Early in the Second World War, the Canadian government built a top-secret munitions factory in the then rural community of Scarborough just seven miles from Toronto’s downtown. The plant, called GECO—General Engineering Company (Canada) Limited—comprised 346 acres, 172 buildings, and over four kilometers of underground passageways. Barbara Dickson’s book, Bomb Girls: Trading Aprons for Ammo, is a comprehensive, historical record of Canada’s biggest WWII munitions plant, GECO, which employed over 21,000 citizens, predominantly women, courageously working with high explosives around the clock during the Second World War. In this lecture, Barbara will relate the dramatic story of the incredible contribution made by so many women so long ago. What was it really like to work in a munitions factory? Did anyone die? What were working conditions like? How closely did bomb girls resemble “Rosie the Riveter?” Barbara will draw on twenty years of research to answer these questions. 

This lecture is a live, in-person event in Cameron Hall. You do not need to pre-register to attend – just show up.

BIOGRAPHY:

Barbara Dickson is an author, historian, public speaker and documentary film producer who has entertained, educated, and enlightened audiences for twenty-five years. She strives to educate Canadians about the phenomenal work carried out by women across the nation whose invaluable contribution helped win the Second World War and is committed to ensuring that Canada’s “bomb girls” are honoured and commemorated. Her legacy project is to found a museum on the old GECO site in Scarborough where the public can come to learn, appreciate, and remember the critical sacrifice women made for their country so long ago. Her 2015 book, Bomb Girls: Trading Aprons for Ammo, was a finalist for the Ontario Legislature’s Book Award in 2016 and turned into a documentary film in 2017.

The brutal massacre of October 7 in southern Israel by Hamas terrorists cannot be justified under any circumstances. But the attack and Israel's response took place within a complex and longstanding context of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians that began in the early 20th Century. The November 2022 election in Israel, when the most right wing government in Israel's history was elected, resulted in policies, actions and personalities that helped set the scene for the tragedy that we are witnessing today. The only silver lining to emerge from the conflict is a revival by key players of the idea of a two-state solution as the best means for bringing long term safety and security to both parties.

Some of us feel distraught and helpless witnessing the horrors of the current situation. We are searching for ways to alleviate some of the pain and suffering in the region. Jon Allen chairs Rozana Canada, a non profit that builds trust and respect between Israelis and Palestinians through the health care sector. Rozana designs, implements and funds joint Palestinian-Israeli projects in the training, treatment and transport of Palestinians with the collaboration of Israeli health professionals. This work is more important now than ever.

BIOGRAPHY:

Jon Allen was born in Winnipeg and studied at Western University and the London School of Economics before joining the Department of External Affairs in 1981. In addition to postings in Mexico 

City, New Delhi and Washington, Jon spent his early career working in the areas of human rights, humanitarian, and environmental law. From 2006 to 2010, he served as Canada’s Ambassador to Israel; from 2012 to 2016 as Ambassador to Spain and Andorra; and from December 2012 to July 2014, as interim Chargé d’affaires to the Holy See. Jon Allen is currently a Senior Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and a Distinguished Fellow of the Canada International Council. He is the Chair of Project Rozana Canada, a not for profit whose objective is to build bridges between Palestinians and Israelis via the health sector.