Born June 1, 1855 Litla Aszeirsa Iceland. Died October 23, 1941. She came to Canada with her parents in 1873. The first settled in Ontario where she married Jakob Jonatonsson Lindal. The couple had two children. She had written poetry in Iceland but it was not until she came to Canada would she have any of her work published. He writings reflected her life story, writing of leaving her homeland and lamenting that in Canada women’s rights often meant women remained in a bad marriage. She became divorced in 1892. She moved to Manitoba and later to British Columbia with her second husband Skuli Arni Stefansson Freeman with whom she had another child. Skuli died in 1904. She published using the pen name Undine. Her works were published in Freyja, an early suffrage journal . While she did put her poems together in a manuscript they were not published until 1952, 11 years after her death. ^{Sources: Herstory: A Canadian Women’s Calendar 2006. Saskatoon: Coteau Books, 2005: Writings by Western Icelandic Women by Kristen Wolf. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 1997.}

née Shaw. Born Belfast, Ireland Died August 6, 1897. She and her family would sail with their sea faring father to New Brunswick in 1836. June, two years later she married Frederick William Cadwallader Beavan, a surgeon in the militia. Three of their family of seven children would be born in Canada. She enjoyed writing and her poetry and stories appeared in the Armaranth, the first magazine of New Brunswick. Her works appeared with the signature style of the day as wither Mrs. B or as Emily B.. In 1843 the family sailed to settle in England. However the life in the Canadian province stayed with Emily and in 1845 she published Sketches and tales illustrative of the life in the backwoods’ of New Brunswick, North America. She intended the work to be a handbook of prospective settlers. She even detailed the effect of weather on a woman’s skin. Today the work is studied by  students as a valuable historic profile of her times in the colony.  In 1852 the Beavan family sailed for Melbourne to finally settle in Australia. Sources: Dictionary of Canadian Biography V. VII pg 792 ; A celebration of women writers http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/beaven/beaven.html  Accessed April 2008

née Granger. Born Shorten, Dorsetshire, England 1891. Died April 19, 1988. She and her family immigrated to Canada when she was an infant. Settling in Collinwood, Ontario, young Ethel was writing for the Collingwood Bulletin while still in school. She would attend the University of Toronto . Graduating in 1915 she taught at the Ontario Ladies College in Whitby, Ontario before she married in 1919 and moved to teach in Pennsylvania. She earned her PhD at the  University of Wisconsin and Lectured in French in Victoria during the 1940’s.  In the late 1950’s she published three historical novels featuring women in New France. She won the Ryerson Fiction Award in 1960 for her work Short of Glory.  She also penned stories for Children for Discovery Magazine.

Born June 18, 1911 Preston, Ontario. Died May 1, 1993 Kitchener, Ontario. Clare became wheelchair bound after a had polio when she was only 11. She was unable to attend high school because of lack of accessibility but she educated herself by reading. At 17 she had an article published in the magazine Girlhood Days. She would go on to write book reviews for the local newspaper the Prestonian. She wrote poems that were published in various magazines including the Ladies Home Journal and the Toronto Star Weekly. During World War ll she wrote a column for the Canadian Red Cross and was a correspondent for the Kitchener –Waterloo Record. Along with her short stories that were published she wrote two novels and a play. Miss Bernhardt wrote the lyrics for the Canadian Centennial year hymn that was provided to churches across the country in 1967. Foe 30 years she would write a column for her local paper about the world from her point of view. In 1991 she was inducted into the Order of Ontario. ^{Source: Hall of Fame, City of Cambridge, Ontario Online Accessed March 2013.}

First Woman

Born Tiverton, Ontario 1887. Died 1978. After graduating high school in 1905 she attended Normal School (Teacher’s College) and then joined a cousin at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario. The two would graduate in 1912. Together the cousins had joined the Student Volunteers, a Christian youth movement and took extra courses in religion. They were cleared for mission work by the Women’s Missionary Society of the Methodist (now United Church of Canada) and prepared to sail for China. Margaret would return to school during furloughs. In 1928 she attended the Ontario College of Education in Toronto and in 1935 she earned a masters degree in Chinese Studies. Although she began a doctoral program at Columbia University, New York, U.S.A. she never completed her degree. In July 1913 she left Canada going to China beginning a 38 year career of serving the call to mission in China. She serving in the Hwaiking she was instrumental in opening the 1^st full primary school for girls in the city as well as a school for young married women. During her 3^rd term in China she became an editor of the Christian Literature Society and later she worked as a translator for the Canadian Commissioner of Trade. Her sill in the Chinese language even permitted her to write books in the language! During the Japanese military activities in China in the late 1930’s she worked from Hon Kong under the British Consulate and although there were intervals in China once Communism took over China foreign missionaries were not allowed on the mainland. Her personal writings and those published have left a view of Christian Mission efforts in a changing Chin., an area of history that is just being studied. She retired home to Canada in 1956. ^{Sources: From the pages of three ladies: Canadian women missionaries in Republican China. By Deborah Shulman (MA Thesis, Concordia University, 1996) ;}

Born May 29, 1922 Kamsack, Saskatchewan. Died California November 22, 2010. One of her best friends in school was daughter of Japanese immigrants and Eleanor learned to enjoy origami and Japanese food. She married  a U.S. Air Force office but retained her independence. In 1949 she was the only person who applied to the Ottawa Journal newspaper to be a foreign correspondent to describe conditions in postwar Japan. Since there were no civilian ships nor planes to Japan at that time she sail on A Dutch freighter o take up her new job. She lived with a Japanese farm family in the middle of nowhere prior to moving to Hiroshima. The she was unprepared for the devastation she saw. In the 1950’s she became o mother to two sons , one born in Japan and the second in Alabama. She continued her writing while traveling to postings with her husband in California, The Philippines and Taiwan. Returning to Hiroshima, Japan in 1963 she was enthralled and mesmerized with the beautiful Pease Park with the statue with a young girl at the top. The monies to build the park had been raised in part by selling the story of the youth on the statue, Sadako. Eventually Eleanor found a copy of the story of the youth Sadako and the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes was published in 1977. The book spawned web sites, lesson plans and popularized origami. The story inspired works of music, theatre and ballet. As Eleanor entered her second marriage to Wymberly de Renne Coerr (1913-1996), the couple traveled as diplomats and she earned her B.A. in English from American University and a Masters of Library Science from the University of Maryland. She went on to publish several dozen books for youth including biographies, easy to read adventure tales, and sensitive accounts of children from other cultures. ^{Sources: “Eleanor Coerr…”.School Library Journal November 30, 2010 ; Ewing-Weisz, Chris “Visits to Hiroshima prompted a book promoting peace” The Globe and Mail  October 21, 2011 Page R 9} . Suggestion submitted by June Coxon, Ottawa

