Barbara Dickson Presents

Barbara Dickson speaks on a variety of topics. As an award-winning and best-selling author and historian, she has entertained, educated, and enlightened audiences for over twenty-five years.

Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1992, Dickson quickly re-discovered her love of writing and history when she retired from her career as an IT software analyst. She has spent many years researching local and Canadian history including Canada in the early-to-mid 1800’s, Ireland’s Great Hunger, and the invaluable contribution made by Canadian men and women engaged in war work during World War 2.

Barbara Dickson’s Speaking Topics Appeal to Audiences

Dickson has been invited to speak to myriad organizations, her presentations appealing to a wide range of audiences, including:

• Schools
• Women’s groups
• Veteran Legions
• Historical Societies
• Corporate Events
• Church groups
• MS associations
• Retiree associations and retirement homes
• Business and professional organizations
• Support groups

Barbara Dickson Speaking Topics

Bomb Girls Legacy Foundation

The Bomb Girls Legacy Foundation grew from years of connecting with Canada’s bomb girls to better understand their sacrificial contribution to their country during the Second World War. Dickson discovered that few had asked about their war work, half a century later. These women risked life and limb to fill munitions so that the Allied Forces in every theatre of war had ammunition with which to fight the enemy.

Dickson established the Bomb Girls Legacy Foundation in September 2023 with a clear vision to honor Canada’s munition workers by promoting an attitude of remembrance, raising community awareness of their military contribution, and initiating conversations about the invaluable work and cultural legacy imbued by women on the home front during the Second World War. Its future plans entail installing historical plaque(s), designating the factory lands of GECO as a heritage site, founding a cultural museum, teaching children about the brave women who helped win the Second World War, providing educational and leadership opportunities for young women and promoting the need for a national monument.

Canada’s Bomb Girls

Most Canadians are unaware that an extensive long-abandoned tunnel system runs under the streets of Toronto, Ontario. Over eighty years ago, the Canadian government built a top-secret munitions factory in the 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 her presentation, Barbara delivers a dramatic, personal, and detailed review of GECO and shares with audiences 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 draws from over 25 years of research to answer these questions.

Tour The Tunnels Under Scarborough

Lying under the city of Scarborough, Ontario, are over four kilometres of tunnels built during WWII as part of a top-secret munitions plant called GECO. Dickson’s powerful slide presentation showcases the tunnel system, offering a historical perspective including why the elaborate system was built and what remains today.

Life in Muddy York

Come discover life in Canada during the first half of the 19th century as seen through the eyes of Englishman, David Cragg. A true-life account, David, born in 1769, lived through the Napoleonic wars, the death of his beloved Molly from a grand consumption, the Industrial Revolution, and his immigration to Canada as a widower with eight children. David disembarked at the foot of Yonge Street after a 80-day harrowing ocean journey. Take a virtual walk down Toronto’s bustling King Street and catch some of David’s exuberance as he sets up house on Hospital Street to start a new life in Upper Canada. This fascinating presentation – told through David’s own writing – will intrigue and inspire Canadians interested in learning more about Toronto, Ontario, and Canada’s history.

They Came In Ships

Dickson presents a harrowing true-life account faced by future Canadians as they attempt to survive a two-to-three-month voyage to the New World upon the unforgiving and turbulent North Atlantic Ocean. Immigration to the New Worlde was fraught with risk: from disease onboard ship to treacherous storms; from thievery to rape; from hitting ice bergs off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland to starvation; from murder to poverty, these courageous folk would endure it all.

Legacy Of Irish Immigration To Canada Through Irish Memorials

The Irish people helped build Canada, but at a great cost. Countless died from poverty and disease, especially during the Great Hunger from 1845-1852. Tragically, tens of thousands more died upon Canada’s shores before they had a chance to begin a new life. Even more tragically, many of their final resting places remain unmarked or unremembered today. Join Dickson in honouring the courage and tenacity of the Irish people and their lasting quiet legacy to Canada’s history.

MS Doesn’t Have To Be A Mess

A diagnosis of multiple sclerosis doesn’t mean giving up or giving in. It means giving the demands of a chronic, debilitating just enough room but not one inch more. It’s about finding hope and grit and living your best life.

