“Someone mentioned that they were looking for policewomen and they dared her to put in her application,” recalled her younger sister, Fran Angel. “Forty-one years later, she retired.”
Dumais, who died last Sept. 25 at age 78, was among the first women to wear the Ottawa police uniform, scooting around on mopeds, writing parking tickets and directing traffic. They were known officially as “policewomen” but the media quickly dubbed them “meter maids.”
“It was a man world and women weren’t greatly appreciated,” said Jackie Hudon, who joined the force at the same time and remained a lifelong friend. “It was pretty rough going for a time.” – READ MORE