Née Bruce. Born August 25, 1901. Stouffville, Ontario. She was a teacher in a rural Ontario School from 1920-21. In 1924-1926 she attended Victoria College at the University of Toronto. In 1926 she married Donald Creighton (1902-1977) She enjoyed writing novels and romances and was well known for her work High Bright Buggy Wheels (McClelland & Stewart, 1951) which drew from Mennonite history in the Markham area of Ontario. 6 additional works followed each drawing on settings in Canadian History. She was supported in her writing by her husband, Donald Creighton,(1902-1979) a well known and respected Canadian Historian who died in 1979. ^{Source: Canadian Women of Note (Toronto, Canadian Women’s Press Club/York University, 1994) no. 193 page 201.}

Ann Douglas is an award-winning journalist and the author of some 30 books, many of which have been about baby and child care including: The Mother of All Pregnancy Books, The Mother of All Toddler Books, The Mother of All Parenting Books. She also has an interest in Canadian women’s history and has written Canuck Chicks and Maple Leaf Mamma’s to help others learn more of our women’s heritage.  A parent, educator, lecturer, and mother of four, Ann is currently serving as the honorary Chair of the National Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies 9-Month Club and as a member of the expert advisory group for Invest in Kids.  She recently served as national spokesperson for Sunlight's National Play Day Program and has been featured on a Cheerios box as part of a special "Read the Box" campaign of 2002 and 2005. As past president of the Periodical Writers Association of Canada (PWAC) and  a teacher of  writing courses through Trent University she mentors emerging and established authors.

Onoto Watanna

née Rae. Born Aberdeen, Scotland. 1788. Died March 15, 1860. She married James Innis Knight July 3, 1810 and later as a young widow married James Fleming May 8, 1820 in Canada. In 1815 and 1816 she published two books called Home and a book of poems entitled A year in Canada and other poems.  Once settled in Canada she became a teacher concerned that the school books being used in her Canadian school house had very little Canadian content. She developed school books specifically for her young students. Her works may have been the first books for Canadian children. Her published works contained views of Canadian scenery and the book The Prompter was subtitled: Progressive exercises on English Language. She wanted to provide interesting lessons for her students and continued to “Canadianize” early textbooks. Source: Dictionary of Canadian Biography Vol. lll pg. 734-35

Born  New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.A.  Barbara was first published at the age of 9 in Humpty Dumpty Magazine, and then  in Jack and Jill, winning a National Scholastic Magazine regional short story award when she was 14. With her B.A. degree from Columbia University she taught English, speech and drama in New York and Chicago and worked in public relations before moving to Canada in 1967. A popular speaker for local, national and international organizations, she has taught courses in writing, speaking and media training. The author of three books, including the 20th anniversary edition of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing and a revised edition of Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity. Her alter-ego, Simon Teakettle, owns the company, Simon Teakettle Ink, and this cat has his own credits as a writer. Barbara and Simon collaborated Mewsings/museings, a collection of their best humor writing. Together, Barbara and Simon have contributed to 29 anthologies in six countries. Their website is www.SimonTeakettle.com.

Born April 18, 1953, Saddle Lake First Nation, Alberta. Her Cree name is Sky Dancer and refers to the Northern lights. At the age of 7 she was sent to Blue Quilts Residential School in St. Paul Alberta as were many aboriginal youth. She choose not to return home but to remain and attend high School. She went on to earn a Bachelor in Social Work from the University of Regina. She had always loved writing and began to write seriously in the 1980’s. She has published several books of poetry one of which Bear Bones and Feathers (Saskatoon, Coteau Books, 1994) received the Canadian People’s Poet Award. She also sent a copy of her work to the Queen of England and the Pope. There was a poem to each of them and the Pope’s thank you said he noted the reference to him. She has travelled across North America and foreign countries such as China discussing her work. She was appointed Poet Laureate of Saskatchewan in 2005. ^{Sources: Biography. Banff Centre of the Arts, accessed April 2013.} : ^{Herstory: The Canadian Women’s Calendar 2006. Saskatoon: Coteau Books, 2005.}

(née Ryerse), Born February 1798 Port Ryese, Upper Canada (Ontario) Died London, Ontario March 19, 1882. She was the daughter of United Empire Loyalists who settled in Upper Canada in 1784. On June 28, 1815 she married John Harris of the Royal Navy. John was involved in the preparation of maps of the Great Lakes and there is evidence that Amelia was also involved in the preparation of draft maps of the surveyed areas. The family moved a couple of times before setline in Eldon House in London, Upper Canada. The couple would have three sons and seven daughters. Although she did not have much in the way of formal education, Amelia was well read in the literature of the time and she enjoyed corresponding with family members and keeping a diary. Which covered almost 9000 days. She would leave for the next generations a well written detailed portrait of wel-to-do 19^th century family life. Her works are know for their clarity and objectivity of her analysis of character. Her cousin , Egerton Ryerson, published her accounts of her early loyalist family life in his work The Loyalists of America and their times. Her diaries are held at the University of Western Ontario. ^{Source: The Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Online Accessed 2001.}

HISTORIAN
 

Born Eskilstuna, Sweden March 16. Loris immigrated to Canada with her family as a child. She kept notes in journals which she illustrated on every topic. She loved to write and draw she even wrote poetry. After a formal university education proved be be not what she wanted she took a job at a printing company and was exposed properly to graphic arts. She is totally self-taught as an illustrator  and has worked as a freelance designer. She continued her writing as she had always loved it. It was only after attending a story makers conference in 1991 that she gained confidence to do something with her scribbling. She formed a relationship with Annick Publishing and has not looked back. “Nothing beats a Pizza was a Mr. Christie’s Award honour book. Her works include Boy Soup, Catmagic, Nightschool and many more. Check out your Public Library for more of her books. ^{Source: Loris Lesynski by Dave Jenkinson CM Magazine Profile online accessed January 2007. ; www.Lorislesynski.com}

