A treasure trove of incredible lives lived. Muir introduces us to an endless cast of women whose lives were marked by incredible bravery, innovation, and achievement against all odds. – RICK MERCER

Celebrating women’s contributions to early Toronto.

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, highlighting scores of women and the work they undertook during a period of great change for the city.