A Little Rebellion

Lin Good, a consultant, was Associate Librarian at Queen’s University.

This memoir of one woman’s life and work in British Columbia is more
than a vivid social history; it is also a fascinating and instructive
account of a passionate social reformer. The author, a Canadian of Irish
descent, is a “political creature, ready at the drop of a hat to
debate the need for social justice, economic democracy or the peace
movement.”

Bridget Moran, at age 30, arrived in Prince George in 1954 to become a
social worker. In June 1953 the Social Credit Party under W.A.C. Bennett
had won a majority of seats to form the government in Victoria. Moran,
and others, soon learned that the new government was interested in roads
and railways to the exclusion of social services. Within two years, all
social workers were struggling with increasing caseloads and decreasing
resources, which made the policies outlined in the official manuals
impossible to realize.

Moran’s experiences in the field made her publicly rebel against the
system, and eventually led to her dismissal—which ultimately enraged
the public and led to a change in policy. Some of the conditions she
describes could not happen today but many are still with us. Her
testimony is a compelling argument for change.