Quite unintentionally, Mrs. McDougall absolutely charmed everyone who came within her orbit.  Not only did she touch countless lives with her genuine warmth and gentility, but, with her ready, seemingly effortless eloquence, she was also an accurate, articulate voice of Red Lake history.

Margaret McDougall was also Red Lake’s last Victorian.  At the time of her death after a remarkably healthy and active life, she was the last resident to have been born in the 19th century.  Canadian Press pronounced her the oldest newspaper columnist in North America and we were intensely proud she was among us for nearly 65 consecutive years.  Her last column in Red Lake’s “The District News” appeared only two weeks before her death.

The years utterly failed to dull the erudite, inquiring, luminous mind, and endearing, considerable humanity of the area’s oldest resident who looked upon advanced age with an innate sense of grace.  Death found our esteemed friend with her faculties of mind, sight and hearing wonderfully unimpaired. 

Mrs. McDougall’s bright, encyclopedic mind, rich with the experience of the remarkable century in which she had lived, still reached forward, learning and infinitely optimistic, to the very last. Mrs. McDougall truly was a model senior.  She had outlived her contemporaries but her versatility and optimism helped her carry life’s sorrows with stalwart good cheer. 

Indefatigably interested in others, Mrs. McDougall’s great personal charm easily garnered friends from every era of her life.  As well as being an enlightened, absorbing and lively conversationalist, she also asked questions, listened and read.  An inveterate letter writer, friends received letters only two weeks before her death.

For all her humanitarian accomplishments, Mrs. McDougall was well-known for her modesty.  She had to be prodded to accept accolades or celebrations in her honour and she only agreed to interviews on television, radio, in books and newspapers out of unfailing politeness.  Quite simply, people were drawn to her.

She was born in 1898 to an English father and English-Irish mother in Ottawa.  She was one of 11 children, three of whom died as children. 

Among her father’s friends were prime ministers and governors-general of the day and it was amidst this genteel, Edwardian society in Canada’s capital that Mrs. McDougall was raised.  Her father, Brigadier-General Charles Winter, a career soldier, rose from private to brigadier-general, and was also a prominent military lecturer, award-winning essayist, and author. 

Mrs. McDougall attended Ottawa Model School and Lisgar Collegiate Institute.  She entered St. Hilda's (Trinity), the women’s coordinating college of The University of Toronto in 1915 when not a great many women had such an opportunity.  By 1919 she earned a B.A. in linguistics.  Eighty years later, she could still translate Latin, French, German and Spanish.  The University annual noted she had "great dramatic and musical ability, was head of choir, president of YWCA, conference delegate, head of extension work and enthusiastic settlement worker.  The life and soul of her graduating class."  Settlement House was Toronto’s social service day nursery, a forerunner of day care.   She also skied, skated and acted in the Ottawa Drama League.

Following university she took a business course and landed a job for five years as mail secretary and book purchaser at Carnegie [now Ottawa Public] Library.  She loved her library career and years later, in Red Lake, she was delighted to resume library work.

Her beau was Lt. Col. Kenneth H. McDougall, a decorated First World War battalion commander who had earlier also attended the University of Toronto.  Margaret and Kenneth were married in 1925 and settled at tiny McDougall's Mills (east of Sioux Lookout) where he managed the family lumber company/sawmill.  Kenneth couldn't leave city life fast enough, while Margaret, who enjoyed arts and culture, chose to leave a comfortable urban existence in order to be with her husband.

When the sawmill went bankrupt they moved to Hudson in 1927 and by then had two daughters, Diana and Sheila.  Kenneth formed Red Lake Transport Co. which also went broke.  He then opened a trading post at Red Lake; Mrs. McDougall and daughters (a son, Andrew, was born three years later) arrived in Oct. 1932 on the Miss Winnipeg.  “I remember how our spirits soared when we rounded the bend and saw Howey Mine’s lights twinkling in the winter darkness,” she wrote.

Mrs. McDougall brought grace, charm and an uncommon empathy to a rough and ready mining camp and even gained the respect of the most unpolished of prospectors.  One grizzled teamster would swipe his drinking pals out of the way, bellowing, "make way for Lady Winter" whenever she tried to pass by. 

