Helen Creighton - Member's Statement

MS. CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, I'd like to take a moment to recognize a woman whose dogged efforts to document Nova Scotia's folklore, songs and history left us with a treasure trove of cultural heritage. This month Helen Creighton would have been 119, had she lived to tell the tale. 

I am in awe of this pioneering woman who had a multitude of careers before she became a folklorist. Helen was a driver with the Royal Flying Corps in Toronto and the Red Cross Caravan in Nova Scotia; she trained in social work at the University of Toronto; taught school in Mexico; and broadcast on CHNS radio - all in the early 1900s. I can only imagine she must have starred in as many tales as she recorded. 

Our cultural heritage is precious, Mr. Speaker, and it informs our way forward. Helen wasn't formally trained as an historian but the work of this Dartmouth woman still informs the Nova Scotian identity today. She has received numerous awards for her achievements, but this month she was immortalized with a plaque from Parks Canada commemorating her national historic significance in her hometown of Dartmouth. Happy Birthday, Helen.