Sharon Johnston

Matrons and Madams - Bread and Roses Sharon Johnston

Marc Notes: Clara Durling is a British widow of the First World War who arrives in Canada as the new superintendent of the Lethbridge Hospital, just as wounded soldiers are streaming home. Lily Parsons is a young widowed schoolteacher from Nova Scotia who ends up in the same city, managing a brothel called The Last Post. Set against the backdrop of love, union organisers, amorous bachelors, gamblers, drinkers, and prostitutes, the lives of these two women unexpectedly intertwine when Clara, in the heat of local politics and responding to the highest incidence of venereal disease in the province, establishes, with Lily's help, the first venereal disease clinic in the province. In this sprawling saga, Lily and Clara must confront the conservative thinkers in the city to give help and compassion to the wounded veterans. Brief Description: Based on a true story, "Matrons and Madams" is a sprawling saga of a schoolteacher-turned-madam and lady superintendent of a hospital who join forces to combat the rampant venereal disease that spreads throughout Alberta once soldiers return from the Great War and also to improve the lives of the women who work in the brothels of Lethbridge. Description for Sales People: A sprawling family saga set in tumultuous Lethbridge after the First World War. Biographical Note: Sharon Johnston grew up in Sault Ste. Marie and graduated with a degree in physical and occupational therapy from the University of Toronto. She completed a doctorate in rehabilitation science from McGill University and ran a horse-training business called Chatterbox Farm. In her many duties as wife of Governor General David Johnston, she has recounted and borne witness to the struggles of Canadian veterans adjusting to life after the Great War. She lives at Rideau Hall, in Ottawa.

Contributor Bio:  Johnston, Sharon Sharon Johnston grew up in Sault Ste. Marie and graduated with a degree in physical and occupational therapy from the University of Toronto. She completed a doctorate in rehabilitation science from McGill University and ran a horse-training business called Chatterbox Farm. Among her many duties as the wife of Governor General David Johnston, Her Excellency finds time to recount the struggles of veterans adjusting to life in Canada after the Great War. Presently, she resides at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.