Honoured by Norman McLeod.
Ruby McLeod was born in Jamaica and trained as a nurse in Scotland prior to moving to North Bay where she nursed many years in paediatrics in St. Joseph’s Hospital
She is well known for her nursing activities and also for being an exceptional gardener. For many years in the North Bay Horticulture Society, she was responsible for civic beautification. This involved organizing,, planning and planting many flower beds around the City.
When Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip visited North Bay and were scheduled to have lunch at the university, Ruby was asked to plant and care for the flower beds so they would be at their best.
Other flower beds were at the Waterfront, City Hall, and other locations around the City. At one time, wild flowers were planted beside the highway at the request of the highway department. One other notable bed on a sloping area at the Waterfront was in the design of a CanadianFlag.
After marrying Norman McLeod, they together purchased and developed a three- quarter acre property on Kadi Court, which is much in demand for garden tours and for wedding pictures. It was a scrub property, cleaned up and a new house built on it. Three hundred and fifty trees have been planted, along with 7,000 daffodil bulbs and 1,500 lily bulbs with masses of other flowers including wildflowers and water plants. More than 100 feet of a clear flowing stream flows through the property.
In addition to her gardening activities, Ruby, after retirement, enrolled in the Canadore chef program and after three years graduated as a chef but did not actively pursue it as a career.
Her talents have been a great benefit to North Bay and people from across Canada have seen and know of her gardens. They have been published in a text book of unique private gardens, featured in an Ontario gardening magazine, in the North Bay Nugget and in a Montreal newspaper.