{"id":50,"date":"2021-11-14T18:57:10","date_gmt":"2021-11-14T18:57:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.huronresearch.ca\/voicesofchange\/?page_id=50"},"modified":"2022-03-05T17:47:30","modified_gmt":"2022-03-05T17:47:30","slug":"biographies","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.huronresearch.ca\/voicesofchange\/biographies\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Voices of Change"},"content":{"rendered":"

Scroll through brief biographies that introduce the London women featured in the LWHG’s book,\u00a0Voices of Change<\/em><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Barbara Antone<\/span><\/em>\u202f<\/em>\u2013 A Leader Who Made a Difference for Her People<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jane Bigelow<\/span><\/em>\u202f\u2013 A Mayor of All the People<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Helen Connell<\/span><\/em>\u202f<\/em>\u2013 A Journalist Who Put Women on the Front Page<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mary Duncan<\/span><\/em>\u202f<\/em>\u2013 A Public Health Nurse\u00a0who\u00a0Played a Pivotal Community Role<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jean Hewitt<\/span><\/em>\u202f\u2013 An Educator who Challenged the System<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Margaret Hoff<\/span><\/em>\u202f\u2013 A Champion for Childcare<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Carol Johnston<\/span><\/em>\u202f\u2013 A Woman Who Made Her Dream a Reality\u00a0By\u00a0Founding the London Children\u2019s Museum<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nancy Johnson<\/span><\/em>\u202f\u2013 A Trailblazer in Television and Documentary Films<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mary McKim<\/span><\/em>\u202f\u2013 The Doctor who Spoke for Women\u2019s Choice<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Paddy Musson<\/em> \u2013 A Union Organizer\u00a0who\u00a0Fought Workplace Harassment<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Kathleen Okruhlik<\/em><\/span>\u202f\u2013 A Woman who Challenged the Academic World<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Judith Potter<\/span><\/em>\u202f\u2013 An Advocate for Abused Women<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Maureen Riley<\/span><\/em>\u202f\u2013 An Artist who Captured the Female Spirit<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Eleanor Schnall<\/span><\/em>\u202f\u2013 The Judge who Believed in Woman Power<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Margaret Simpson<\/span><\/em>\u202f\u2013 A Workshop Leader and Counsellor<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Janet Stewart<\/span><\/em>\u202f\u2013 A Lawyer Committed to Community Service<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Arlene Timmens<\/span><\/em>\u202f\u2013 A Social Worker Who Found Her Own Path<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fran Wigston<\/span><\/em>\u202f\u2013 A Star Athlete and Coach<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Barbara\u00a0Antone\u00a0(Smith)<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Born in 1937 into an Oneida farming family, Barbara\u00a0Antone\u00a0was fortunate to always have access to food in a community where not every family had such a luxury.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Being raised on a native reserve meant that Barbara was the beneficiary of a close-knit, almost insular childhood. She had two grandparents whose lessons about nature and music proved influential for Barbara.\"\" However, this upbringing meant that Barbara was wholly unaware of the discrimination other native peoples faced in life off the reserve.<\/span><\/p>\n

After completing high school in London, Barbara had gained hurtful, yet invaluable experiences of First Nations discrimination and was determined to eradicate the misunderstanding and cruel behavior towards native peoples.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The focal point of Barbara\u2019s efforts was the introduction of Native Studies courses into school curriculums. While first implemented in only Native schools, the courses eventually became ubiquitous within schools across the nation. The Native Studies courses allowed First Nations children to grow up with a prouder sense of place within Canadian history, and that achievement in itself shows just how meaningful and lasting the work done by Barbara\u00a0Antone\u00a0was.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jane Bigelow<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As the first female mayor of the City of London, Ontario, Jane Bigelow\u2019s is a story that can serve as an inspirational lesson to young women everywhere.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jane Elizabeth Dillon was born in 1928 and grew up in Toronto with her parents, Edward and Margaret, and a younger brother, David. Her family was able to remain largely unaffected by the effects of the Great Depression, and Jane attended the St. Clement\u2019s School. That competitive environment encouraged Jane to pursue a university education at a time when women seldom followed that path.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Having completed a degree in Physical Education at the University of Toronto, Jane Dillon married Charlie Bigelow in 1954. His career in Chemistry meant the family- now with new additions Ann and David- had to move constantly.<\/span> \"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

