UBC joins midwives in British Columbia mourning the loss of Carol Hird, RM, and we celebrate her indefatigable work to establish legal midwifery in Canada. Carol completed courses of study in midwifery and nursing in England and worked as a midwife before emigrating to Canada in 1972. Carol worked in Fort Churchill before moving to Edmonton and eventually to Vancouver. She was a champion and leader of the Midwives Association of BC for many years and served on the executive of the International Confederation of Midwives for nine years. In 1993, during the ICM Triennial Congress in Vancouver, Carol was President of the ICM and Vice President of the MABC. She and thousands of delegates were moved by the announcement from the then-Minister of Health that steps would be taken to establish professional midwifery in British Columbia. Carol was a true leader and deeply involved with many others who lobbied successfully for the recognition of professional midwifery and its establishment in Canada.
She received her MA in Midwifery Practice from Thames Valley University, London in 1996. In 2005, she was honoured by the MABC with a certificate of honourary membership “for her outstanding contribution to the advancement of midwifery in BC especially for achievements with the Int’l symposium in 1993.” Carol received the 2009 North Shore Health Care Award for outstanding achievement in leadership. Carol’s contributions as a clinician, teacher, administrator, nurse, advocate and leader in the midwifery movement resulted in the growth of midwifery worldwide.