Veronica Foster

The woman behind “Ronnie the Bren Gun Girl”

During the Second World War, Veronica “Ronnie” Foster was one of the countless women who entered the paid workforce to fill labour shortages across Canada. She worked at the John Inglis Company in Toronto, assembling Bren light machine guns used by Canadian and British soldiers.

In 1941, the National Film Board of Canada – the official photographer for the government – began searching for a Canadian woman to feature in recruitment posters, to encourage more women to enter the workforce. They selected the then 19-year-old Foster, who became Ronnie the Bren Gun Girl.

As Ronnie the Bren Gun Girl, Foster was photographed dancing, playing baseball, and wearing luxurious clothing. In her most famous photograph, Foster is shown wearing a head scarf and smoking a cigarette while posing with a machine gun. The goal was to show young, unmarried women that the female factory worker could still be glamourous and feminine.

In fact, she was actually the inspiration for her famous fictional American counterpart Rosie the Riveter.

In May 2020, Canada Post released a stamp featuring Foster to mark the 75th anniversary of V-E Day (Victory in Europe).

More information:

• The Canadian Encyclopedia: Veronica Foster