Calgary sister marks 75th anniversary

Sr. Toucanne served in Alta., Sask., Africa

Sister Yvonne Toucanne

Special to the WCR
Calgary

Sister Yvonne Toucanne recently celebrated her 75th anniversary as a Sister of Charity of St. Louis.

Toucanne, 96, has served as a teacher in Alberta and Saskatchewan, and then in Africa. For the past four years, she has lived at St. John's Senior Care Home in Calgary.

Born in Paris, France, she moved as a young child to California before coming to Medicine Hat at age 14 and attending her future order's St. Theresa Academy.

As a teacher, she worked in Medicine Hat and the Saskatchewan centres of Moose Jaw, Melville and Marquis for 21 years. In 1967, she went to Tanzania for four years as a teacher with CIDA. Later, she served four more years as a teacher and librarian with CUSO in Botswana.

Her last major undertaking was in 1988 when she founded Sofia House, a home for battered women and children in Regina.

Sr. Eily McAllister

Also celebrating a major anniversary was Sister Eily McAllister who marked 25 years as a sister.

Born and raised in Kilrea, Northern Ireland, she came to Canada to serve out her passion for social justice as a frontier apostle in the Prince George, B.C., Diocese.

As a sister, McAllister has taught in Regina and Lethbridge. She currently serves as provincial treasurer for the Sisters of Charity of St. Louis.

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