January 5, 1982 - Elizabeth Bagshaw

Human Rights a Day

Elizabeth Bagshaw, one of Canada’s first women doctors, dies at age 100. Elizabeth Catherine Bagshaw was born on a farm in Victoria County, Ontario in October 1881. A bright student with an excellent memory, Bagshaw decided at 16 she would be a doctor. She enrolled at the Women’s Medical College in Toronto and achieved her undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto. When her father died, she briefly returned to Victoria County and attempted to run the family farm. But she encountered so much sexism from the farm workers that she fired them all, sold the farm, moved to Toronto and graduated from medical school in 1905. Although it was tough for women to land a medical internship at the time, Bagshaw managed to intern with another woman pioneer in Canadian medicine, Dr. Emma Leila Skinner whose practice was mostly in maternity work. In 1906, Bagshaw moved to Hamilton to practice medicine, specializing in obstetrics. Between 1932 and 1966, she served as medical director of Canada’s first birth control clinic. Although birth control was illegal and faced great opposition from doctors and local churches, every Friday afternoon, Bagshaw dispensed information, jellies and condoms to women. She must have rejoiced when the clinic finally became legal in 1969. Bagshaw’s honours include the Order of Canada, Hamilton’s Citizen of the Year, an honorary doctorate of laws and many others. She closed her practice at the age of 95, and on her 99th birthday viewed a movie about her life by the National Film Board of Canada. On January 5, 1982, the esteemed doctor died at the age of 100.

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