Born December 24, 1914, Midland, Ontario. . Died January 29, 2011 , Hawkestone, Ontario. She was a survivor right from the get go! She survived the influenza epidemic of 1918, falling through the ice on Little Lake, The Great depression, Hurricane Hazel and the fire that took the family livelihood. She raised 8 children and cared for her elderly parents in the family home. She was one of the first women in Ontario to obtain her Real Estate Broker’s License and her insurance agent’s license. She was a lifelong volunteer giving her time to many projects and organizations such as the Oro Historical Society, the Simcoe County Museum and she worked tirelessly with others to make sure swimming lessons were available to the local children.  She shared her life experiences in publications such as the Orillia Packet Times and the Curious Daytripper. At the age of 80 she learned to use a computer and subsequently wrote and illustrated six  books based upon recollections from her life. In 1992 she received the 125^th Anniversary of Confederation of Canada Medal, followed in 1993 with being the Citizen of the Year in Oro Township. In 2005 she was woman of the year of the Orillia Business Women’s Association. ^{Sources: The Orillia Packet.}

Adventurer

Born in the U.S.A. A college professor from Kansas she married T. Joseph Mandy a mines engineer and amateur photographer. The couple loved the western Canadian northland. Madge would write of their experiences trekking across the area in the 1930’s and with reprints in the 1990’s the books effects are still being felt. The book was : Our Trail led Northwest: true trail romance and adventure in British Columbia. (Reprinted Surrey, B.C.: Heritage House 1992.) Madge Lake, Madge Mountain were both named for this adventurer. The town of Burnaby , British Columbia boasts of Madge Ave., named in her honour. ^{Source: Herstory: The Canadian Women’s Calendar 2000. (Silver Anniversary Edition) Coteau Books, 1999. Page 12.}

Born Madras, India. As a child she enjoyed reading. As a youth she read and studied the Greek classic plays. Winnina a Smith-Mundt Fulbright Scholarship she studied literature at Indiana University earning her master’s degree in creative writing. She moved to Winnipeg Manitoba in 1966 and continued her university studies at the Michigan State University receiving her PhD in 1972. She is married and has one daughter and the family has settled in with Dr. Uma working as a professor at the University of Winnipeg. She began her professional writing career in 1962 producing an historical drama. In 1967 her writings won the Lady Eaton Award. In 1980 her work was awarded the Caribe Playwriting Completion first prize. Her collection of short stories What Was Always Hers won both the New Muse Award and the Jubilee Award. During her work, writing career and family responsibilities she has also found time to return service to the writers world by working with several boards and committees including the Status of Women Writers Committee, the Board of Immigrant Women’s Association of Manitoba and as president of the Manitoba’s Writers Guild. Obviously she enjoys nothing more than being creatively busy. Suggested sources; Uma Parameswaran web site at the University of Winnipeg. (Accessed May 2008)

Born February. 23, 1887, Vancouver British Columbia. Died October 12, 1953, Vancouver, British Columbia. She attended the University of British Columbia when it was connected to McGill University, Montreal. She left teaching to marry Frederick James Rolston in 1909 and raised a family of three children. Tilly worked closely with many associations and clubs including being  a director of the Vancouver-based Pacific National Exhibition, an Honorary President of the Women's Canadian Club, president of the Oratorio Society, Quota Club, and the Travel Women's Club. She was also the founding chairman of the Theatre Under the Stars, board member of the YWCA auxiliary and of the Vancouver Symphony Society. While a homemaker she continued her interest in politics and actually entered politics as an elected Progressive Conservative Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in1941. In 1951 she sat as an Independent for the remainder of the session. She became a supporter of W.A.C. Bennett and in the 1952 B.C. election in Vancouver-Port Grey, she was elected as a Social Credit candidate and named education minister. She was the second woman in British Columbia to be appointed to the cabinet and the first woman in all of Canada to hold a specific portfolio. She was a staunch advocate education for every child. ^{Source: http://www.viu.ca/homeroom/content/topics/people/rolston.htm (Accessed December 2012.}

 Born November 17, 1935 Binghamton, New York, U.S.A. She attended Smith College before studying in Scotland at the famous St. Andrew’s University. After teaching in England she moved to British Columbia in 1959. In 1965 she published her 1^st magazine short story. In all she has written 15 novels and collections of short stories as well as numerous radio plays and broadcasts for the CBC. She was the first winner of the Ethel Wilson B.C. Fiction Prize for her 1984 novel Intertidal Life., and she has taken the award two more times. Internationally she has gained recognition with the Canada-Scotland Literary Fellowship in 1984 and in 1987 the Canada-Australia Literary Prize. In 1987 she received the Marian Engel Award and in 2003 the Tereasen Lifetime Achievement Award. ^{Source: “Audrey Grace Thomas” by Veronica Thompson, the Canadian Encyclopedia.}

Born Zagreb, Yugoslavia (Croatia). October 13, 1955.  At only a few days old her mother left Croatia to join the baby’s Canadian Father. Teresa’s early life was rather unsettling with the family moving 17 times from city to city to city. Unfortunately her father died when she was only seven months old. Her first career choice was to be a mermaid. But practicality of life took over. She attended the University of Toronto and completed a Masters in Political Science just in time to marry and mover to Montreal. Once settled she worked as a freelance broadcaster for Radio Canada International before moving to Ottawa, Toronto, New York City and back again to Toronto. In between moves 2 daughters were born and she decided to become a stay at home mother. During this time she turned to writing. She also became involved as a volunteer with Frontier College and teaching English as a second language. Her writing has been mainly for young readers and has resulted in numerous books having been published starting in 1995. According to Teresa writing is almost as good as being a mermaid! ^{Source: Teresa Toten by Dave Jenkinson CM Magazine Profile online accessed January 2007.  ; teresatoten.com}

Born Toronto, Ontario  January 19, 1941. Charlotte lived with an overbearing father who was physical with her. She left high school to take up her teen passion and studied formal night classes in acting. She once dressed as a messenger boy to take a fan letter to Bette Davis. Davis was smitten by the letter and she became friends with the young upstart. Escaping her home situation she moving to England and worked from 1961-64 in sleazy night spots to make a living. In the mid 1960’s she brought her career back to Canada. Married in 1970, she soon became an urban mother to a beautiful daughter. By 1975 the urge to write became strong and she wrote her only non-fiction book that would be called Daddy’s Girl about her abusive childhood. The subject of the book was not popular in that era and she would publish some fifteen works of fiction before she would get this ground breaking work to readers. She has penned over thirty books which have been grabbed up by the public, mainly in the United Kingdom where she is one of the most borrowed authors from libraries. Her books sell in over twenty countries but yet she is not overly recognized in Canada. She developed her own Press to publish her own commercial fiction  Her stories deal with strong feisty women who discover that they can take care of themselves when it comes to living with adversity. She also writes under the pen name of Katherine Marlowe. She divides her time between her home in Toronto and a second home in Connecticut. Sources: “Ignored at home. Successful abroad” by Diane Frances MacLean’s October 15, 1999: Canadian Who’s Who 2005 (University of Toronto Press, 2005)

