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6 Friday, September 1, 2023brooklintowncrier.com In the early 1900s, architecture was slow to embrace gender equality. Even today, the number of women in the this field is significantly lower compared with other professions. However, Brooklin resident Lila McBrien defied the early 20th century odds by breaking into the male-dominated sphere at a time when most women were limited to careers in their homes. Despite the gender disadvantages, she not only became a successful architect but also ventured into other businesses such as operating a real estate and insurance brokerage alongside her architectural practice. In 1922, she designed a retirement home for her parents, Henry and Mary Ann, at 65 Bagot Street. Prior to this, the McBriens had resided in a historic stone house on a 200-acre farm at 5805 Halls Road North in Kinsale, where Lila was born in 1894. It was not until 1923 that she relocated to her parents' new home, where she lived until 1980. Various local buildings Lila's architectural talent extended to other projects. For instance, she took on the design and oversight of houses and commercial buildings. Among her works are the old Brooklin Public Library at 8 Vipond Road (1961), Dr. Baldwin's residence and medical office at 5 Princess Street, the Thompson house at 71 Bagot St., and the second floor of the historic William A. Dryden farmhouse , which currently houses the Charles H. Best Diabetes Centre at 360 Columbus Road East. She also had a hand in designing war time (World War 2) houses in Ajax for the DSL munition plant workers. In addition to creating new structures, Lila renovated existing spaces. In 1967 she undertook the transformation of the Cassels Road Township of Whitby Municipal Offices into the Community Centre. Credentials form where? The source of Lila's architectural training remains a mystery. There have been suggestions that she may have attended the architectural program at the University of Toronto, but no academic records are available to verify this nor at any other school in Canada. Regardless of how she obtained her license to practice, Lila's work garnered recognition from notable individuals. For instance, in the spring of 1947, she was interviewed by Toronto newspapermen Gordon Sinclair and Alan Savage at the Township Hall. The interview was part of a live broadcast by radio station CFRB for its weekly series called "Ontario Panorama." The program featured a panel of speakers and each week three guests were invited to speak about their accomplishments alongside their hosts. These guests sometimes included figures from the world of entertainment, authors, and specialists. It was an honour for Lila to be included. Her influence on the architectural landscape was recognized and appreciated by the Brooklin Horticultural Society (now the Brooklin-Whitby Gardening Club) which, in 1985, paid tribute to her memory by planting a red oak tree in Grass Park. Today, her architectural contributions remain a part of the local landscape, a testament to Brooklin's first woman architect. Brooklin's First Woman Architect By Jennifer Hudgins When I serve vegan food to guests, I generally get one of two reactions. Some people recoil in horror as if vegan food is synonymous with disgusting (think tofu). Others are curious and surprised at how good something can be without meat. Both reactions make me smile. It may surprise you to learn that some of the things you expect to be vegan, such as wine and sugar, are not considered vegan because animal products are used in processing them. There are also foods you wouldn't consider vegan because they are mainstream items you grew up on yet have been vegan all along. PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) call some foods accidentally vegan. Here is a short list of products that are vegan, but may not be labelled as such: • Skinny Pop White Cheddar popcorn - The cheddar flavouring comes from a non-diary source. • Twizzlers • Oreo cookies • Skittles • Pillsbury Crescents • Triscuit Originals • Nature Valley Dark Chocolate & Nut Chewy Trail Mix Granola Bars • Ritz Crackers - Who Knew!? And here are foods that you would think were vegan, but are not: • Sugar - Most refined sugars from sugar cane require bone char to achieve the clear white colour. • Beer and Wine - Some manufacturers use egg white albumen, gelatin or casein in the beer brewing or wine making process. • Thai Food - Fish sauce is a coming ingredient in Thai food. Ask your server if the dish contains fish sauce, and they can usually eliminate it. • Planter's Dry Roasted Peanuts - These peanuts use a small amount of gelatin to get the salt an spices to stick. Gelatin is an animal product. This year, I purchased a brand of soup labelled vegan, and it contained milk products. I contacted the company. They apologized and sent me coupons for free products. Another wellknown margarine brand was labelled "plant-based" and contained milk products. I caught this one in the store by reading the label and didn't purchase it. Every vegan has probably accidentally eaten animal products. If this happens to you, don't fret. It's a journey learning about veganism. Always read the label. So the next time you reach for that Oreo cookie, don't recoil; they've been vegan all along. Sheree's Hack: Visit PETA's website https://www.peta.org/ living/food/accidentally-vegan/ for more information. What's Vegan - What's Not Plant-Based Eating by Sheree Nicholson