achievements. |
| September
30 | Thérése
Gouin Decarie.
Born 1923. Dr. Decarie is a Professor at the Départment de Psychologie
at the Université de Montréal. This mother of four children has
maintained a full career in child psychology that includes being the author of
several renown texts in her field of research. Her writings have been published
in French, English and Italian and have been awarded recognition such as the Médaille
Inis-Gérin de la Societé Royale du Canada. She was appointed to
the Order of Canada in 1977. |
| | |
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