It was during this period, with time spend in Hamilton, Edmonton, Ottawa, New York and Copenhagen, when Jane developed an acute sense of the importance of local government and the responsibility it has to its citizens.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When the Bigelow family settled in London, Jane finally had the stability and time to put her beliefs into practice. Shortly after the family\u2019s 1965 move, Jane won a seat on the Board of Control for the City of London. After years as a civil servant spent working to improve social programs throughout the city, Jane ran successfully to become the Mayor of London in 1972.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While Jane Bigelow\u2019s story of determination and self-confidence is inspiring to any observer, it becomes even more impressive when considering the\u00a0groundbreaking\u00a0achievements\u00a0she has made, and should be known by young women everywhere.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Helen Connell (Tubman)<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f After many years spent navigating a decidedly confusing educational journey, Helen Connell was able to develop a sense of self that was atypical of women in the 1970s.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f Through many lessons learned throughout her educational and professional careers, Helen gained an appreciation for the difficulties facing women in her time, as well as a hunger to fundamentally change the position of women in Canadian society. That desire allowed for Helen\u2014someone who had never enjoyed great success in her schooling\u2014to become the first woman editor of the London Free Press.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In that position, Helen was able to help grow the band of women journalists who were making it their priority to show the people of London that women were much more than second-class citizens.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Helen\u2019s ability to sympathize with, and to tell the stories of other people was an attribute she gained from her non-judgmental parents, and as an editor she was all the better for it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ms. Connell\u2019s mantra \u201cbe slow to judge others\u201d was a crucial belief to hold in her next position as Executive Director of the United Way in London. Much like her position at the newspaper, this new challenge put Helen in a position that helped those most disadvantaged in the community.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With special attention placed on the care of women and children in the London region, Helen Connell did well to continue a legacy of support and encouragement to those in society who did not possess a strong voice.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mary Duncan (Nicholls)<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f Taking inspiration from her mother, Mary Duncan sought to lead a life dedicated to helping those pushed to the margins of society.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f An early memory from the birth of her younger brother led Mary to understand that women were not considered equals in her time. This was especially true when it came to health care practices of the era\u2014women\u2019s health simply was not understood on as sophisticated a level as it needed to be.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ms. Duncan tried to emulate the work her mother did. The woman had acted as something of a community doctor in Mary\u2019s hometown, providing care for those too far away from hospitals. A mixture of compassion and dedication were integral in meeting Mary\u2019s goal of becoming an advocate for women\u2019s health issues, and it is more than fair to say that Mary Duncan\u2019s professional life fit those criteria.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After graduation from the University of Western Ontario with a degree in Public Health Nursing, Mary moved quickly to make an impact for women in the London community. A collaboration with a group of women that included London\u2019s first woman Mayor, Jane Bigelow, formed in 1971 to set up the first Women\u2019s Centre in the city. This addition to the community allowed women access to information they previously could not attain, especially with issues related to health, such as safe abortions and other family planning education.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In order to provide this unprecedented level of a reliable support system, Mary Duncan placed her own\u00a0well being\u00a0in sometimes-precarious situations. The girl who grew up with the hope of mimicking the high standard set by her mother did that and much more as a grown woman. Ms. Duncan deserves a great deal of respect for the courage she showed throughout her professional life in championing the fight for gender equality. With her work, a system was finally put in place that allowed for education and, even more importantly, movement towards real social parity.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jean Hewitt (Townsend)<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Born during a Luftwaffe airstrike in the Battle of Britain, the brutal scenes surrounding the moment Jean Hewitt came into this world may well have been foreshadow for the many battles she would have to fight in her life.