Born 1913, Montreal, Quebec. Died July 4 2010  St Andrew’s, New Brunswick. As a young girls she had wanderlust and worked as a post mistress on a ocean liner. She visited China, worked as private secretary to Lady Marlar, wife of the Canadian ambassador, Washington. D.C. In 1939 she married David Walker an officer in the Black Watch. David was a prisoner of War for five years during the war and she was constantly trying to help him escape by sending him maps and information hidden in gift packages. She joined the Royal Canadian Air Force Women’s Division  becoming a wing officer. Reunited after the war the young couple travelled extensively before settling in St Andrew’s New Brunswick to raise their family of four sons. It was here that Willa wrote about the town in several books. She was kidded by her family for having 7 work desks in her home. She also founded, owned and operated a successful retail business. ^{Source: Herstory: The Canadian Women’s Calendar 2012. Coteau Books, 2011.}

née Bryant. Born January 20, 1888, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Died  December 22, 1980, Vancouver, British Columbia. After the death of her parents when she was ten she moved to Canada to live with her grandmother. She was educated at private schools in Canada and England before returning to attend the Vancouver Normal School (teacher’s college). After graduating in 1907 she taught public school until her marriage to Dr. Wallace Wilson in 1927.  Ethel began writing in 1937 with her early stories being published in British magazines. In 1947 she published her first novel, Hetty Dorva. From 1947-57, she wrote four more novels, best known being Swamp Angel. Mrs. Golightly and Other Stories, her last published work, appeared in 1964. She received a special Canada Council medal for contributions to Canadian literature and the  Lorne Pierce Medal from the Royal Society of Canada. She was inducted into the Order of Canada and in 1970 received the Canada Medal of Service.  British .Columbia's top fiction prize is named for her. ^{Sources: The Canadian Encyclopedia online : The Vancouver Hall of Fame Online accessed November 2012. Suggested reading: Ethel Wilson: Stories, essays and Letters. Edited by D. Stouck (1988)}

Née Buck. Born Calgary Alberta November 21, 1921 Died Toronto, Ontario March 2007. In 1940 she graduated from Teachers College. She taught in the rural schools of Alberta to earn money to put herself through the B.A. program at the University of Alberta in 1945. She moved to Toronto hoping to find work as a journalist. She started with menial jobs at the Toronto Star Weekly and as copywriter for Eaton’s Department Stores. In 1949 she decided that she wanted to write fiction and took off for Europe. She did however maintain Canadian ties by writing stories for Maclean’s magazine and Chatelaine Magazine. Returning to Canada in 1951 she worked at Chatelaine , beginning a 20 year career becoming in 1957 editor in Chief of the magazine. In 1957 she married David Anderson. The couple would have three children but the marriage ended in divorce in 1972. In 1974 Doris became a member of the Order of Canada, an award that was changed to Companion of the Order in 2002. She ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the House of Commons and accepted a position with the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women. Her strong personality would eventually see her leave this position but not before pressure made sure that the new Constitution recognized women as equals!. She was the YWCA Woman of Distinction in 1982 and in 1991 she received the Governor’s General Persons Award in recognition for her promotion of the equality for girls and women in Canada. In 1993 she became Chancellor of the University of Prince Edward Island. In 1998 she was Chair of the Ontario Press Council. In 1984 she returned to her journalism roots working for the Toronto Star newspaper. ^{Sources: Canadian Encyclopedia online Accessed July 2011: Doris Hilda Anderson by Jessica Bedaoui in Biographical Sketches of nine members of the Canadian Women’s Press Club . Ottawa, Media Club of Ottawa, 2011.  Pages 4-5.}

Born August 17, 1936 Tesdale, Saskatchewan. Died February 27, 1936 Vancouver, British Columbia. At 15 she won a writing contest in which she was provided with a full scholarship at the Banff School of Fine Arts in Alberta. At 16 she won a National Newspaper Award. She was hooked. Journalism was to be her career. She worked at the Calgary, Albertan and the Herald, the Edmonton Journal as well as the Winnipeg Tribune. While at the Tribune she met Fred Annesley, a fellow reporter. The couple married and had two children. She worked earning herself a daily column in the Toronto Telegram and later for McLean’s Magazine In the early 1970’s she ran Information Services for TVOntario. She retired to Vancouver in 1983 still dappling with some freelance writing. ^{Source: Loves Lived by Belle Laderoule and David Cobb, The Globe and Mail, October 26, 2012.} Suggestion submitted by June Coxon, Ottawa, Ontario

Born Macoun,  Saskatchewan October 2, 1905. Died Saskatchewan September 29, 2002. After high school she began teaching but by 1930 she found herself working as a secretary at the Regina Leader-Post. Journalism was to be her career. In 1935 she took a grain ship to France and was  on tour in France when World War ii broke out. Her happenstance allowed her, as the only Canadian journalist on site,  to post articles for the Canadian Press. Between 1936 and 1941 when she was forced to flee Germany,  she became officially named Paris correspondent reporting firs hand on the European conflict. After she fled Europe she dedicated herself to the plight of France. She co-founded the Free the French Association in Canada and traveled throughout North America with her compassionate plea. In 1941, France asked her to return to report on post war life. Her work in France garnered her the order of Chevalier de a Légion d’Honeur, the highest distinction given by the grateful nation of France. In her 80’s her reports from France became the base for her  book: One Woman’s War. Returning to Canada after the War she was head of the Information Service of the French Embassy until retirement in 1971. She would become the subject of a History Television documentary called Eyewitness to War. In 1948 and 1949 she was elected as president of the Canadian Women’s Press Club. With her adventuresome spirit she never stopped looking for a good story. During her lifetime she visited and reported from 60 difference countries. She also  established an additional legacy of perpetual scholarships in French Language and Journalism at the University of Regina. ^{Sources: Biographical Sketches of Nine members of the Canadian Women’s Press Club. Media Club of Ottawa, 2011 page 6. ; Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan online accessed July 2011. ; Gladys Arnold Eulogy October 2002. Online accessed July 31, 2011.}

Miss Lou

Born Kingston, Jamaica September 7, 1919. Died July 31, 2006. She was one of the first Black women broadcasters in the 1940’s. While still as student at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, England, she hosted a radio show called Caribbean Carnival. After she emigrated to Toronto she used her knowledge of her culture, the stories and songs, sa a basis for her radio shows which included ‘Laugh with Louise’, ‘Miss Lou’s Views’ and  educated Jamaican immigrant children with her TV show ‘Ring Ding’. She married Eric ’Chalktalk’ Coverley and they had a son and many ‘adopted’ children. Miss Lou as she was known, had been made a member of the Order of the British Empire and had received an honorary doctorate from York University, Toronto and another from the University of the West Indies. She died the night she was to be presented with the 2006 Jamaica Independence Award Hall of Fame from the West Indian American Association of New Jersey. Source: Miss Lou, 86: Bedrock of Canadian culture by Philip Mascoll, The Toronto Starr, August 1, 2006.