Organ Transplantation In Canada

Dickson’s daughter, Emily, underwent a heart transplant when she was 19 years old. Barbara and Emily both navigated the physical, emotional, spiritual, and medical aspects of organ transplantation in Canada. Emily’s story is one of a teenaged girl finding true grit, of facing death head on, teetering on the precipice of life. As her mother, Dickson’s story is one of wringing hands, pacing hospital corridors, knowing only a miracle can save Emily’s life, and coming to the heart-rending realization that another must die to give her life. Dickson presents an in-depth narrative of organ transplantation in Canada — how one is listed for transplant, what happens while waiting, getting the “call,” undergoing transplant surgery, recovery, rejection, infection, complications, and finally, living life courageously with a new organ.

To contact or book Barbara Dickson to Speak

• Leave a reply below
• Send an E-mail to: barbara at barbaradickson dot ca
• Write in care of:
  P.O. Box 30001
  RPO Huntingwood
  Scarborough, ON M1T 0A1
• PLEASE NOTE: By contacting Barbara, you give permission for your personal information to be stored digitally such as your first and last name, your email address, and the content of your message. You may request that your personal data be removed at any time.

Audiences Respond

St. Luke’s Anglican Church Lunch Event

“It was such a delight to have you speak about such an interesting and mostly unknown topic!!! I have had numerous people stop me to congratulate us on bringing such an excellent speaker and topic to the St. Luke’s Speaker’s Lunch and especially so close to Remembrance Day. I just wanted you to know that I have finished reading your book and was “blown away” by the detail and the obvious research hours that you put into it. Considering I (& so many others) didn’t even know about GECO’s existence, it was absolutely amazing learning of the logistical details to get this facility up and running AND to be so productive and safe, with such a fantastic contribution to the winning of the war. You are to be commended for telling the story. Thank you.” ∼∼ Tim Tiernay

Scarborough Historical Society

“Wow! What a wonderful turnout last evening. The headcount was 100. The committee is very happy with the enthusiasm for your programme with so many questions and comments. Thank you for your great presentation and should you decide to write another book as a sequel of the subject of GECo or of another subject we certainly would be interested.” ∼∼ Jan Howe, Chair, Programme Committee

Eglinton Square Branch of Toronto Public Libraries

“…the (GECO) program  was a huge success and I will be in touch in the New Year to set up another!”  ∼∼ Cathy Pyper

Telco Community Volunteers

“Your presentation on GECO was excellent! I myself, was not aware that there had been any under ground tunnels in the area during World War II. In spite of the fact that you are living with M.S. your positive attitude to life left a big impression. You gave us an afternoon that I am sure we will all remember.” ∼∼ Evelyn Lonergan

Scarborough Centre Probus Club

“Our guest speaker, Barbara Dickson, kept our members completely enthralled with her presentation of the massive contribution by (mainly women) workers at the Scarborough G.E.C.O. plant during World War II.” ∼∼ Gord Blackwell, President

Salvation Army — Scarborough Women’s Ministry

“It was such an incredible and inspiring event. Barbara Dickson gave the story of the birth of her book which in turn was much of her life story and then shared a beautiful devotional message that carried through from the theme of her book. We had over 80 ladies there and everyone came away from the event captivated and challenged by Barbara’s message of God’s amazing love.” ∼∼ Captain Shelley Kerr

MS Ontario

“It was a pleasure to hear Barb speak at EMD Serono and it was incredibly well received by the group!” ∼∼ Darina Landa, Senior Coordinator, Partnerships & New Business Development MS Ontario

MS Canada — Sudbury Chapter

“We at the MS Centre of Hope, the local MS Chapter for Sudbury were treated to a rare presentation.  Barbara Dickson author extraordinaire, travelled from her home in Scarborough and gave us a presentation of her book, “Mountains for Maddi”.  It was actually her personal story of how she has gotten to this point in her life.  She has MS, but that is only a part of Barbara.  It was so interesting, there was only silence during Barbara’s presentation.  The book is great, and we bought her out.”  ∼∼ Laurel Ireland

Mississauga Cornerstone Community Church

“The ladies were still commenting on Barb’s life story (four days later.)  It has had a lasting effect. They were all touched by Barb’s visit. She has a wonderful ministry and purpose.” ∼∼ Caroline Tiberio, Women’s Ministries