Born in Chatham, Ontario, Grace Denison is considered Canada’s first female travel writer. She worked as a journalist and society editor for Saturday Night magazine for 23 years using the pen name Lady Gay. In 1890 she published A HappyHoliday picture book for children. She also published The Canadian Family Cook Book, a volume of tried tested and proven recipes which ran in several editions from 1912 through the 1939s. In 1904 she was the oldest member of a group of 16 female journalist who travelled to the St. Louis World Fair via a Canadian Pacific Railway train. On that the rain trip the women formed the Canadian Women’s Press Club. However Grace Denison did not become a member of the club.