In 1949 the McDougalls moved into their new store/residence in McDougallville.  She quipped that the imposing brick exterior resembled a jail, but stepping into her home was an enjoyable time machine ride to an era as charming as its host. Into this evocative home Mrs. McDougall welcomed thousands of visitors over the years.  Company rarely left without first having tea in china cups, sandwiches, ice box cookies and often, supper and fireside conversation.  Mrs. McDougall prepared her own meals until she was over 97, and never owned a dishwasher or microwave.  She conceded to living austerely, remarked that “we don’t put on much style, but like to see people”.

She was wholly devoted to her faith and church.  The only remaining original member of the Anglican Women’s Association, she put her considerable musical talent (advanced under the tutelage of a cathedral musician) to good use for over 50 years as organist at services and at countless weddings and funerals, often on little notice. 

The leading light of the Anglican Church in Red Lake, Mrs. McDougall worked tirelessly to support the old Chapel of Cleopas, often polishing silver and brass in near-freezing temperatures.  Inclement weather never prevented her attendance.  The church recognized her dedication with a plaque presentation in 1977.  A bishop dubbed her “the First Lady of Red Lake”.

Mrs. McDougall contributed inconspicuously but abundantly in other areas: Red Cross W.W. 11 projects, taking in McKenzie Is. schoolchildren over break-up and freeze-up, member of the founding committee of the Red Cross Hospital, original member of the Hospital Guild and a charter member of the Legion Ladies Auxiliary.  Mrs. McDougall worked for many years as the first librarian (volunteer) in Red Lake's first public library.  She was an original member and officially opened both the pioneer club and museum.

She enthusiastically helped found the first Red Lake Art Club which persuaded legendary Group of Seven painter A.Y. Jackson to sketch here.  Mrs. McDougall sometimes gave the annual address at Robert Burns Society dinners; at the United Church’s 60th anniversary, she spoke on the early days,  was known to nominate people for awards and won many herself for her poetry, limericks or stories.

In her early 50s she began writing a social column, "Red Lake Report," in The District News and continued to write weekly for the ensuing 45 years.  “Social column” was an understated definition for a free-ranging column that included local news, Mrs. McDougall’s ruminations on world events and holidays, her memories of the past, comments on the North - usually in prose, but sometimes in verse. For years she received no remuneration; when there was pay, it was donated to the church.  Her work was recognized in 1984 with the Ontario Bicentennial Medal and in 1990 she was chosen out of hundreds to receive The Ontario Senior Achievement Award.

Mrs. McDougall was the type of person who, without even realizing it, stretched one’s horizons and remained a positive influence on many friends and admirers; she was a genuine, principled, ever-welcoming friend completely devoid of any malice who made a person feel they could face any challenge. 

Possessed of an exquisite sense of compassion for the underdog, she decried injustice and many a troubled soul was soothed by her positive outlook and firm belief that situations would usually improve.  In a seemingly insane world she was a warm, reassuring voice of sanity, a civilized haven of wise counsel and warm goodness.

In her 90s, Mrs. McDougall felt she had become or was generally percieved to be something of a human relic.  What she was, rather, was a treasured, honoured link with the rich past of her family and community. 

A posthumous honour was bestowed upon the memory of Mrs. McDougall in July 2002.  When the newly-relocated library in Red Lake was officially re-opened, it was re-named “The Margaret McDougall Red Lake Public Library.”

It was tremendously fitting, for Mrs. McDougall had been the District’s first professional librarian.  She staffed the first formal library in the back room of the former Red Lake Municipal Office with a devoted group of friends.  That location, ironically, is the present site of the new library.

Inevitably missed in death as much as she was loved in life, Mrs. McDougall’s noble legacy and example brings inspiration.  Every one of us can have no better wish than it might be our lot to leave behind as indelibly fine a memory as has Margaret McDougall.

Mrs. McDougall’s grave and that of her Kenneth (who predeceased her by 25 years), are in Red Lake Cemetery.  However, more importantly, Mrs. McDougall resides in the hearts, minds and souls of her loved ones.  And now, so very appropriately, her name also resides on the library she founded so many decades ago.
 
 

Margaret McDougall was a cherished mentor and staunch friend of John Richthammer.

John may be reached at: archivesguy@hotmail.com