Elsie Cressman

Elsie Cressman, a native of Wilmot Township, was a well-known pioneer in the development and practice of midwifery. Locally, she was a key person in the establishment of St. Jacob’s Midwives.

Cressman’s pioneering work in having midwifery accepted as a profession laid the groundwork for midwifery programs at several Canadian universities. In Ontario, McMaster, Ryerson and Laurentian Universities all now offer Bachelor of Science degrees in midwifery.

Internationally, Cressman was instrumental in establishing and running a number of heath clinics in East Africa. Elsie organized a leprosarium on the shore of Lake Victoria at Shirati, Tanzania where she is credited with integrating leprosy patients back into their communities. Later, she started what became known as the Tom Mboya Memorial Health Centre, Kenya.

Cressman was awarded the Order of Ontario in 1994 and Oktoberfest Woman of the Year – Lifetime Achievement in 2010.