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The first came at the age of seven, when Jean developed a serious eye infection. Despite nearly losing her vision at such a young age, this battle would harden Jean for future fights, ones that would affect not only her.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After her father abandoned the Townsend family when Jean was just eleven, her involvement in academics, sports, and the arts at the Mary\u00a0Datchelor\u00a0School served as distractions from Jean\u2019s difficult home life. It was during these trying times that Jean developed an appreciation of the significance of social services.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When Jean met and married Gerry Hewitt and moved to Toronto, she fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a teacher when she accepted a position at the Bishop Strachan School. After a final move to London, Jean became heavily involved in the Federation of Women Teachers, with the goal of increasing awareness of gender inequalities in the workplace.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jean Hewitt\u2019s tireless work to change deeply ingrained societal views towards women that, at schools were being taught and held onto from such an early age, has allowed for the \u2018old\u2019 ways to make way for the \u2018new\u2019. Both boys and girls attending schools all over North America are better for that work, and Jean\u2019s legacy is one that has affected change that enables better citizens to emerge from our educational institutions.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Margaret Hoff (Barnard)<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f Although she grew up a shy girl in a tight-knit Virginian community, Margaret Hoff grew into a confident figure and, in turn, developed a strong voice.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f After living a relatively sheltered childhood that was perhaps inevitable given the closeness of her family and the size of her hometown, Margaret made a concerted effort to broaden her horizons. The first step in that direction was her decision to enroll at Madison College where Ms. Hoff pursued a liberal arts degree that was not a typical educational path for young women of the time.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Subsequent to the completion of her degree, Margaret realized her dream of travelling to a foreign culture in order to help those less fortunate than the average American by journeying with a church group to Tanzania in the summer of 1964. While there, Margaret participated in the building of a new missionary school, and it was during this life-changing trip that Margaret developed a strong sense of self-confidence and determination.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Upon her return to a United States divided over the Vietnam War, Margaret and her husband David decided to move to Canada. After settling in London, the new reality surrounding Margaret allowed her to comfortably further her goal of making a difference in the world.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Her founding of London\u2019s Daycare Services Committee maintains Margaret\u2019s impressive legacy, and her work with young women throughout the London community has given many impressionable individuals a role model who would urge them to follow their deepest passions in order to affect real change in the world.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Carol Johnston (Querney)<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Carol Johnston was born in June 1932 and her family moved to Sudbury when she was still young. This is where she spent much of her childhood imagining and developing her creativity and work ethic. The words that characterized her life were \u201cjust do it.\u201d It was her determination that allowed her to achieve all that she has. She met Charles Bernie Johnston in Grade 12 and they eventually married in 1953. She became the mother of Charles David, Jeffery Philip, Craig Matthew, Laura\u00a0Myerling\u00a0Isabel and Nancy Anne Beatrice. Her professional education was quite extensive as she received a degree from the Victoria School of Nursing in London, Ontario in 1953, her Certificate of Public Health Nursing in 1954 from the University of Western Ontario, and her Elementary Teacher Certification in 1972 from Elborn College at the University of Western Ontario. In 1971 she visited a Boston children\u2019s museum and was fascinated. It became her desire to do the same for the London community. She took a course on Museology to learn how to set up and run a museum, and with some hard work and luck the London Regional Children\u2019s Museum was opened 1982. It was a great success with over 100,000 people passing through the doors each year. Her desire to help children to become what they most desire has had a wonderful impact on the greater London community.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nancy Johnson<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nancy Johnson was born in 1947 in the Kirkland Lake District of Northern\u00a0Ontario,.\u202f\u202fAs a child she showed a great propensity for the arts and theatre. Educated at the University of Western Ontario, Nancy earned her BA in History in 1969. She hoped to get into the field of communications with her degree. It was her flair for the dramatic that allowed her to secure a position in the Promotion department at CFPL television station. At this\u00a0time\u00a0it was quite uncommon for women to have prominent positions in the television, radio and newspaper departments, as it was considered to be a \u201cman\u2019s world.