Gloria Baylis facts for kids

Gloria Baylis (1929–2017) was an important Barbadian-Canadian woman. She was a civil rights activist, a registered nurse, and a successful business owner. She won the very first case in Canada about unfair treatment at work because of someone's race. Later, she started the Baylis Medical Company, which became one of Canada's top companies.

Gloria Baylis's Early Life and Nursing Career

Gloria Leon Clarke was born in Bridgetown, Barbados, on June 29, 1929. In 1948, she moved to England. There, she trained to become a nurse and a midwife. She worked in hospitals in England from 1948 to 1952.

In 1952, Gloria moved to Montreal, Canada. She met Richard Baylis there, and they got married on September 22, 1956. They had five children together. Their daughter, Pia Maria, sadly passed away shortly after birth. Their other children are bioethicist Francoise Baylis, politician Frank Baylis, professor Peter John Baylis, and doctor Penny Jane Baylis.

Gloria continued her nursing career in Montreal. She worked at several hospitals, including the Montreal General Hospital and the Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal. She was an instructor and a head nurse in the operating room.

Fighting for Fairness: The Discrimination Case

Gloria Baylis became well-known in 1964 because of a very important court case. This was Canada's first case about unfair treatment in jobs based on race. A new law in Quebec, called An Act Respecting Discrimination in Employment, had just started on September 1, 1964. This law said it was wrong to treat people differently in jobs because of their race, color, or other reasons.

On September 2, 1964, Gloria went to the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. She wanted to ask about a part-time nursing job. The hotel told her the job was already filled. But when she called the next day, they said the job was still open! This made Gloria realize something was wrong.

She decided to file a complaint under the new law. This started the first case in Canada to say that someone was treated unfairly in a job because of their race. The judge agreed with Gloria. He found that she had been treated differently from other people who applied for the job.

Gloria won her case on October 4, 1965. This was a huge moment in Canadian history. It was the first time a company was found guilty of unfair treatment in a job because of someone's race. The hotel tried to appeal the decision for many years. But the original decision was upheld in 1977. This case showed how important it was to fight for equal rights in the workplace.

Later Career and Community Work

While her court case was happening, Gloria continued her nursing work. She became a supervisor at the Catherine Booth Hospital. She also worked at a clinic run by physician Henry Morgentaler.

In 1970, Gloria and her family moved to Toronto. There, she worked as a private duty nurse in many of the city's big hospitals. She worked in intensive care and operating rooms. Near the end of her nursing career, she was Vice-President of the Central Registry of Graduate Nurses. She also worked as a nurse on the sets of two movies, Mrs. Soffel and Youngblood.

Besides nursing, Gloria was very active in sports. She helped start the Ontario Amateur Netball Association. This group worked to bring the sport of netball to young people in Ontario. In 1985, the government of Ontario gave Gloria a special award. It was for her great work in promoting and developing sports.

Starting the Baylis Medical Company

After she retired from nursing, Gloria Baylis started her own company. She founded the Baylis Medical Company from her home in 1983. The company officially became a business in 1986.

At first, Baylis Medical imported and sold special medical devices. These devices were used in brain surgery and heart procedures. In 2001, the company started to do its own research, development, and production. Today, Baylis Medical Company works with hospitals to create advanced medical devices. It now employs more than 550 people.

For her amazing success as a business owner, Gloria received the Jackie Robinson award in 1999. This award was for Business Person of the Year. She retired from Baylis Medical Company in 2004. Gloria passed away on April 12, 2017. Canada's Poet Laureate, George Elliott Clarke, wrote a poem to honor her.