Tom the backroads traveller hosts this weekly meme.
Click here for a history of Toronto lane naming and a list of other lanes with neighbourhood descriptions. That post is a work in progress, and gets updated frequently.
O’Riordan Lane - after Mary O’Riordan D.V.M. who was born in 1925 in
Ireland. “Dr. Mary”, as she was known, was said to be the first female veterinarian to be
licensed to practice in Ireland. By 1963, she immigrated to Canada and lived in Toronto
where she worked in an animal hospital. O’Riordan subsequently owned her own animal
hospital and offered her clients the service of house calls.
In 1975, her book Dr. Mary’s
Animals was published and as a result, she became more widely known in the community
as Dr. Mary. O’Riordan was one of the founders of Cabbagetown’ s annual Forsythia
Festival and she was a director of the Toronto Press Club. She resided at 160 Amelia
Street where she died in 1993.
We were here just after the Forsythia Festival and this house still had its decorations.
...years ago DVMs were men, now most are women here. Each od Toronto's lanes has a wonderful history. Thanks Jackie for sharing.
ReplyDeleteUnusual to be a female vet on those days. I've never heard of a forsythia festival before but a good way to welcome the Spring.
ReplyDeleteO'Riordan is a very Irish name.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of a forsythia festival!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shots! Such a charming place.
ReplyDeleteThis week's post