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Celebrating Canada’s Amazing Women

Happy International Women’s Day! This month we look at some truly remarkable women and the ways they have contributed to both Canada and the World! Viola Desmond, 1914-1965

Viola Desmond, a black Nova Scotian woman, was a successful business owner when she bought a movie ticket at the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, NS in 1946. After sitting down, she was told the main floor was “whites only” and her less expensive ticket was only good for the balcony. Desmond offered to pay the difference, and when her offer was declined, she refused to move. Desmond was forcibly removed from the theater and charged — with tax evasion, because of the one-cent difference in taxes between the two tickets. She was fined $20 plus $6 in court costs, and through all her appeals, the courts refused to acknowledge the racist seating policy. Desmond’s case is now considered one of many significant civil-rights cases of the mid-20th century, and in 2010 Lieutenant Governor Mayann Francis granted Desmond Canada’s first posthumous pardon. Elsie MacGill, 1905-1980

Daughter of Helen Gregory MacGill, British Columbia’s first woman judge, Elsie MacGill became the first Canadian woman to receive a degree in aeronautical engineering in 1927, and the first woman in North America (and possibly the world) to receive a Master’s degree in that subject in 1929. By 1938, she was the Chief Aeronautical Engineer at Canadian Car and Foundry, the first woman in the world to hold such a position. When CC&F was selected to build Hurricane aircraft for Britain’s Royal Air Force, her work perfected the design and ensured fast production for the war effort. Her role in the production of this plane made her famous, and she was nicknamed “Queen of the Hurricanes.”

Celebrating March

Irish American Heritage

Month

Women’s History Month

Optimism Month

Courageous Follower Day

March 4

International Women’s Day

March 8

Mothering Sunday

March 14

St. Patrick’s Day

March 17

First Day of Spring

March 20

National Physicians Week

March 25–March 31

Palm Sunday

March 28

International Laundry

Folding Day

March 30

March 2021

Jennie Trout, 1841-1921 Jennie Trout, motivated by her own experiences living with illness, decided after being married that she wanted to become a doctor — a revolutionary idea, since at that point no women were licensed to practice medicine in Canada. She and Emily Stowe were the first women

admitted into the Toronto School of Medicine, but they received demeaning treatment from both students and teachers. Trout eventually transferred to the Women’s Medical College in Pennsylvania, where she received her M.D. in 1875, making her the first licensed female physician in Canada. She opened the Therapeutic and Electrical Institute in Toronto, treating women and also offering a free dispensary for the poor; she was also instrumental in establishing a medical school for women in Queen’s College, Kingston, Ontario. Pitseolak Ashoona, 1907-1983 Pitseolak Ashoona began creating art in the last two decades of her life — and helped found a modern form of Inuit art! She was one of the last generation of Inuit raised in a traditional nomadic hunting lifestyle. An arts and crafts program introduced her to drawing and printmaking in the 1960s; her captivating artwork depicted "the things we did

long ago before there were many white men," with her creating over 7,000 drawings and prints during her career.

A Real Balancing Act In the 14th century, women living in the Ottoman Empire wore kabkabs. These were tall, wooden shoes, almost like flip-flops with stilts. They were worn to raise the feet from the dirt on the streets. Kabkabs were especially common in public bathhouses, where they were worn to protect feet from scalding water,

hot stone floors, and dirty bathwater. The wooden shoes were often embellished with carvings and inlaid with mother-of-pearl and gold or silver. The name kabkab came from the clacking sound of the shoes on marble floors.

Gadgets & Gizmos The Flare audio company has developed an inconspicuous set of ear inserts called Calmer that help dampen sounds of certain frequencies. By dampening these stress-inducing frequencies and reducing distortion, Calmer both keeps you calm and improves the audio quality of the sounds you want to hear. For more information, visit www.flareaudio.com.

March 2021

March Moments in History

The following events all happened during the month of March! How many are you familiar with? 1743 – It was the first London performance of Handel’s Messiah, and King George II was in the audience. In the middle of the “Hallelujah” chorus, the king rose to his feet in appreciation of the great piece. Out of respect for the king, the entire audience followed suit, and so began the custom of standing during the singing of the “Hallelujah” chorus. 1834 – The town of York, with a population of 9,000, became incorporated as the City of Toronto. The name Toronto is likely derived from the Iroquois word tkaronto, meaning “place where trees stand in the water.” 1852 – Harriet Beecher Stowe’s classic book was published. Uncle Tom’s Cabin, subtitled Life Among the Lowly, became an instant success, selling 300,000 copies in three months. 1918 The USS Cyclops vanished in the Bermuda Triangle. All 309 souls aboard were lost, and the wreck has never been found. It’s the single largest loss of life in U.S. Naval history not involving direct combat. 1921 University of Toronto doctors Frederick Banting and Charles Best officially announced their discovery of insulin. This medical breakthrough has saved millions of lives. 1982 – Bertha Wilson was appointed as the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court of Canada, as Ontario Court of Appeal Justice. She retired from the court in 1991. “A woman is like a teabag—you never know

how strong she is until she gets in hot water.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Greetings from Daisy!

