Year of the Midwife: Honourary Members

2020 has been designated as the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife by the World Health Assembly. Along with the World Health Organization, the International Confederation of Midwives and other partners, the AAM is celebrating the work of Alberta midwives. As part of this special year, members are being asked to approve honourary membership for the following forerunners.

Arlette Allyjan

Arlette Allyjan’s midwifery journey began when she attended a birth as a student nurse. Her passion was ignited and she pursued it. She studied midwifery in Nottingham, England and practiced for a few years before immigrating to Canada. She was an obstetrical nurse until becoming part of the Foothills Hospital Nurse Midwifery Program in 1991. Arlette was one of the first Alberta midwives to be registered and, with other midwives, founded Birth Partnership. She gained a wealth of knowledge through the years and served as a preceptor for many. After 30 years of practicing, Arlette retired and continues to use her skills as a compassionate caregiver with her family and in her community.

Sandra Botting

Sandra Botting was a forerunner in the establishment and growth of midwifery in Alberta and beyond. In 1975, she founded the Alternative Birthing Group (now Birth Unlimited) and started attending home births with a local doctor. As one of the incorporators of the AAM, she took on many leadership roles. Sandra dedicated 25 years to advancing the status of midwifery and worked tirelessly with the Alberta Midwifery Task Force and the Midwifery Regulation Advisory Committee to promote the legalization of midwifery and establishment of education and practice standards. Sadly, Sandra passed away in 1999.

Bobbie Fraser

Bobbie Fraser retired after dedicating herself to midwifery for over 30 years. She was a British trained midwife who, after immigrating to Canada, worked as an obstetrical nurse on labour and delivery units. In 1991, Bobbie was part of the Foothills Hospital Nurse Midwifery Program that provided care to over 800 families. As one of the founders of Birth Partnership, she was also part of the first group of midwives to be registered in the province of Alberta.

Meryl Moulton

Meryl Moulton practiced for many years as a labour and delivery nurse and was part of the Foothills Hospital Nurse-Midwifery Program. She served as a member of the Midwifery Health Disciplines Committee from 1988 to 2004. She was one of the first registered midwives in Alberta and practiced with Briar Hills Midwives before retiring in 2006. She then worked with Cochrane’s Community Midwives until finally retiring in 2011. She held leadership roles to support the establishment of midwifery including serving as the President of the AAM during the critical period when funding of midwifery services was first negotiated.

Dr. Beverley O’Brien

Dr. Beverley O’Brien is a registered midwife and Professor Emeritus at the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Nursing. She conducted considerable research to support and strengthen birthing people who are experiencing challenges to their comfort, safety and well-being throughout the perinatal period. She developed an Inuit midwifery education program in Nunavut that included preserving local practices and traditions. She is currently contracted by the Canadian Association of Midwives to facilitate association strengthening and research development in South Sudan.

Barbara Scriver

Barbara Scriver began her career in midwifery in 1980 in Saskatchewan where she helped form the Saskatchewan Association of Midwives. She moved to Edmonton in 1990 and joined the Alberta Association of Midwives serving as Secretary and Treasurer. She partnered with the late Noreen Walker in Passages Midwifery and was in the first cohort of Registered Midwives in 1998. She established Midwifery Care Partners in 2001 and practiced there until retiring in 2019. Her strongest belief was that a woman should feel empowered by her birth experience.

Noreen Walker

As a forerunner in Alberta’s midwifery community, Noreen Walker was one of the incorporators of the AAM in 1986. She served in leadership roles including President. She prevailed when an unjust legal charge against her for practicing medicine without a license was dismissed in 1991. Noreen practiced for over 40 years and welcomed thousands of babies into this world. She believed strongly in empowering families to design their own birth experiences regardless of culture, sexual orientation, weight or previous birth history. Noreen passed away in 2017 and is deeply missed.

We thank and honour each of these individuals for their exceptional contributions to Alberta midwifery.

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