'Way ahead of her time': Canada's first female pathologist receives prestigious order
She may be unknown to some, but her work has been recognized for decades.
Dr. Frances Gertude McGill is known as Canada’s first female pathologist and her work in forensic pathology has landed her second major title.
Sixty-five years after her death in 1959, McGill is being recognized by the Government of Canada as a Person of National Historic Significance.
"She was a woman working in the field really dominated by men. So, her work was influential and also very inspirational for all Canadians. That's why the board members recommended that it be designated,” said Dominique Foisy-Geoffroy, the director of History and Commemoration for Parks Canada.
She is no stranger to accolades. In 1946, she was named Honourary Surgeon to the RCMP. She is the only woman to be given that title beside Queen Elizabeth II. In 1999, she was inducted into the Canadian Science Engineering Hall of Fame.
Myrna Petersen, an author who wrote a book called ‘The Pathological Casebook of Dr. Frances McGill,’ details some of the cases McGill worked on.
McGill was born in Manitoba and later received a medical degree from the University of Manitoba.
She trained as a doctor there and later settled in Saskatchewan, bringing her forensic medicine skills with her.
"Within three or four years, she actually got promoted to be the head of the province and from there just grew in her reputation and in her knowledge of crimes,” Petersen said.
McGill became great at solving crimes. Before the RCMP had their own forensic crime lab, they looked to McGill to help solve any cases.
"She's called the sherlock Holmes of Saskatchewan,” Petersen said. "She was way ahead of her time as far as what women were able to do."
Many of her cases she would name.
"She's name one the Straw Stack Murders, or the Sand Dune Murder of the Bran Muffin Case."
A new edition of Petersen’s book that will consist of more of McGill’s cases is expected to be released in the fall.
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