50 years in Canada

It’s been 50 years since I came to Canada, newly married to John Phillips.He attempted for months to get  conscientious objector status so that he could serve for two years doing non-military service. This process involved defining his personal definition of a supreme being and proving his beliefs with public evidence. He wasn’t successful, so we dropped out of the Quaker college that we were attending and moved to Canada.

(See the video Vietnam: Canada’s Shadow War for background about the Vietnam War and Canada’s support to both the war and the war resisters. In 2016, the  film, directed by Andy Blicq,  won the Best History Documentary in the Canadian Screen Awards I am one of the featured interviews with photos by John and me.)    http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/episodes/vietnam-canadas-shadow-war

We settled on Baldwin Street in Toronto and got our first jobs creating the Baldwin Street Club with the Company of Young Canadians teaching photography and writing to children with learning disabilities and teaching teenagers at Point Blank School, an alternative school.

Toronto, 1968

It was Centennial year, 1967, a very optimistic time. It felt that almost any idea that we would try would work. We started the Baldwin Street Gallery of Photography. The first exhibition was children’s photography with their poetry and stories displayed.  We also co-founded Snowflake  Day Care  Centre for Baldwin neighbourhood children.

The gallery moved to several locations and left  Baldwin St in 1980.

Six Of The Best – Photographic History

On June 21st, I’ll be one of six speakers at the Photographic Historical Society meeting My topic is the history of the Baldwin Street Gallery.My involvement with the Photographic Historical Society began in the 1970’s as a charter member. In the past few years, I have again gotten involved having a table at the photo fairs and attending meetings. It’s well worth becoming a member.  The magazine is   informative and friendly. http://phsc.ca

 June 21,  7:00pm FREE,

North York Civic Centre, 5100 Yonge St , Toronto (conveniently indoor walk from North York Centre subway)