Introduction
It is imperative that Canada as a nation honour the legacy of Canada’s Bomb Girls. Since the publication of Bomb Girls: Trading Aprons for Ammo in 2015, several noteworthy projects have evolved to commemorate the lives of these courageous women who with their tenacity and commitment helped bring an end the Second World War.
Toronto’s Eglinton Crosstown LRT Honour Bomb Girls Legacy
As part of the Metrolinx Eglinton Crosstown LRT, stations situated along Eglinton Avenue where GECO was once located in Scarborough’s west end, will showcase photos of the plant to remember the legacy of Canada’s Bomb Girls and in particular, the contribution made by over 21,000 proud Canadians to the Allied war effort.
Bell Media Commemorates Legacy of Canada’s Bomb Girls
Bomb Girls: A Documentary, sponsored by Bell Media and directed by Mike Palmer, garnered international acclaim when it was short-listed in the prestigious 2018 Imperial War Museum’s International Short Film Festival in London, England.
Scarborough’s Cleanside Road and Fusilier Drive Named for GECO Workers
In 2017, two streets in a new residential neighbourhood in Scarborough, Ontario, were named in memory of the legacy of Canada’s Bomb Girls. The streets, “Cleanside Road” and “Fusilier Drive” can be found east of Warden Avenue and north of St. Clair Avenue East in South Scarborough, not far from where the original factory once stood.
Legacy of Canada’s Bomb Girls Commemorated in 2016 Speaker’s Book Award
“Bomb Girls: Trading Aprons for Ammo” was a 2016 Finalist in the prestigious Speaker’s Book Award of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
Mural Pays Tribute to Canada’s Bomb Girls
In September 2014 the City of Toronto commissioned urban muralist Mitchell Lanecki — Omen514 — to create a fitting tribute to the women of the GECO plant and their magnificent contribution to the Allied war effort. The mural is located on St. Clair Avenue East, east of Warden Avenue, on the north side of the Warden subway underpass.
MPP Soo Wong Celebrates Canada’s Bomb Girls
On October 29, 2015, then current MPP Soo Wong, Scarborough-Agincourt, presented a member statement at Queen’s Park to commemorate the phenomenal contribution made by brave women and men who worked at GECO during the Second World War.