First Black woman journalist in Canada

National Historic Person

Born Dorset, England April 25, 1871. Died London, England April 22, 1947. A journalist perhaps in search of a story, she decided to  came to visit her brother’s farm in Saskatchewan and fell in love with the area. She also felt that she would be a better farmer than her brother. In 1905 she purchased land in the Qu’Appelle Valley in Southern Saskatchewan. As a woman she was not eligible to apply for or receive the free land offered in Western Canada. She sold her grain in the open market and was a critic of privately controlled grain-marketing systems.  She would go to Ottawa in 1908 and protest for equality for women farmers. It was not until 1930 when the federal government handed land control over to the prairie provinces would single women farmers get their demands. Meanwhile in 1910,  Georgina opened her farm to train other single women wishing to learn farming. She also continued her writings and left behind a rich detailed account of social life and daily farm life in the settlement of the Canadian prairies. During World War l, the British Government appointed Georgina and 6others to train women to work the land. Her own personal war effort was a children’s book from which proceeds were used to help wounded solders and their horses. She began ladies dress making business in London to stabilize her finances while still managing her Canadian Farm. Her ashes were spread on her lands in Saskatchewan. Source: 100 more Canadian Heroines by Merna Forster (Dundurn 2011)

Born Toronto, Ontario 1952. She studied at the University of Guelph which is a little ironic. Guelph is known more as an agricultural school than for the arts and she lives on a sheep farm and is listed in the Canadian Who’s Who as a shepherd and an author. A successful journalist she combined her love of history and humour in her works. She won the Leacock Award for humorous writing in 1996. She has done regular columns in Maclean’s Magazine, and written CBC productions. She writes anecdotal Canadian history books which began with Just a Minute: Glimpses of Our Great Canadian Heritage (Toronto : McArthur & Co., 1994) In 1998 she was the YWCA Woman of Distinction.

Born Birmingham, England January 15, 1916. Died Winnipeg, Manitoba October 30, 2010.  As a child she immigrated to Manitoba with her family, and settled in the Sturgeon Creek area of St. James. On  October 24, 1936, she married Thomas P. Chester. After the birth of their three children, she began writing professionally in the mid-1950s. Her career in journalism began as the Charleswood correspondent for the St. James Leader. By 1965, she was Editor of the St. James Assiniboia News. She was later Editor-In-Chief of several weekly community newspapers, including Metro One, The Lance, The Herald, The Times and Thompson Times. As a volunteer  she was also a founding member of the Charleswood Historical Society and the Charleswood Sketch Club.  She was a member of the St. James Chamber of Commerce, The St. James Business and Professional Women’s Association and other local and political organizations. In 1997, she wrote a book on the history of St. Mary’s Anglican Church in celebration of its 75th anniversary. ^{Sources: Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 6 November 2010 : Memorable Manitobans Online (Accessed November 2012)}

She studied for her B.A. at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario and earned her M.A. at the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario. She also took additional personal interest courses in California. She worked as a Director of Communications in the Canadian Government.  She worked as a broadcast journalist for the CBC in Toronto and Calgary. A linguist, she speaks English, Italian and French. She has traveled and loves international cuisine. She is married and has two children. In 1988 she earned the Award of Distinction in Broadcasting for her work with the Calgary winter Olympic Games. In 2001 she published her book Take the step, the Bridge will be there (Harper Collins). In 2003 she was the cover story for Women with Vision magazine. She provides help and guidance through workshops and retreats around the world. She is the founder and President of Grace Cirocco Inc. training and coaching company. In 2004 she founded the Goddess Club, a monthly workshop and therapy group in Oakville, Ontario^{. Sources Grace Cirocco.com Biography (accessed 2007) ; Interview with and inspiring woman by Penny in Discovering She May 14, 2011. Online (Accessed December 2011.} Suggestion submitted by Joan Lowry.

Born London, Ontario August 11, 1909. Died May 4, 1983. By 1933 she had earned her BA from the University of Western Ontario in London. She became a member of the newsroom staff of the London Free Press. From 1941 through 1974 she was a reporter. She was a critic of music art and cultural events. She maintained a weekly column and a digest of French Canadian editorial opinion that appeared in daily and weekly French language newspapers in both Ontario and Quebec. She was in the London Bureau of the Windsor Star newspaper and was the first woman reporter in the Windsor Star newsroom..

Born Brockville, Ontario. September 5, 1959. Her love of sports was evident during her years as a student at Thousand islands Secondary School where she participated in basketball provincial championships for Ontario. While at the University of Oklahoma in the USA she was twice named “Big 12” basketball player of the year. She was the highest Canadian ever drafted by the Woman's National Basketball Association where she played for the Washington Mystics. She retired from the court in 2004. In 2002 she bean working for ESPN as a studio sports analyst and has expanded her sports coverage since then. In 2004 USA Today named her Rookie analyst of the year, and in 2004 she has been named “Best new face”.

Born c1785. Died June 14, 1859. Married to Thomas Dalton in 1805 the family attempted to establish themselves in business in Newfoundland before moving to Kingston, Upper Canada in 1817. Again, the family attempted several businesses before establishing a newspaper , The Patriot and Farmers Monitor , November 12, 1829. The family decided to move the newspaper to York, now Toronto, in 1832 as The Patriot. . It is said that Sophia would edit her husband’s writings to avoid any legal issues. When Thomas died in 1840, Sophia took over the paper, becoming the first woman publisher of a Toronto newspaper, a position she maintained until the paper was sold in 1848. Dalton Road in Toronto is named in honour of the family.

nee Marchand Born St John, New Brunswick 1862. Died 1925. Like most early women writers she would use a pen name to sign her writing. She was known as Josette. A strong feminist she championed the role of women in Quebec society. In 1892 she founded le coin de feu which was the first women’s literary review in Canada. She was also a strong orator and was often called the female Laurier. Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier.  In 1898 she was the first Canadian woman to be made an officer of the French Academy in France. In 1900 she was the government appointed Canadian Commissioner to the famous Paris Exhibition. In 1901 in her work, Two systems of art, she proposed government provide funding for the arts. This was a full 50 years before the Canada Council of the Arts.

