Homebound on long-term disability, she sought new challenges to whet her intellectual curiosity and fulfill her work ethic. She returned to Toronto Metropolitan University and found not just an interest in but a true ability to write periodical pieces, newspaper articles and novels. Her progressive work assignments honed her writing skills to the point where she became a historical research writer of non-fiction books, sought-after public speaker, screenplay writer, producer of a television documentary, and founder and Chair of a non-profit foundation.
It was through the Scarborough Historical Society that she learned a long-abandoned WWII tunnel system lay virtually beneath her Scarborough home. This launched a ten-year odyssey which included extensive research, interviewing, public speaking, and writing, ultimately culminating in her seminal book Bomb Girls: Trading Aprons for Ammo. The result is a rare, intimate compilation of the social, psychological, and cultural aspects of life on the home front comprising a unique era in Canada’s history.
Through Barbara’s public role before audiences and on her website, she is recognized as the preeminent expert in Canada’s war munitions work. She has made television appearances to promote Canadian women’s contributions to WWII, including a CTV piece shot in the surviving tunnels under a munitions plant once located in Scarborough, and a Rogers Remembrance Day vignette which aired for five years. She was also the original creative consultant to the T.V. series, Bomb Girls which ran on Global from 2012-2014. In 2016, Barbara was invited by the City of Toronto to be the keynote speaker for their International Women’s Day celebration attended by Mayor Tory and other dignitaries. More recently, Barbara appeared as a World War II expert and historian in Season 3 of the T.V. Series, Secret Nazi Bases.
Today, Barbara is Founder and Chair of the Bomb Girls Legacy Foundation, whose mandate is to commemorate the invaluable work carried out by Canada’s Bomb Girls.
However, of all her career achievements, she is most proud of the trust earned and heartfelt friendships enjoyed with Canada’s Bomb Girls.
