Agnes Larkin Jamieson was born on Nov. 26, 1909, to David Francis Jamieson and Agnes Keenan.
Her mother was the only girl in a family that included six boys. The Keenan brothers of Barrie, well known in musical circles, operated Keenan’s Music Store, located just west of Five Points, for many years.
In 1905, Agnes Keenan wed David Jamieson, the son of a Scottish born farmer from Vespra Township. Together, they had a family of four children: Agnes, Edith, Jean, and Gordon.
By the 1920s, the family had left rural life to reside in the town of Barrie. Their home was 164 Bayfield St., in the north half of a very pleasant semi-detached house near Wellington Street. The building still stands and both halves are now addressed together as 162 Bayfield St.
The children attended the Victoria School, which once stood on the northwest corner of Owen and Collier streets, and later attended the Barrie Collegiate Institute, which was then fairly new on its site at Bradford and Elizabeth streets.
In the days when school marks were printed in newspapers, the Jamieson name was frequently found on the honours list.
Young Agnes took her smarts to the University of Toronto where she studied medicine. After graduating in 1935, she interned at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Toronto and, for a short time, practised in Mimico, Ont., before returning home to Barrie for a rest.
In December 1939, Dr. Agnes Jamieson took a position that would prove to suit her perfectly. She joined the medical practice of Dr. Crowe in Minden, Ont., but was soon on her own as Crowe left to join the war effort. At the same time, Dr. Jamieson became the medical officer of health for the Haliburton District.
This was no small accomplishment for a female doctor, a rarity at the time. In fact, during her university studies, she and all women in the medical school, were expected to carry marks 10 per cent higher than their male classmates.
Even fully qualified, female physicians weren’t necessarily widely accepted, but the people of her district fully embraced her and her services. Over the years, her patients were often quoted as they described their appreciation for Dr. Jamieson’s style.
“‘The lady doc’ is only chin high to a rail fence, but she’s all wool and a yard wide, and is okay by us – she is more of a man, for all her skirts, than many a guy we know.”
A story appeared in the Barrie Examiner of Feb. 15, 1940, detailing Dr. Jamieson’s arrival in Minden. It mentioned the careful creation of her ideal medical team. She had hand-picked two nurses, both excellent in their field, but worn out from working at the Gravenhurst Sanitorium, to join her practice. Olga Myles and Sylvia Howard became her lifelong friends.
For years, Dr. Jamieson was the only doctor in the entire district. She visited her patients by auto, horse or on foot in all weather, setting broken bones, seeing expectant mothers and dealing with regular outbreaks of disease.
In 1950, Dr. Agnes Jamieson set another milestone as she became the first female coroner in Ontario.
She wasn’t all work, though. Dr. Jamieson enjoyed painting and sketching in the quiet of the local woodlands. This hobby led to a lasting legacy that began with her treatment of a patient back in the days of her internship.
Andre Lapine, a Latvian-born artist of immense talent, had immigrated to Canada in 1905 and settled in Toronto by 1907. His fame grew and, by the 1920s and 1930s, his work was on display in the National Art Gallery of Canada and beyond.
In 1934, Lapine was struck by a car and not expected to survive. It was then that he met the fledgling physician, Agnes Jamieson, and the two formed a permanent friendship. After his recovery, Lapine and his wife headed to the peace of Minden, at Dr. Jamieson’s suggestion.
When not seeing patients, the doctor often joined Lapine on his painting expeditions. Lapine particularly enjoyed capturing agricultural scenes, and his work frequently included his favourite subject: horses.
When Andre Lapine died in 1952, his collection of paintings went into the hands of Frank Welch, once reeve of Minden, who cherished them very much. In turn, Welch left those works to the town of Minden.
Dr. Jamieson volunteered her time to organize a way to store and display the valuable collection and, in the end, a gallery was born. Since 1981, the collection has been housed in a place that honours the doctor – the Agnes Jamieson Gallery in Minden.
Dr. Agnes Jamieson passed away in 1983 and is buried in Minden Village Cemetery. Resting with her is nurse Sylvia Howard.
Each week, the Barrie Historical Archive provides BarrieToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past. This unique column features photos and stories from years gone by and is sure to appeal to the historian in each of us.
