Harriet Anne O'Neill Edmond

Harriet was born in Leith, near Edinburgh, Scotland on November 2nd, 1939 and spent her school years there. Helping others was second nature to her.

In 1957 she came to Canada with her parents John and Annie Edmond and her two brothers Jack and David. She first worked in a textile mill and in the hospital in Sherbrooke, Quebec and joined the Reserves. She then changed over to the regular Military Forces and served in various positions on several military bases in Canada, as well as in New York and with the Peacekeeping Forces in the Middle East. She received several awards for her service. Her medals are now on display in the Military Museum in Nanaimo. She was a proud veteran.

During her time in the Reserves and the Military Forces she was involved with Girl Guiding as a leader.

She left the Forces in 1989 and started a second career with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in London, UK. She became Guider in Charge, which means responsible, at the international training centre Our Cabaña in Cuernavaca, Mexico. She received there thousands of guides and leaders from all over the world and organised many international gatherings. She further served on several international Guiding committees and travelled to many countries in that capacity. She also had her own Guide group at the local orphanage in Cuernavaca.

She stayed in Mexico for about 30 years and was a valued member of the English community in Cuernavaca and an active member of the church choir. She loved music.

During her time in Mexico she kept in contact with her family in Canada and several of them visited her at the Cabana. In 2022 she came back to Canada and spent her last years quietly in a home in Nanaimo.

She will be fondly remembered for her sense of humor, her love of singing and her talent for helping whenever and whoever she could. Her family held a celebration of her life on July 18th, 2025.

For contact :

- Margaret Morrison, e-mail: [email protected]

Please direct donations in memory to:

- World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGS) - copy and paste link: https://www.wagggs.org/en/support-us/donate/ or search "WAGGS donate"

- Alzheimer's Society of Canada - copy and paste link: https://alzheimersocietyinmemoriam.crowdchange.ca/page/harrietedmond or search "Alzheimer's Society of Canada donate in memory"