Hi all my friends. Hoping you are healthy and well. Thank goodness the cold weather seems to be done. I get to go to the off-leash area and enjoy the sun and breathe in the spring air. I am getting ready to celebrate St. Patrick’s day being a redhead as I am! Please stay safe until we see each other again! Your soft and furry friend, Daisy

Awww Rats!

The crested or maned rat of East Africa is a bushy-tailed rodent that resembles a small striped porcupine or a skunky puffball. But this animal has a far more dangerous defense strategy than spiny quills or malodorous spray. It is the world’s only poisonous rodent, harboring a toxin in its fur so lethal that it could kill an elephant. The rodent does not produce the poison itself but instead chews the bark of the poison arrow tree, mixes the poison with its saliva, and then applies it to thick hairs that absorb the poison. The rats themselves seem immune to the lethal toxins.

March 2021

Only the Strong Survive

Oktoberfest may be the most famous of German beer festivals, but for three weeks in March, in-the-know locals travel to Munich for Starkbierzeit, or “strong beer” season. While lesser known than Oktoberfest, Starkbierzeit still draws six million visitors. And there are no lagers on tap. “Strong beers” are brews with a minimum alcohol content of 7.5 percent, with some containing as much as 19 percent. These beers were brewed strong on purpose. Back in the 1600s, Paulaner monks invented Starkbier to help them survive the fasting of Lent.

During Lent, the Paulaner monks faced a dilemma. They had to fast and were not allowed to eat food to sustain them through the day. They could drink, however. So, in 1629, the monks decided to

brew a beer that was rich in nutrients and high in calories. While the brews were colloquially known as “liquid bread,” the very first beer was named Salvator, meaning “savior.” In the late 17th century, the monks even sent a keg of the beer to the Pope in Rome, asking for his approval. The Pope gave his blessing, allowing the monks to fill their small tankards (which could hold a liter or more) up to five times a day. It wasn’t long before the citizens of Munich caught wind that the monks were enjoying this new drink, but city laws did not allow the beer to leave the monastery. In the 1700s, Bavarian lawmakers changed the rules to allow monks to serve their Starkbier in public during Lent. In 1751, the first Starkbierzeit was held, and the tradition has continued ever since, making it the longest-running beer festival in the world. The hottest reservation during Starkbierzeit is at the Paulaner Nockherberg brewery, where the first Starkbiers were brewed. Unlike Oktoberfest, where celebrations take place at a central location, local beer halls and breweries stage their own festivities, so visitors can spend three weeks visiting all the local hangouts. When in Munich during Starkbierzeit, it is best to toast your beer with the old saying: “Liquid bread doesn’t break your fast!”

March Birthdays

In astrology, those born between March 1–20 are Pisces’ Fish. Pisces are friendly, wise, and selfless, making them compassionate and generous friends. Their intuitive and romantic natures also make them creative and expressive artists. Happy Birthday to our Day Program friends!

Darlene – March 8 Albert – March 20 Other famous birthdays:

Ron Howard (director) – March 1, 1954 Shaquille O’Neal (athlete) – March 6, 1972 Wanda Sykes (comedian) – March 7, 1964 Bobby Fischer (chess player) – March 9, 1943 Queen Latifah (singer) – March 18, 1970 Spike Lee (director) – March 20, 1957 Aretha Franklin (singer) – March 25, 1942 Mariah Carey (singer) – March 27, 1970 Warren Beatty (actor) – March 30, 1937

Healing by Color

March is Color Therapy Month, which means that it is a month to recognize that colors have the capacity to heal. The notion that colors have the power to

heal dates all the way back to ancient Egypt, where sun-activated solariums constructed with multicolored glass panes were used for therapeutic purposes. Colors evoke different responses in people. Some colors are stimulating, others soothing. Colors can influence decision-making, mood, appetite, emotions, and energy levels. The goal of color therapy is to use color and light in ways that ease stress and promote well-being. While some are skeptical, others point to how light therapy is used to combat seasonal affective disorder. Blue light is also used to treat neonatal jaundice in newborns. Green light may reduce pain.

March 2021