\u201d Nancy married Mark McCurdy, her co-worker in 1977, and they had three children: Christina, Eileen and Matthew. Together they founded Lockwood Films Inc. in London, Ontario. It was a great success, and they created several\u00a0award winning\u00a0films including \u201cDoctor Women: The Life and Times of Dr. Elizabeth Bagshaw.\u201d In 1995 she was given the Woman of Distinction Award for the City of London., because of her strong belief in herself and passion to create helped her to never give up on her dream.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mary McKim (Struthers)<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mary McKim was born in June of 1926 in Jinan, China. Her parents were missionaries and this was a very influential thing in her life. Mary found it difficult to adjust to Canada when her family moved back, because of her upbringing. However, even with these difficulties Mary did very well for herself since was an extremely intelligent young woman. She went to the University of Toronto Medical School and graduated in 1949, and then did her Medical\u00a0Intership\u00a0at Victoria Hospital, London. She married Dr. John McKim, who was the Senior Intern in Paediatrics at the Children\u2019s Hospital in 1950 and together they had five sons. Mary went on to get her Certification in Psychiatry in 1969 and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons 1973. Later she went on to work as a\u00a0Pyschiatrist\u00a0at the St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital from 1975-1982. In 1976 she married Doug\u00a0MacKenzie, who was the Dean of Men at the University of Western Ontario. Mary\u2019s real passion was giving women fair treatment and control over their own bodies, specifically regarding the issue of abortion. Her other accomplishments in being the Founder of the Girls\u2019 Group Home, the President of Canadian Association for the Repeal of the Abortion Law (CARAL), Board member of the Battered Women\u2019s Advocacy Clinic, Charter Member of London Status of Women Action Group and a lifetime member of the United Church of Canada. It was because of her strong support for women in the London area that many were empowered to take control of their circumstances and bodies.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Kathleen\u00a0Okrulhik<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Kathleen\u00a0Okrulhik\u00a0was born in 1951 in San Antonio, Texas. She attended Marquette University in Wisconsin on scholarship and received her B.A. in Philosophy in 1973. Her dedication to getting a good education was evident in her working as a waitress and cafeteria lady at the university in order to pay for her schooling. Her passion for women\u2019s rights and equality for people of other ethnicities became an important part of her life. She then went on to get her Masters of Philosophy at the University of Guelph in 1974. After that she continued her education at the University of Pittsburgh first earning her M.A. in History and Philosophy of Science in 1976 and then finishing her PH.D. in History and Philosophy of Science in 1984. She married James Brown in 1976 and they had two children: Elizabeth and Stephen. Kathleen got involved in the Feminist movement in the London area when she started her teaching position at the University of Western Ontario in 1979. It was her goal to give women enrolled in the university equal access and opportunities to take the courses that they wished to. It was through efforts made by Kathleen that the Centre for Women\u2019s Studies and Feminist Research was established in 1987.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Judith Potter (Snyder)<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Judith Snyder was born in 1939 in Kitchener, Ontario. As she grew older, it was apparent that Judy showed a great propensity towards music winning numerous prizes. She married Ron Potter in 1958 and they had three children: Chris, Tim and Robin. Judy attended the University of Western Ontario and graduated with a BA in Social Sciences in 1986. Throughout her life Judith was an advocate for women\u2019s rights and she volunteered with the Women\u2019s Community House and later the Battered Women\u2019s Advocacy Clinic. Later in life Judith decided to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer and was accepted in the University of Windsor Law School and got her LLB in 1989 at the age of 50. She used this degree to help women in and around London, giving them free legal advice to those who had sought refuge in the shelters. Then she was elected Bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada LSUC in 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011. Judith\u2019s life is an example of what one person can do with some hard work and dedication to what they believe in.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Maureen Riley<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Maureen Riley was born in Hamilton, Ontario in 1950. She attended St. Helen\u2019s Elementary Scholl and Bishop Ryan High School in Hamilton. From an early age she exhibited a propensity towards art and literature. The University of Western Ontario is where she earned her BA in Honours degree in English in 1973. At\u00a0first\u00a0she was enrolled in the Art Program, but the lack of enthusiasm exhibited by her professors did not inspire her to continue on in that way. It was in the 1970s that she first got involved in the Second Wave Feminist movement.