Blacklisted: Remembering a Prince George icon

The daughter of iconic Prince George activist Bridget Moran says a new film about her mother's work can inspire today's generation of activists.

"I think it's important for people today to see what kind of fight you can put up and what kind of voice you can have when you care about the issues," Roseanne Moran told Caroline de Ryk, host of CBC's Daybreak North.

There is a statue of Bridget Moran on the corner of Third Avenue and Quebec Street in Prince George, a testament to the impact her work had on the city.

Moran worked as the supervisor of the Prince George social welfare office in the 1960s and uncovered holes in the provincial welfare system which she felt were putting children and the poor at risk.

Penned letter

Moran continuously advocated for low-income families and their right to affordable housing.

Moran believed B.C.'s premier at the time, W.A.C. Bennett, was prioritizing economic development over social development and made her feelings known.

In 1964, Moran wrote an open letter to the provincial government detailing her concerns. In her four-page letter, Moran condemned the government for a shortage of social welfare workers and the impact it was having on 'adults and children who desperately need care'. As a result, she lost her job.

Watch the documentary online:

Director Gillian McKercher says while making the film she was struck by how many of Moran's causes are still relevant 20 years after her death.

"It's a reminder that change is incremental and it's important to be educated ... so we can see that what we are going through right now, it's not the first time."

Activist and author

Moran went on to pen several books including Stoney Creek Woman, a biography of Stoney Creek elder Mary John. Her books shed light on social and economic issues facing northern and First Nations' communities.

Roseanne Moran said her mother's writings, now archived by the University of Northern British Columbia, provide insight into her pragmatic approach to issues of social justice.

She said she sees her mother's legacy reflected in the work of contemporary social and political activists in the North.

"It's a wonderful feeling for me to know that she is part of a long, long legacy of activism."

Click below to hear the full interview with Roseanne Moran and Gillian McKercher:

With files from Daybreak North