We are thrilled to announce the speakers and dates for the Town of York Historical Society’s “Annual Author Series”! Presentations will begin promptly at 7pm and will be followed by a short question and answer period. This year, you have the option between joining us via Zoom or in-person.

About this event:

Elizabeth Gillian Muir will speak about her newly released book, An Unrecognized Contribution: Women and their Work in early 19th century Toronto, highlighting scores of women and the work they undertook during a period of great change for the city.

“Women in nineteenth-century Toronto were integral to the life of the growing city. They contributed to the city’s commerce and were owners of stores, factories, brickworks, market gardens, hotels, and taverns; as musicians, painters, and writers, they were a large part of the city’s cultural life; and as nurses, doctors, religious workers, and activists they strengthened the city’s safety net for those who were most in need. Their stories are told in this wide-ranging collection of biographies, the result of Muir’s search of early street directories, the first city histories, personal diaries, and other documents.”

About the author:

Elizabeth (Liz) Gillian Muir has taught Canadian history at Waterloo University and the University of Toronto. She has written extensively about women in Upper Canada and in addition to writing non-fiction for adults, she has also published a series of children’s books. Elizabeth holds degrees from Queen’s University, the Harvard Business School, and a Ph.D from McGill University.