\u202f\u202fShe began to pursue her art more seriously and started to design posters, flyers, etc. for the events regarding the movement. Her first art show was at the Woman Spirit Gallery in London in 1983.\u202f\u202fThe success of the show gave her the motivation to continue on creating art. She began to experiment with different mediums and loved her work to be full of colour and saturation. Today, her work is in collections across Canada and overseas.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Eleanor Schnall<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Eleanor was born in Poland in 1946 and arrived with her family in Canada in 1953. As a child she attended the North Toronto Collegiate. For her post-secondary\u00a0education\u00a0she attended the University of Toronto and earned herself an Honors Bachelor of Physical and Health Education in 1968. She then went to the University of Western Ontario\u00a0and\u202f\u202fgot\u00a0her\u00a0LL.B\u00a0in 1975 and was called to the bar in 1977. She was a founding Member and Board member of a number of community organizations, including The Women\u2019s Community House and The Battered Women\u2019s advocacy Clinic from 1976 to 1991. Then she was appointed Judge to the Ontario Court of Justice on March 1, 1991. On top of all that she was a\u00a0Member\u00a0of the musical group \u201cThe Treble Makers\u201d since 2001.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Margaret Simpson (Brock)<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Margaret was born in New York City, USA in 1944. While she was a quiet and reserved this allowed her the privilege of broadening her mind, and gave her an intense interest in observing the world around her, particularly the behavior of women. She attended Trinity College in Washington and while being a practicing nun at Tarrytown\u00a0Convent\u00a0she received her B.A. in 1966. Then she went on to attend the University of Maryland M.S.W. in 1970. Margaret met Craig Simpson while at the university and they married in 1970. They went on to have two daughters: Annie and Nora. She then got her Masters in Social Work at UWO. Teaching was her passion and she went on to work at Fanshawe College in London. Some achievements that she is most proud of are her role in establishing the London Women\u2019s Resource Centre, the Women\u2019s Credit Union, Woman Power and Big Sisters. As well, she was a founding member of Women\u2019s Workshop. Her passion for helping women to have greater opportunities and good health care and education makes\u00a0Maragaret\u00a0a woman that deserves a great deal of respect.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Janet Stewart<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It took Janet Stewart a considerable amount of time to come to the realization that her upbringing was not a typical one. Born into a relatively affluent family that moved from Hartford, Connecticut to Waterloo when Janet was nine years old, she was afforded the opportunity to attend one of Toronto\u2019s most prestigious boarding schools, St. Mildred\u2019s.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f This move to a stifling environment in the big city at such a young age might not have been ideal in a 12-year-old Janet\u2019s mind, however it did provide the young girl with a measure of relief from a\u00a0sometimes difficult\u00a0home life.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Janet\u2019s time at St. Mildred\u2019s equipped her with the skill set she would require in order to survive in a competitive, male-dominated environment at the University of Toronto. Upon completing an undergraduate degree, Ms. Stewart decided to attend Osgoode Law School, and from there joined a top London law firm.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now out of the protective financial blanket provided by her family, Janet began to develop an appreciation of just how lucky she had been in life, and used that realization to provide support for others who had not been as fortunate.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a successful lawyer, Janet provided council for women who faced abject discrimination in the workplace. Additionally, she became involved in community projects within London, acting as a founder of the city\u2019s Big Sisters organization in 1974.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Janet Stewart achieved a great deal in educational and professional environments that had very low female participation figures. That she became an influential voice in those environments is an even more impressive achievement, and her body of work helps many young women in the London area to the day.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Arlene Timmins (Hayward)<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f Always a confident young woman, Arlene Timmins displayed an invaluable sense of charisma that helped guide her through a life that did not conform to the social norms of her time.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f Arlene\u2019s is a life that can be roughly divided into two halves. In the first, she focused largely on the steps necessary to becoming a devoted wife and mother. Through working a job that helped to support the young family she headed, Ms. Timmins demonstrated a conformist attitude towards life as a woman that was typical of the 1960s.