Who Is Mary Malcolmson?

Mary Helen McKean Malcolmson, born in 1864 in Ireland, immigrated to Canada as a young child and became an influential figure in St. Catharines. She was a teacher and a deeply community-spirited woman, committed to social causes. In 1910, she founded the first Canadian Girl Guide Company at the Welland House, a renowned health spa that attracted visitors from across the country. Her dedication to the spirit of Guiding, the outdoors, and the girls she worked with was unwavering. Mary’s love for nature was reflected in her favourite tree, the tulip tree, which is native to the Carolinian Forest.

In addition to her work with the Girl Guides, she helped establish the Women’s Canadian Club and the Victorian Order of Nurses in St. Catharines, demonstrating her broad commitment to community well-being. Mary was also a key figure in the St. Catharines Council of Women and an officer of the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire (I.O.D.E.). Her contributions to Guiding were recognized when she was awarded a Silver Jubilee Medal in 1935.

A plaque in Montebello Park, St. Catharines, commemorates her pioneering work in Girl Guides, dedicated by her granddaughter, Mrs. T.A. Rigby, to mark forty years of Guiding in Canada. A second stone was added in 1967 to honour her during Canada’s centennial celebrations.

In 1976, Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau officially transferred the land that would become Malcolmson Eco-Park to the City of St. Catharines, recognizing Mary Malcolmson’s significant contributions to the community. To honour her impact on the Girl Guides and the city, the City Council named the park after her, ensuring her legacy would live on in the heart of St. Catharines.