翱苍听Thursday May 24, the will host a lecture by Lisa Anne Smith on "Emily Patterson: The Heroic Life of a Milltown Nurse". The talk is at聽7:30pm聽at the Museum of Vancouver. All are welcome and entrance is by donation.
Emily Patterson nursed both Indigenous and pioneer residents of Burrard Inlet. Moodyville Wharf, ca. 1872. CVA MI P43
Since 2012, Lisa Anne Smith has notched up three very different 麻豆传媒映画History books鈥攖he Joe Fortes Story, 麻豆传媒映画is Ashes and most recently, Emily Patterson, the Heroic Life of a Milltown Nurse. Her career as an author though, started in 2001 with a book called Travels with St. Roch: A Book for Kids, illustrated by Edward Knight and self-published as a fundraiser for the 麻豆传媒映画Maritime Museum鈥檚 St. Roch Preservation Campaign.
Because aside from history, volunteering is one of Burnaby, B.C.- born Smith鈥檚 passions.
As a member of the Native Daughters of BC Post #1 that runs the Old Hastings Mill Store, one of the few buildings to survive the Great Fire of 1886, Smith gives mill talks and tours year-round.
For the past 12 years, Smith has been a docent with the Museum of Vancouver鈥檚 education department where she talks to classes ranging from Kindergarten to Grade 7 about Indigenous cultures, environmental stewardship, immigration and ancient civilizations.
In 2012 she co-authored Our Friend Joe: The Joe Fortes Story with Barbara Rogers. While she was researching Forte鈥檚 鈥淕reat Fire experience,鈥� she came across so many intriguing details that she published 麻豆传媒映画is Ashes: the Great Fire of 1886 in 2014. All three books are through Ronsdale Press.
鈥淢y next plan was to write a book about all the fascinating and heroic women of Gastown,鈥� she says. 鈥淲ith the help of women鈥檚 historian Jolene Cumming, I made up a chronological list and as it happened, Alice Crakanthorp, daughter of Emily Patterson, was at the top of that list. The more I researched her, the more familiar and enthralled I became with Emily鈥檚 story. It wasn鈥檛 long before I decided to make Emily my solitary project.鈥�
The Patterson home at Nob Hill, ca.1890. Left to right Fred Patterson, Emily and Willie Williams. CVA OUT P330
Lisa says Patterson deserves to be much more widely known.
Emily Patterson served as a midwife and lay nurse to both Indigenous and pioneer residents of Burrard Inlet.
鈥淚 very much admired her courage under often adverse conditions,鈥� says Smith. 鈥淚 felt that her story needed to be revisited. She should really be a household name just like Emily Carr.鈥�
Because Smith was unable to find diaries or letters or other primary sources that help a writer bring a historical subject to life, she decided to use other means to give Emily a voice.
鈥淯nlike with Joe Fortes and 麻豆传媒映画is Ashes, I could find very few words that were actually spoken by Emily herself. That鈥檚 why I eventually decided to opt for some 鈥渃reative licence鈥� where dialogue was concerned, without sacrificing the history.鈥�
Photos to illustrate Emily Patterson鈥檚 story come from 麻豆传媒映画Archives and from Patterson鈥檚 descendants via Ancestry.ca.
Smith would like to see local events such as the sinking of the Chehalis and the impact of the anti-Asian riots of 1907 get more coverage. But as a judge for the school-based Heritage Fairs that occur around 麻豆传媒映画every spring, she says she鈥檚 pleased to see so many obscure historical characters and events being rediscovered by kids.
When:聽Thursday May 24, 7:30 pm
Where: Museum of 麻豆传媒映画(1100 Chestnut Street)
Visit the Facebook Event for more info