Journalist & photographer

Born Truro, Nova Scotia 1881. Died February 16,1958. As a child her family moved to Halifax where her publisher father provided the town with its two major newspapers. In 1912 he was appointed to the Senate of Canada. Clara attended both Mount Allison University, Sackville and Dalhousie University, Halifax. She finished her studies with courses in stenography and typing and the Halifax Business College so that she might pursue appropriate employment for a young woman of her era. After a trip overseas she had a great desire to tour her home province. She took alone her camera to provide images of her travels. She would produce three major books of trips in Nova Scotia that would be published by Ryerson Press. Her home province travel writings also appeared in newspapers and magazines across the country informing all of Canada of the beauties of Nova Scotia. In 1939 she composed the provincial chapter on a souvenir booked produced for the King and Queen’s Royal Tour . She had a keen eye for photography and a charming writing style that left a descriptive legacy of her beloved home. Her photographs showed people. Nature. Places and architecture including lighthouses and even Cabbage houses on Tancook Island. Her promotion of the province was her passion which was recognized with and honourary doctor of Literature from Mount Allison University and a life membership in the Nova Scotia Branch of the Canadian Women’s Press Club. Her legacy of thousand of images is preserved in the Nova Scotia Archives.  Source: Clara Dennis: tours Nova Scotia - Biographical Sketch. Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management. http:///www.gov.ns.ca.nsarm/virtual/dennis/biography.asp?Language=English  (Accessed June 2008.)   Suggestion submitted by Cabot Yu, Ottawa, Ontario June 2008.

née Coldeugh. Born Winnipeg, Manitoba December 16, 1897 Died February 18, 1988. She studied German at the University of Manitoba but it was journalism that would become her chosen career. She wrote fiction and non fiction works for newspapers, national and international magazines and the C.B.C Radio. She hosted a C.B.C Series Houses I have Known. She was honoured with numerous Manitoba historical and literary awards. In World War ll she was an official escort for British evacuee children who were sent to safer homes in Canada.

Born 1875 (?), London, Ontario. Died May 26, 1984, West Vancouver, British Columbia. Mae moved to Winnipeg in early 1900s as a CPR public relations officer for the Canadian Pacific Railway. She was one of the first female general news reporters in Western Canada, writing for the Albertan, Edmonton Bulletin and Vancouver News-Herald, before joining the Vancouver Sun in 1930. In 1962, retired as senior court reporter covering the British Columbia Supreme Court and county courts. She was also one of the first women to obtain a mortgage from Central Mortgage and Housing. She was a champion of women's rights at least two generations before the rise of the women's movement^{. Source: Vancouver Hall of Fame on line accessed December 2012}

Born 1896. Died 1984. She began her broadcasting career in 1924 in London Ontario, at the Radio station for the Free Press. She came first in a list of 90 applicants for a cooking program on CFRB in Toronto. It is said of here that she was a born show-person and it did not bother her to wear an Indian costume to do a live commercial. In the 1940’s she was a main stay on CHML in Hamilton, Ontario with the daily Jane Gray Show. Later she would host the show on CHCH TV in Hamilton. Considered one of the first Canadian women with a career  in radio broadcasting, a true pioneer who is listed in the Canadian Awards in Broadcasting Hall of Fame. ^{Source: http://broadcasting-history.ca  Accessed October 2011.  Name submitted by Jeannine Ouellette, Ottawa}

Born  1879, Rickville, New York, U.S.A. Died 1964, Saskatchewan. Her parents were Canadian and the family moved shortly after her birth to Athens, Ontario. She attended Bishop Strachan School in Toronto and  graduated from the Toronto Conservatory of Music. By 1904 the family lived in Edmonton, Alberta, and she moved on to work as a reporter in 1912 with the Prince Albert Post.  She married George Edward Ellis, who would become Inspectors of Schools for Alberta. When George became principal of Prince Albert Collegiate in Saskatchewan, Miriam became coach for the women’s hockey team. In 1913 she joined the Canadian Women’s Press Club and remained a lifelong member. By 1919 she was back in Edmonton and President of the Edmonton Branch of the CWPC. From 1919 through 1927 she was a reporter for the Edmonton Bulletin. She dubbed herself “Toad” after the character in the Wind in the Willows. She drove across the province for stories and often changed her own sparkplugs in her old second hand car. In 1927 her writing caught the eye of the Family Herald and Weekly Star where she worked until 1952. She retired in 1952 but still wrote freelance articles. While in Edmonton in 1922 she had financed her own journey to Aklavik, North West Territories on the edge of the Arctic Ocean and travelled with her typewriter and camera writing some 40 stories about her travels.  Her photos showed the life of peoples of northern Alberta. Her papers and her photographs were bequeathed to the University of Alberta providing a lasting archival legacy. ^{Sources to read: Miriam Green Ellis: Champion of the West. Edmonton; University of Alberta Press, 2013.}

Madeleine

Born Rimouski, Quebec October 5, 1875. Died Montreal October 21, 1943. As a teenager she was writing for local newspapers using a multitude of pen names for her works. After the death of her father, she and her sister relocated to Ottawa to live with a brother. Here she continued writing with Le Temps. It was here that she first used the pen name “Madeleine” when she was writing the women’s column. She had taken over the job begun by “Francoise” / Robertine Barry.  It was during this time that she became a founding member and treasurer of the Canadian Women’s Press Club. That same year, 1904 she married Dr. Wilfred A. Huguenin. The couple would have one daughter. During World War l  Anne-Marie gave generously of her efforts with the French Red Cross society and l’aide a la France. For her efforts she received the French Medal of Recognition in 1920 and King Albert of Belgium presented her with a gold medal. In the 1920’s both her husband and her daughter died and Anne-Marie immersed herself in her work. After 19 years she left La Patrie and started editing La Revue Moderne. In 1928 she founded La Vie Canadienne which merged with La Revue Moderne, the ancestor of Chatelaine. After publishing several books she decided to compile a history of Canadian women and in 1938 she published Portraits de femmes. A second edition of the popular work was written for younger readers. Feminism was reflected her many works She called upon women to better themselves with education, and becoming interested and involved in Politics. She encouraged women to support their men and raise boys respectful of equality of the genders. ^{Sources: Sources: Canadian Encyclopedia online Accessed July 2011:  Anne-Marie Gleason (Madeleine) by Amelia Baxter in Biographical Sketches of nine members of the Canadian Women’s Press Club . Ottawa, Media Club of Ottawa, 2011.  page 11-12}

Note card is available in the "Store"

Note Card Available in the "Store"

J.J. McColl

Born 1916. Died October 20, 1972. Educated in France and in Montreal she would be described as a talented, brilliant determined and energetic pioneer of TV broadcasting. As a youth she joined a theatre group in Montreal and her talents took her to work in radio drama presentations where she gained acclaim. But her true love would become TV journalism. When medium of TV came along she would use her theatrical background to ultimate advantage in her presentation as an interviewer. providing good body language to compel attention. She and colleague Rene Levesque were credited with developing Quebec street journalism, taking reporting out of the newsroom to where the story action actually unfolded. She was a true pioneer who worked around the world on site to provide viewers with a the full report.

