Through the Years - With Sandy Macdonald

Sandy Macdonald. Source: Sandy Macdonald

Background:
1950 - Hon. BA in Home Economics  -  University of Toronto

May - Sept 1950 - Relief Dietitian at Toronto East General and Orthopaedic Hospital

Sept - July 1951- Commercial Dietetic Internship at T. Eaton Co.

July 1951 - Jan. 1955 - Homemaker; sons born 1951 and 1953. When younger son was 13 months, husband had to retire permanently due to progress of his M.S. ​

Jan 1955 - Sept 1958 - Dietitian at Toronto East General and Orthopaedic Hospital

Sept 1958 - May 1959 - Ontario College of Education, Hon. Specialist,Type A Home Economics 

Sept 1959 - June 1974 - Department Head Family Studies, Scarborough Board of Ed. 

Sept 1974 - June 1988 - Coordinator of Family Studies, Scarborough Board of Ed.

June 1988 - present- Retired

2016-  Changed surname back to Macdonald (like my kids/grandkids/great grandkids)


Roles with OHEA:
1987 - 1989   - On Executive. Conducted a membership drive which more than tripled membership from 427 in 1987/1988 to over 1400 in 1989/1990 in preparation for Registration.
Membership cost $25. 

1989-90 - President during the year when OHEA: 
-Shepherded the Ontario Home Economics Act 1989 (after eight years of work by the Professional Development Committee), through all the required procedures at Queens Park:
​
-Introduction by MPP Ms. Hart on July 20  (First Reading)

• Standing Committee Approval on Oct.25,
• Second and Third readings in the Legislature on Nov. 9, to 
• Royal Assent was granted on Nov.15, 1989.
• asked every OHEA member to meet with their MPP to enlist their support for the bill.
• spent $17,000 for lawyers fees, MPP kits etc. related to the bill and more than $6,000 to set up an office with telephone for the association.
• developed and mailed 300 press release packages to announce Registration.
• sent notices to all universities/colleges in Canada with Home Economics programs, including notices for them to print in their newsletters.
• produced our first Policies and Procedures Manual
• appointed a Registrar
• set up a Discipline Committee of  3 Board Members and the Past President.
• set up a Membership Review Committee; welcomed 35 new members
• provided 119 sample letters for members who requested them, explaining Registration to employers or clients; sent personalized letters to employers or clients on behalf of 157 other members 
• developed, printed, personalized  and mailed Certificates to 1200 OHEA members, each hand-signed, as well as custom designed certificate holders to 230 members.
• produced Highlights of Ontario Home Economics Associations for the 50th celebration of  Canadian Home Economics Association.
• encouraged members to belong to all local and national Home Economics associations in Canada and the International Federation of Home Economics, internationally. 
• determined what courses would be deemed satisfactory to constitute the philosophy and practice requirement for Registration (to be offered in  London and Toronto and by correspondence from Ryerson).
• It was truly a busy, productive year!!

Why I joined OHEA:
To help achieve Registration.


Over the years:
Sadly the Home Economics profession has had many ups and downs.

• CHEA no longer exists 
• a good step in education in Ontario was changing the name and focus of Home Economics programs in elementary and secondary schools to Family Studies in the late 1950’s. 
• elementary/secondary enrolment in Family Studies has decreased since the Harris government was elected in the 1990’s.
• however, the Province still lists a large number of options that can be offered in Grades 9-12 Family Studies.

What would I change?:
If starting University now, I might have enrolled in Architecture or Medicine.


An Original Recipe:
Carol Ferguson of Canadian Living Magazine  asked me to develop a set of seafood recipes for their Fall 1985 Food Magazine. Here is one of the recipes.

Sadly, Carol Ferguson passed away a few months ago.