Christina Marie MacDougall

3 June 1981 – 17 March 2025

Christina Marie MacDougall, (Christy to her family, “Miss Christina” to her school kids and “Chris” to her Girl Guides community) passed away in Halifax at the Victoria General Hospital Palliative Care unit on Monday, March 17, 2025 after an eight month battle with cancer

.   Born in Hamilton, Ontario she was the daughter of Richard (Dick) MacDougall and Marion Cole.

The family moved to Ottawa when she was 3 and she spent her childhood there, discovering she loved Girl Guides and camping, curling, church and school choir, playing clarinet in the school and youth band and formed lifelong friendships with classmates.   She loved to read, especially Sci-Fi and Fantasy and her choice of music was eclectic ranging from Stompin Tom to great Big Sea to the music scores from Broadway Musicals.  After graduating from Lester B Pearson Catholic High School in 2000, her enrolling at Acadia University coincided with the family moving to Halifax.   

Christina’s working life was in Nova Scotia . She tried her hand at various things before going back to college and becoming an Early Childhood Educator (ECE). She spent the last 11 years at Play-Learn-Grow Day Care where she ran the school age program. She continuously worked at improving her understanding of behaviours, how to best communicate with children and their parents (including learning American Sign Language), how to be inclusive and aware of cultural differences and traditions and was rewarded by seeing those efforts making a difference.

Christina has been involved in the Girl Guides from the time she started as a Brownie at age 7, as a troop leader and finally as a District Commissioner.  She loved taking the girls camping, and despite knowing the weatherman, often camps were in challenging weather conditions. Her girls continued to meet via ZOOM during covid, including virtual sleep overs where each girl camped in their own room and communicated with the other “camper” via ZOOM.

Christina was to the Miramichi for vacation at least once every year. She treasured her time with Grammy at the cottage before there was a TV or the internet and cottage time to her was chilling, walking on the sand bars, doing a jigsaw puzzle, seeing who was crowned the rummy or cribbage queen and going to the Bay du Vin Survival Days Bingo and car rally.

Her maternal grandparents retiring to the west coast added Vancouver to her vacation plans and a scheduling challenge to be “fair” to all at Christmas time. Because of her dad’s work, Christina had opportunities to travel as a child – to climb up on the rock with the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, visit the Vassa Museum in Stockholm, see the sights of London, take a road trip across Europe from England to Denmark, and a road trip to New Orleans where she planned the route and what attractions to visit along the route.  School trips got her to France and to Florida for a Shuttle launch. She managed to visit all 10 provinces and most of the eastern seaboard of the USA by car. Washington, DC was a favourite destination.

 She impacted the lives of hundreds of children. She was indeed one in a million.

She is survived by her parents, Dick and Marion (Cole) MacDougall, many cousins and friends, and special friends Holly Leavitt, Merrigan Shields Roy, Kyla “Buffy” Groulx and Mitchell Grant and her cat, “Zoe”.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held for Christina at St Michael’s by the Sea Catholic church in Miramichi Bay on Friday April 11 with Father Antonio Reyes and Father Dan Bastarache as co-celebrants.  The music was thoughtfully chosen and beautifully delivered by Paula Foley. The Eulogy was given by Christina’s aunt, Barbara Cole with additions by her mother, Marion.  Readers were Kyla Groulx, Mitchell Grant and her cousin, Shauna Stalker.  Father Dan Bastarache delivered the Homily.   The funeral was live streamed and can be viewed at :

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The Girl Guides are dedicating a camping area and firepit in Christina’s memory.  Donations in Christina’s memory can be made to the Girl Guides of Canada, NS Council, with the message   "donation in the name of Christina MacDougall to HRCMC of the NS Council" or to a charity of your choice.