Remembering Madeleine Oldershaw
by Melanie Swailes on behalf of the Development and Transportation Committee
When we walk around Brentwood, most of us take for granted many of the best community assets, including Nose Hill Park (instead of a hill full of houses!), Whispering Woods natural area, or our Community Garden. Behind each, there were dedicated volunteers who made those areas possible. Madeleine Oldershaw was one of those unsung heroes.
I met Madeleine years ago when she joined our Development and Transportation Committee (DTC). She wanted to join because she said she cared about our community and wanted to have a voice in future redevelopments and changes. Madeleine was an eager learner, signing up for Planning Engagements and learning sessions. I later found out that should not have been surprising, given her strong academic background. Her daughter, Christine, told me that both her parents highly valued lifelong learning.
Madeleine was born and raised in Blackpool, England. She attended the University of Liverpool and earned a Bachelor of Science with honours in 1962. Madeleine went on to complete her thesis in geology on “The Application of Rock Magnetism to Some Geological Problems”, earning herself a Ph.D. from the Faculty of Science in 1968.
In the 1960s, Madeleine’s achievements were even more remarkable than they would be today. As one of our DTC members, Dianne Draper (herself a Professor Emerita at the U of C) commented: “even today, women who contribute significantly and in various ways to society are often overlooked or ignored; whether they are ‘scientists’ or ‘citizen scientists’ their contributions need to be and should be heralded.”
Madeleine met her future husband, Alan Oldershaw, at the University of Liverpool. They married and moved to Canada in the 1970s, first to Toronto, then on to Calgary where they raised their two girls, Karen and Christine, in Brentwood. Madeleine worked as a Geophysicist and Alan was a Geologist/Professor at the University of Calgary until their retirements.
Madeleine’s academic training came in handy for our Development and Transportation Committee as well. Following a well-attended meeting with citizens about blanket rezoning, Madeleine volunteered to tabulate a number of the responses to key questions in our survey. She worked and re-connected with Dianne Draper, who had taught Madeleine’s daughters as a U of C professor! Dianne wrote that Madeleine helped with the “quantitative aspects” and we “immensely appreciated the time and effort she put into helping us convey to City Council what the survey revealed about citizens’ perspectives on the rezoning issues”.
Despite her achievements, academically and professionally, Madeleine was humble and down-to-earth. She was immensely approachable, and I’d often run into her while she was walking her dog, Lizzy, on the John Laurie bike paths. Long conversations would follow, and she knew so many people (and their dogs), that I doubt short walks were ever possible! Madeleine was also an advocate for animal rights and Christine noted that she “helped me with fostering kittens and puppies”.
Madeleine loved the outdoors. She was part of “Friends of Nose Hill”, a group who worked to create Nose Hill Park in the 1980s. Madeleine participated in meetings, cleanups on the hill, and more: she was always ready to challenge city hall and the Parks department on their actions that concerned the Hill. After her passing, one Brentwood resident wrote “I think we owe her (and the others involved) a great deal of gratitude for her/their vision, their fight to establish the park, and for the wonderful space that Nose Hill Park provides for Calgarians”. The Community Garden also benefited from Madeleine’s care and attention, and Cynthia Sim, Coordinator of the Brentwood Community Garden, wrote: “Madeleine planted bed #7 for many years. She loved to grow beans and was very successful. She also donated all of the black currant bushes on the west side of the perimeter. They came in as very small seedlings in 2016 and have continued to thrive every year.” Madeleine has left many lasting legacies.
I will remember her as a person who smiled a lot and was kind to all. She was not afraid to voice her opinions on any topic (in that wonderful British accent), and we gained a lot when she joined our group. Sincerest condolences to her family on behalf of the Development and Transportation Committee but also on behalf of Brentwood residents who never met her but gained from her dedication to the community.
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