A black and white photograph from 1915 featuring Addison Alexander Mackenzie in military uniform, standing with his sister, Florence Curry and his father, Donald Mackenzie, sitting in the front.
A black and white photograph from 1915 featuring Addison Alexander Mackenzie in military uniform, standing with his sister, Florence Curry and his father, Donald Mackenzie, sitting in the front.
Deeply impacted by the experiences of living through the First World War and the changes it brought to her family, Florence trained as a nurse.
Nicknamed “Bluebirds” for their blue dresses and white veils, more than 2,800 women volunteered to serve with the Canadian Army Medical Corps during the First World War.
Bluebirds were given the rank of lieutenant, making them the first women in the British Commonwealth to be officers and often placed close to the front line. Bluebirds were required to be trained as nurses before the war and earned $4.10 per day. They were usually single and between 21 and 38 years old.
Tending to injuries was difficult and dangerous work, resulting in more than 50 women losing their lives. However, their actions paved the way for increased gender diversity in the military.
City of Vaughan Archives: MG 30 (M010.7)
A black and white photograph from 1915 featuring Addison Alexander Mackenzie in military uniform, standing with his sister, Florence Curry and his father, Donald Mackenzie, sitting in the front.
A black and white photograph from 1915 featuring Addison Alexander Mackenzie in military uniform, standing with his sister, Florence Curry and his father, Donald Mackenzie, sitting in the front.
Deeply impacted by the experiences of living through the First World War and the changes it brought to her family, Florence trained as a nurse.
Nicknamed “Bluebirds” for their blue dresses and white veils, more than 2,800 women volunteered to serve with the Canadian Army Medical Corps during the First World War.
Bluebirds were given the rank of lieutenant, making them the first women in the British Commonwealth to be officers and often placed close to the front line. Bluebirds were required to be trained as nurses before the war and earned $4.10 per day. They were usually single and between 21 and 38 years old.
Tending to injuries was difficult and dangerous work, resulting in more than 50 women losing their lives. However, their actions paved the way for increased gender diversity in the military.
City of Vaughan Archives: MG 30 (M010.7)