About us - the who and why

Why?

While a leader in the Ottawa Area Girl Guides, the part of the Guiding Program on Famous Canadian women was not an easy area to research. Dawn Monroe developed a series of activities for her own Guide unit. Other leaders asked for copies of the activities. It saved a lot of individual work to share these activity pages. Wanting to learn more about web pages on the internet Dawn decided to do something practicable as a learning project. Famous Canadian Women was born!! The idea of using birthdays as a way of interesting young people in Canadian Women of achievement came next. It proved to be an interesting challenge. There are still days that do not have Canadian women's names. As the fun of research progressed, the amount of information accumulated did not always provide birth dates. How else could this knowledge of Canadian women be shared? What ways would be fun for people to learn about Canadian women? Stamp collecting is the world's most popular hobby? Why not cash in on a trend? In the main database there were lots of first achievements so famous firsts was set up. Timelines and quotes are always fun so they were added in 2004. Still more names existed in the ever growing research pages. The desire to post information on more women the section On-The-Job was set up as the main information file in the fall of 2004. In 2006 the "search" factor helped people to locate any woman listed on the site! The fun and challenge of researching for more birthdays continues... who knows what can be posted...

WHO?

Dawn Elizabeth Monroe.  Born Toronto, Ontario  October 27 1945. Raised in the small village of Highland Creek, in the Township of Scarborough, she watched the Township grow into a city. She earned her weekly allowance by working at the Highland Creek Public Library, which at one time was actually situated in her house. The little library room in the house progressed to becoming part of Scarborough Public Libraries. She studied Canadian history at the University of Guelph. It is no surprise to learn that she attended the Library School at the University of Western Ontario. Hired as a librarian by the federal government, Dawn first worked at the National Library of Canada before moving to the Library at the National Archives of Canada. In 1991 she moved to Employment and Immigration Canada and ended her career by working as Manager, Library Services Citizenship and Immigration Canada. On the leisure side of life she was introduced to the sport of archery while at university of Guelph. Archery  would be an interest throughout her life and would bring her to meet her husband Jerry. She has taught and coached archery to youth at the RA Centre since she moved to Ottawa in 1971. As a youth herself she had been a member of the Guiding movement. This interest was reactivated when her own two daughters became Brownie age. Realizing that the Guides Canada offered a real interest for herself she became part of the Ottawa Area Public Relations team after her own girls outgrew the movement. Retiring from the government in 2004,  she took a few years to enjoy continuing her work with Girl Guides and other volunteer services, teaching her sport of archery to young people, researching and working on her web site, and being with her family that now includes a new generation. In 2006 her oldest daughter asked her to come up to Northern Ontario where she could be closer to her grandson. Oh and by the way, her daughter added, They are looking for someone at the library. Dawn is now C.E.O. of the Cochrane Public Library. She is involved with the Girl Guides, the Cochrane 2010 Centennial Committee and spending some time with her grandson. Ahhhh! Retirement!!

Jerry Alan Monroe. Born Toronto, December 31, 1943. Raised in downtown Toronto, Jerry left school early in search of a career. He married for the first time on his 19th birthday and held various jobs in the cartage industry and as a printer. He started out on his own path again and met a  woman interested in the sport of archery. Deciding to take up competitive archery he also decided to marry the archer he had met. After their two daughters were born,  he became "Mr. Mom" and maintained a craft and engraving business as working hobbies. He took an interest in home computing and learned from reading and doing until he obtained a proficiency both technically and with web sites. He has always enjoyed reading and learning and is currently having fun with e-bay sales and having Dawn home with him. He also enjoys being grandpa to two teen granddaughters from his first marriage and being a special "Poppa" to his grandson. He manages the web sites for Famous Canadian Women from the new family home in Cochrane, Ontario.

We feel strongly that the site should remain completely FREE for everyone! There are, however, substantial costs involved with maintaining a site of this size and popularity! If you have used our services and enjoyed your time spent at Famous Canadian Women , please consider donating to this very important project! Thank you very much!!!

We Get Letters ...here are a few samples from the last year or so...

01/21/04

a_hammerling
What a wonderful site! I am a Pathfinder and Ranger leader, this is an area which is not well covered, you have done a great job!
 

19/12/2005
I have enjoyed viewing your webpage. Great fun and lots of information. Keep up the good work.
Bernie
Memorial University, Newfoundland.
 

February 14, 2006
Hello Dawn from Diane Laird,

Thank you very much for the Archibald info on your site. I had not really taken a look at your site until this morning as I had only googled Edith Jessie and saw only her page.

Now that I have read your bio and looked a bit more I must congratulate you! What a good idea!
 

November 11, 2006

I'm sure the site is no secret , but a hidden treasure to me !

Thanks for being here. I will definitely spread the resource around :o)

Janet, Pierrefond, QC GGC 15 yr member