Margaret C. MacDonald
Encyclopedia
Major
Margaret C. MacDonald (1873 in Bailey's Brook, Nova Scotia, Canada
-1948 in Bailey's Brook, Nova Scotia, Canada) is a Canadian who, on April 11, 1914, was appointed Matron-in-Chief of the Canadian Nursing service band becoming the first woman in the British Empire
to reach the rank of major
during a nursing career of over thirty years. She graduated as a nurse from the New York City Hospital in 1895. After achieving her post-graduate, she went to Panama
to serve for eighteen months during the building of the Panama Canal
. There, she caught malaria
and promptly returned after she recovered. Her work also brought her to Quebec City
, Kingston, Ontario
, Halifax, Nova Scotia
as well as England
. While working in London
, she was responsible for over 1,900 Canadian nurses. She returned to Canada in the Fall of 1919 to help in the re-organization of the Canadian Army Medical Service. She retired in 1923 at the age of 51.
After her military career, she travelled extensively. She earned an honourary
DDL
from St. Francis Xavier University
. A ceremony took place in 1926 at Parliament Hill
to unveil a memorial
to the Canadian Nursing Sisters, a sculpted marble panel which portrays the history of Canadian nurses. She was immortalized as a national historic person of Canada by a plaque
set in her birthplace in 1983.
Major (Canada)
Major is a rank of the Canadian Forces. The rank insignia of a major is two half-inch stripes with a quarter-inch stripe between. Majors fill the positions of Company/Squadron/Battery Commanders, or Deputy Commanders of a Battalion/Regiment; in the Air Force they are typically squadron...
Margaret C. MacDonald (1873 in Bailey's Brook, Nova Scotia, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
-1948 in Bailey's Brook, Nova Scotia, Canada) is a Canadian who, on April 11, 1914, was appointed Matron-in-Chief of the Canadian Nursing service band becoming the first woman in the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
to reach the rank of major
Major (Canada)
Major is a rank of the Canadian Forces. The rank insignia of a major is two half-inch stripes with a quarter-inch stripe between. Majors fill the positions of Company/Squadron/Battery Commanders, or Deputy Commanders of a Battalion/Regiment; in the Air Force they are typically squadron...
during a nursing career of over thirty years. She graduated as a nurse from the New York City Hospital in 1895. After achieving her post-graduate, she went to Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
to serve for eighteen months during the building of the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
. There, she caught malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
and promptly returned after she recovered. Her work also brought her to Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
, Halifax, Nova Scotia
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
as well as England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. While working in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, she was responsible for over 1,900 Canadian nurses. She returned to Canada in the Fall of 1919 to help in the re-organization of the Canadian Army Medical Service. She retired in 1923 at the age of 51.
After her military career, she travelled extensively. She earned an honourary
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
DDL
DDL
DDL may be an abbreviation for:* Don't Do Lip!*Daniel Day-Lewis, Academy Award winning Irish/English actor*Data Definition Language or Data Description Language, relating to databases...
from St. Francis Xavier University
St. Francis Xavier University
St. Francis Xavier University is a post-secondary institution located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. The school was founded in 1853, but did not offer degrees until 1868. The university has approximately 5000 students.-History:...
. A ceremony took place in 1926 at Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural...
to unveil a memorial
Memorial
A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person or an event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or art objects such as sculptures, statues or fountains, and even entire parks....
to the Canadian Nursing Sisters, a sculpted marble panel which portrays the history of Canadian nurses. She was immortalized as a national historic person of Canada by a plaque
Memorial Plaque
The Memorial Plaque was issued after the First World War to the next-of-kin of all British and Empire service personnel who were killed as a result of the war....
set in her birthplace in 1983.
Source
- 100 Canadian Heroines: Famous and Forgotten Faces by Merna Forster
- ISBN 1550025147
- ISBN 9781550025149