Born September 6 1957 Port au Prince, Haiti.  She emigrated with her family in 1968 to live in Canada’s Province of Quebec. After she completed her Masters of Arts at the University of Montreal she took up teaching. She also worked for the betterment in the lives of women and children in crisis by contributing to the establishment of safe shelters. Taking some time off work,  she studied language arts in Italy. She is fluent in five languages, French, English, Spanish, Italian and Creole. Returning to Canada she began an energetic broadcast journalism career with Radio-Canada and earned the right to have her won show. Her journalistic efforts were put to use to create an awareness in human rights. Her efforts  gained her awards and recognition from the Human Rights League of Canada, Amnesty International , Canada and awards such as the Prix Mirelle-Lanctot, the Galaxi Award and being made a Citizen of Hounour by Montreal. She is married and has a daughter, Marie Eden. She was invested as Canada’s 27^th and first Afro-Caribbean Governor General in September 2005.

Born 1880 (?),Edinburgh, Scotland. Died December 2, 1969, Duncan, British Columbia, She was the 1st woman to graduate in moral philosophy from McGill University, Montreal. She became the1st woman reporter in Vancouver with the World and Two years later, she was assigned women's editor of News-Advertiser. In 1909, founded Vancouver branch of Canadian Women's Press Club. An avid arts supporter, she promoted her 1st Celebrity Concert in 1921, bringing  world-famed performers to Vancouver packing the Denman Arena auditorium with acts like the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and Belgian Royal Symphonic Band. ^{Source: The Vancouver Hall of Fame online (Accessed November 2012)}

(née Elliott) Born Vancouver, British Columbia 1943. Anne trained as a home economist earning her degree at the University of British Columbia. In 1966 she married Bob Lindsay and the couple would have 3 children. In the 1970’s she was a home Economist for the Toronto Daily Star newspaper. In 1979 she started writing for Canadian Living magazine. In 1984 she wrote a cook book for the Canadian Cancer Society and produced 5 additional cook books with and for charitable organizations. In 1992 she became nutrition editor for Canadian Living. Her work for magazines and her books provide accurate good nutrition by employing fun and a practical approach to healthy eating and living. In July 2003 she became a Member of the Order of Canada. ^{Sources: Order of Canada online Accessed July 2011.}

Born Twin of Robert) April 16, 1925 Indian Head, Saskatchewan. Died February 26, 2012. While still in high school she became a correspondent for the Prince Albert Daily Herald. She continued her education and earned an Masters degree at the University of Saskatchewan in 1949. Taking a staff position at Chatelaine Magazine she moved to Toronto. By 1960 she was a reporter for the Toronto Star and was living in London, England as the Star’s 1^st woman bureau chief. In 1964, back in Toronto she married Peter Reilly, a journalist. The couple moved to New York City, U.S.A. in 1967 when Mr. Reilly was the United Nation’s correspondent for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). While in New York City Jeannine wrote articles for the Toronto Star Weekly . In 1969 she moved to television journalism producing documentaries. In 1979 she turned her talents to drams producing her own scripts for TV. In 1987 she won an ACTRA Award for Chautauque Girl as the best program of the year. She retired in 1990 using her time to volunteer for causes such as saving Ramsden Park in Toronto. ^{Source “A trailblazing Woman Journalist” by Susan Ferrier Mackay, The Globe and Mail, March 12, 2013}.   Suggestion submitted by June Coxon, Ottawa, Ontario.

Born October 25, 1909. Died October 6, 2005. She attended McGill University in Montreal in 1930 and then a Masters in Social Work from the University of Toronto. She began her career in Hamilton, Ontario in city planning. It was here that she began to build a reputation as a writer. She made the novel suggestion of having a professional report on social work  Her feature column, “Successful Living” was published in some 25 daily newspapers and more than 100 weeklies across North America 1960-1988.  A true pioneer, she bequeathed to those who followed in journalism an ideal of professionalism and independence. She settled down and married at 82 and enjoyed travelling with her husband until she became a widow at 92.  (Submitted by Connie Johnson)

Born Québec March 29, 1870 Died Montréal, Québec May 2, 1928. A granddaughter of known historian François Xavier Garneau there was no doubt of her literary birthright. As a child she was educated by religious sisters and is thought to have studied literature in Paris, France. July6, 1892 she married Donat Brodeur ( d. 1920) in Ottawa, Ontario. The couple settled in Montreal where they had a family of 3 sons and 5 daughters. She wrote articles , newspaper columns, poetry, short stories and novellas but it was not until after her death that her daughter, Marguerite, collected several pieces of her work and published a book, Figures et paysages (Montreal, 1931) ^{Source: Dictionary of Canadian Biography Vol. XV online accessed August 2011.}

(née Stoddart). Born Toronto, Ontario October 5, 1930. Died Toronto, Ontario August 2, 2011. She had started her interest in journalism with working on her high school newspaper. After attending the University of Toronto she became a cub reporter for the Globe and Mail. She noticed that there was nothing in the paper for young mother and put forth the idea of a column. The Morning Coffee Club ran for 10 years and won the Canadian Women’s Press Award! This was the 60’s when young mothers were expected to stay home. Joanne Strong was mother to three children who were often featured in her column. She did decide to stay at home returning to her writing only when the last child was out of high school. She wrote informal columns for the Globe and Mail where she interviewed prominent Canadians such as Roberta Bondar, and returned to school to earn her Master’s Degree. She was appointed to the Governing Council of the University or Toronto. In the 1980’s she married a second time another writer and the couple enjoyed travelling the world. ^{Source: Lives Lived. Globe and Mail. September 2011.  Nominated for this site by June Coxon}