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, after completing what was then considered the most important part of a woman\u2019s life, Arlene undertook a concerted effort to broaden her horizons. In an attempt to become a contributory member of the London community, Arlene became involved in a number of social programs, which included participation in the London Psychiatric Hospital and the Western Ontario Therapeutic Community Hospital.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was during this new sense of dedication to herself that Arlene realized she was not living the life that made her most happy. Divorcing her husband in order to begin a relationship with another woman was an incredibly courageous step to take, and was certainly not one that the younger Ms. Timmins would have made.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With her life finally in balance, Arlene returned to school and successfully completed a degree in Social Work at the University of Western Ontario, King\u2019s College. Following a stint at the St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital, in 1981 Arlene became the Director of the employment agency Womanpower.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Arlene\u2019s message to young women is simple: you should never be ashamed of who you are. Her life story supports this belief to the fullest of extents, and an understanding of Arlene Timmins\u2019 path shows just how important it is that no one ever feel the need to pretend to be something they are not.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fran Eberhard (Wigston)<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f Through a sense of dedication instilled upon her at a very early age by her encouraging parents, Fran Eberhard grew up a successful athlete at a time when girls\u2019 sports were never afforded any significant attention.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f However, her athletic ability was such that Fran was able to remain competitive even when playing against boys. Her talent in basketball, volleyball, track and field, and swimming allowed her to pursue athletics into university. At the University of Western Ontario, Fran contributed to every sports team she competed on, but more importantly, she began to develop a sense of what it took to be a successful coach of women\u2019s sports. This would prove to be the beginning of Ms. Eberhard\u2019s lifelong journey to elevate the status of women\u2019s sport. In doing so, Fran sought to alleviate the restrictions she had faced as a young girl trying to enjoy organized competition.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1957, Fran became a physical education teacher at South Secondary School in London. After implementing changes that eventually caught on throughout the public school system in the city, she accepted a position at Althouse College; an institution dedicated to training secondary school teachers. In this role, Fran could influence the very manner in which school sports were offered to young women. This would allow those talented and dedicated enough to pursue higher goals than were available to Fran and her contemporaries.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fran eventually returned to coaching, and her resume as a team manager is an impressive one. The sheer number of sports that she was able to successfully coach, and the level that she coached those sports at (Fran Eberhard led the Ontario women\u2019s volleyball team to three national championships) shows how effective a motivator she was. Fran Eberhard occupies an important place in the development of women\u2019s sport in Canada, and her highest belief that her athletes become even better people than they were sportswomen speaks volumes about her infectious and impressionable character.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Scroll through brief biographies that introduce the London women featured in the LWHG’s book,\u00a0Voices of Change Barbara Antone\u202f\u2013 A Leader Who Made a Difference for Her People\u00a0 Jane Bigelow\u202f\u2013 A Mayor of All the People\u00a0 Helen Connell\u202f\u2013 A Journalist Who Put Women on the Front Page\u00a0 Mary Duncan\u202f\u2013 A Public Health Nurse\u00a0who\u00a0Played a Pivotal Community […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":269,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_mc_calendar":[],"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-50","page","type-page","status-publish","czr-hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.huronresearch.ca\/voicesofchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/50","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.huronresearch.ca\/voicesofchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.huronresearch.ca\/voicesofchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.huronresearch.ca\/voicesofchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/269"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.huronresearch.ca\/voicesofchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.huronresearch.ca\/voicesofchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/50\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.huronresearch.ca\/voicesofchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}