Women I'd Like to Have Lunch With-Mary Amirault

Although she was born in Bresaylor, NWT in 1888, Mary spent most her life in the Fort Pitt district of Saskatchewan. She followed her mother into midwifery and had an extensive knowledge of medicine and nursing.

Side note about Mary's mother-according to Herstory her unnamed mother, who was Métis, worked with Elizabeth Scott Matheson (from my last post). Small world huh? .... Actually it isn't that surprising, the birthing world was and continues to be a small and fiercely dedicated group.

But back to Mary, who worked throughout the flu epidemic of 1914-1918, enjoyed curling, and was said to be an excellent ball player. I like her already!

The most poignant part of her story, and the part that I would most like to talk to her about, is the part where she allegedly stopped delivering babies once a district hospital was built in 1941. I would love to hear her thoughts on the loss of traditional midwifery and when she felt women lost our faith in our bodies. Not all women and not at all times but I'm sure she watch an erosion during her career.

Mary died in 1977 and I wonder if she would agree with me that her entire life was one brazen posture?

Yours in curiosity,

Shannon

PS

The only online reference (I recognize I could go to the actual library but this is all I've got at the moment) I can find for Mary Amirault. If you know more please share!

Women I'd Like to Have Lunch With-Elizabeth Scott Matheson

Elizabeth Scott was born in1866 near Campbellford, Upper Canada. She became a schoolteacher at seventeen and briefly attended the Ontario Women's Medical College in 1887.

Elizabeth moved to Onion Lake, Saskatchewan in 1892 with her new husband and growing family. The Matheson's ran the only school in the area and in 1895 she decided to go back to medical school, at the Manitoba Medical College.

Now the mother of two, Elizabeth gave birth to her third child during the school year. To finish off her degree she re-enrolled in the Ontario Women's medical College and sat her second and third year exams in one year. She graduated in 1898.(a female doctor in 1898-now that's a brazen posture!!!!!)

Elizabeth then returned to Onion Lake to practise medicine-serving the community, the school and her own nine children. In 1901, as a result of her exceptional work during the smallpox epidemic, she was appointed Government Doctor for the Indian people. (because of the conversation started by that job title, Elizabeth and I are going to be having dinner together too)

In 1916 Elizabeth became the principal of the Onion Lake school and continued to be the community's doctor until 1918, when she became Assistant Medical Inspector for Winnipeg Public Schools. She held this position until her retirement in 1941 at the age 75.


Important note-

This series would not have been possible without the amazing book "Inspiring Women: A Celebration of Herstory" written by Mona Holmlund and Gail Youngberg. Thank you to them and all the contributors to the Herstory project.

This series will only be about women who lived in Canada. They may not all have identified as Canadians but I consider them Canadian heroes because they lived in Canada when their heroic deeds were done.

I have chosen to tell stories of women from all different ethnic, religious and economic backgrounds, not because I want to tokenize or co-opt anyone's story, but because the reality is Canada was built by women from a lot of different ethnic, religious and socio-economic backgrounds and I want to visit with them all.

Be well,

Shannon