(née Levi) Born 1897, Toronto, Ontario. Died 1989, Toronto, Ontario. Evan as a child she exhibited a powerful desire for leaning and retention of knowledge. In 1921 she earned her BA in Mathematics and physics from the University of Toronto. In 1924 she married Meyer Rotenberg (1894-1958) a lawyer and businessman. The couple would have 5 children. By 1926 she had completed her doctorate and was the 1^st woman and 1^st Jew to earn a PhD in Physics at the University of Toronto. Her thesis “on the characteristics X-rays from light elements” was actually published in 1924. In     1929 she founded the Hillcrest Progressive School the 1^st Jewish Day School in Toronto. She served as a director through to 1944. Mattie also enjoyed being a journalist, in 1930 she worked for the Jewish Standard writing a women’s column. From 1939 through 1966 she was a regular commentator on the Canadian Broadcast Corporation (C.B.C.) Trans Canada Matinee, which was dedicated to women’s issues. In 1945 her work was recognized by the Canadian Women’s Press Club (CWPC) with the presentation of the Memorial Award. In 1947 she covered the session at the United Nations and the Status of Women for the C.B.C.  By 1941 she had returned to the University of Toronto where until 1968 she was a demonstrator at the University physics laboratory. She was always a strong family oriented person who  made sure  the younger generations knew of their religious beliefs. ^{Sources: Mattie Levi Rotenberg by Nessa Rapoport. We Remember, Jewish Women’s Archives. Online Accessed December 2012.}

Born Omemee, Ontario 1923. Died May 23, 2008.Born Omemee, Ontario 1923. Died May 23, 2008. Raised on a dairy farm her heart turned to music as a youth. She went on to study history at the University of Toronto and began her working career on an Oshawa newspaper. She joined the Ottawa Journal in 1948 when she was one of the few women on staff. Jean said she learned to smoke and wore pants and was soon putting her legs up on the desk the way the men did! She wrote about the Ottawa arts and music scene for the Journal until it closed in 1988. She continued writing for other publications including the Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. Up until her death she was a member of the Media Club of Ottawa, formerly the Canadian Womens Press club. For some 50 years Jean shared her music as assistant organist at the Christ Church Cathedral in Ottawa. The Journal was a morning paper and no doubt Jean worked late into the night as a reporter. Music often wafted from the Cathedral after midnight as Jean played. She was active in the Royal Canadian College of Organists and a board member of the Ottawa Kiwanis Music Festival which offers a scholarship in her name. She wrote of youth and their musical talents and encouraged such hopefuls as Angela Hewitt. Along with writing and music, Jean had a passion for tennis, a game she played until she was 79 years old!  Source Obituary- Jean Southworth: Writer was tireless supporter of Ottawa’s music community by Steven Mazey Ottawa Citizen Saturday June 7, 2008..  

Political activist

Born 1940. Rosemary enjoyed being out doors when she was growing up and was a junior member of the Toronto Field Naturalists. A historian with a PhD from the University of Toronto, Rosemary  has been a professional journalist as Ottawa Bureau Chief and Political columnist for the Toronto Star newspaper. In the 1980’s she worked with the Committee of 94 which wanted to have women working in the House of Commons. The goal was to have 94 women, or at that time ½ of the membership of the House of Commons. This group fell short of it’s goal but Rosemary stayed true to the idea of move women in politics.  She is founder and chair of Equal Voice/A voix égales, an influential national advocacy for groups for the election of more women to every level of government in Canada. She also founded the Women’s Political ConneXion linking women’s groups and individuals in support of electing more women. She has earned the YWCA Woman of Distinction Award and October 2004 she was presented with the Governor’s General Award commemorating the Persons Case. Her interest in politics has also led her to write a book: Out of the Blue: A history of Ontario Politics. Maintaining her love of nature she has also been President of the Board of Directors of Ontario Nature, one of Canada’s largest environmental organizations. ^{Source: http://ywca.zuka.net/women_distinction/2006/wod2006_civic_engagement.htm  Accessed July 2011}

Born 1900, Montreal, Quebec. Died November. 22, 1965, Victoria, British Columbia. She moved to British Columbia with her family in 1904.  Her father, John P. (Black Jack) McConnell, was co-founded the Morning Sun, the forerunner of the Vancouver Sun  in 1912. Edith worked as a columnist and women's page editor of the Sun and Vancouver News-Herald for 40 years. Her best known column was Let's Go Shopping.  She was a life member, Canadian Women's Press Club. ^{Source: Vancouver Hall of Fame Online (Accessed November 2012}

Born Winnipeg, Manitoba August 25, 1941. Died November 28, 2000. Carol grew up in mining towns of Manitoba, Ontario and British Columbia. In 1961 she earned her BA at the e University of British Columbia. She became a writer for children’s television including such series as Tales of the Klondike; the Raccoons and Fragle Rock. A founding member of the Playwrights Union of Canada by the 1970’s she had settled writing for the Toronto Theatre scene. One of her works, Red Emma, about the life of a Russian anarchist and suffragette, Emma Goldman, was aired on CBC TV and by 1995 was adapted as an opera. Many of her works took place in Canadian locations. One Night Stand, from Taragon Theatre in 1977 became her most often produced work and the movie won 3 Canadian film awards in 1978. In 1989 Bolt herself won the Chalmers Award for Icetime, a story about a 12 year old girl wanting to play hockey. Again in the 1970’s she was playwright in residence at the University of Toronto. In 2010 a collection of her plays was published: Reading Carol Bolt. ^{Sources: Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia Online http://www.Canadiantheatre.come (Accessed June 2011); Oxford Companion to Canadian Theatre Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1989.}

Born  Strathroy, Ontario August 4. She received her BA in 1966 from the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario and followed it with he Certificate in Education from Althouse College at Western. A poet, playwright and novelist she has produced 25 books (The first in 1972) and 10 CD’s. Her poetry is enhanced by sound to lift poetry off the written page. Her works have been translated into French, Spanish, Portuguese and other languages. Her sound poem Peach in Many Voices  it available in 128 different translations from Ancient Egyptian to Ojibwa. She calls herself an activist poet, dedication herself to political, social and environmental issues. In 1988 she was awarded the OGS scholarship to earn her Masters in Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Toronto. She has been writer in residence at the University of Mumbai, twice, 1995 and again in 1999 as well as in Brazil and her own University of Western Ontario. While at Western she provided a radio show on the UWO radio station. She is the first appointed poet Laureate of the city of London, Ontario. Married to Gavin Stairs and the couple have a daughter and son. They both run Pendas Productions which produces had-bound poetry books and CD’s. ^{Sources: University of Toronto Canadian Poetry online: Penn Kemp http://www.library.utoronto.ca/canpoetry/kemp   ... accessed June 2011. ; Personal correspondence.}