'Sherlock Holmes of Saskatchewan': Ottawa honours Dr. Frances McGill for work in forensics

Dr. Frances McGill graduated at the top of her class with a degree in medicine in 1915. (Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan)

Ottawa is recognizing Canada’s first female forensic pathologist as a person of national historic significance.

Dr. Frances McGill, known for helping the RCMP solve mysterious deaths, earned the distinction earlier this month, 65 years after she passed away.

“The sudden deaths are what she could actually relate to because she was one who had seen that happen with her family,” said writer Myrna Petersen.

McGill was born and raised in Manitoba. In 1900, both her parents died suddenly after drinking contaminated water at a county fair.

McGill graduated at the top of her class with a degree in medicine in 1915. A few years later, she moved to Saskatchewan where she worked as the provincial bacteriologist. Eventually, she worked her way up to director of the provincial laboratory.

“She was way ahead of her time as far as what women were able to do,” Petersen said.

“Within three or four years, she actually got promoted to be the head of the province. And, from there just grew in her reputation and in her knowledge of crimes.”

Petersen wrote the book on her — The Pathological Casebook of Dr. Frances McGill — which was first published for Saskatchewan’s centennial in 2005.

Petersen didn’t know McGill. She stumbled across her story by happenstance, but was instantly intrigued, she said.

“I can find articles where she's called the Sherlock Holmes of Saskatchewan,” she said.

The RCMP didn’t have its own forensics lab until 1937. Up until then, Mounties would regularly consult McGill in cases of sudden, unnatural or suspicious deaths.

In many cases, her findings contradicted the RCMP’s initial thoughts, and she would prove herself right.

“There was a case where she decided that somebody had died because of carbon monoxide poisoning and the Mountie that came after testified he'd never heard of carbon monoxide poisoning,” Petersen said.

McGill solved hundreds of cases, according to Petersen. If a case was intriguing enough, McGill gave it a name. There were the Deserted Shack Murder, the South Poplar Case and the Straw Stack Murders — a case McGill cracked by measuring the size of bones found in a burnt pile of straw.

In the 1936 Bran Muffin Case, McGill discovered a woman murdered her grandparents while trying to poison her father.

“I think that was just her way. She loved murder mysteries. So, if she wasn’t involved, she'd be reading books on the murder mysteries,” Petersen said.

In 1946, McGill was named honourary surgeon to the RCMP, the only woman to hold that title other than Queen Elizabeth II.

McGill’s most recent recognition, a person of national historic significance, was made under Parks Canada's National Program of Historical Commemoration.

“Her achievements and legacy exemplify the many professional contributions made by women in the fields of forensic pathology and public health,” said Steven Guilbeault, the minister responsible for Parks Canada.

“By commemorating the national historic significance of individuals like Dr. McGill, we illustrate the defining moments in the story of Canada and hope to foster a better understanding of the various lived experiences of people in Canada throughout time."

McGill helped establish the RCMP’s first forensic lab and is often referred to as the first woman Mountie.

“She paved the way for women to come into the RCMP to be accepted as troops,” Petersen said.

In honour of McGill’s national recognition, Petersen has plans to publish a new edition of her book this fall that will include more of the doctor’s cases.