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Gilean Douglas, 1900-1993
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Gilean Douglas was born on Feb. 1, 1900, into a wealthy &
socially prominent Toronto family. Her childhood was one of privilege, but
when she was orphaned at the age of 16 she began to turn away from her
inherited lifestyle and the expectations of the class she was born to. She
marred in 1922, and her husband assumed her last name. They set off on an
adventurous automobile trip through the States , which Douglas recorded in
a journal and photographs. In 1924 Douglas' health collapsed from the
effects of an overactive thyroid, a condition that plagued her for much of
her life. After seven months in hospital she separated from her first
husband and returned to Toronto in 1925.This was her home base
for the next 15 years. The rest of the 1920s and the 1930s held two more
marriages, much travel, and continuing work as a photo-journalist, with
work published under several different pseudonyms .
Douglas began to build a reputation as a
poet during this time:
The year 1939 marked a turning point in Gilean Douglas' life. She moved
from the east to the west coast ; from the city to the country. For the
next seven years, her home base was a small cabin in an isolated mountain
valley. Although she continued to travel and work as a journalist, her
life centered around the cabin and the surrounding environment. Much of
her later work is built upon the themes of silence and solitude, which
form the foundation for her identity as a person and as a writer.
The writings recording Douglas' life in the mountains were
published under the pseudonym Grant Madison because of disbelief that a
woman could have lived the life described. "Grant Madison " developed a
devoted following of fans, and Douglas carried on several long
correspondences in his name. (She also used this name for some of her
feminist articles .) River For My Sidewalk and Silence Is My Homeland
document this period of her
life .
In 1947 Douglas' cabin was destroyed by
fire and two years later she moved to a 138 acre waterfront property on
Cortes Island with her fourth husband. Her marriage ended in 1953 but she
remained there for the rest of her long life. Her home at Channel Rock was
isolated, with no road access and no electricity. She had a large garden,
and supplemented her writing income by selling produce and plants .
Starting in the 1960s, Douglas' writing
centred increasingly on her life at Channel Rock . She wrote a regular
column, "Nature Rambles", for the Victoria
Times Colonist from 1961 to 1992, the
year before her death. The Protected Place
is based on these columns .
During her years on Cortes, Douglas was
active in community affairs . She held local, district, provincial and
national office in the Women's Institute, edited a book on its history,
and was awarded a Life Membership in 1989. She belonged to the Women's
Auxiliary of the Anglican Church and gave the address on the World Day of
Prayer for 22 years . Douglas was a member of the first Cortes Advisory
Planning Commission and represented Cortes on the Regional Board from 1968
until 1977 .She played an important role in framing the regulatory bylaws
designed to guide the development brought about by increased population
growth . She was also a Weather Observer for Environment Canada for 33
years.
Gilean Douglas died on Cortes Island on October 31st,
1993 .
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Last modified: Monday, 11 October 2021
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