Gilean Douglas worked as a photo journalist for much of her life and her lifetime venue of more than 200 publications included 13 book publications of non-fiction and poetry. Born in 1900 into a wealthy and socially prominent Toronto family, she was orphaned at the age of 16 and began to turn away from her inherited lifestyle. After three collapsed marriages, much travel and continuing work as a photo journalist she moved to British Columbia in 1939 and wrote a book, River For My Sidewalk, under her pseudonym, Grant Madison, documenting her early life in B.C. In 1947 her cabin was destroyed by fire and two years later she moved to a 138 acre waterfront property on Cortes Island with her fourth husband where she remained until her death in 1993. In addition to her writing, she was very active in community affairs holding 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.
From the description of Gilean Douglas fonds. ca. 1880-1993. (University of British Columbia Library). WorldCat record id: 606461787
