The wonder of Radium, a glowing treasure discovered by Marie Curie, blinded the world to its perils... and it quickly became a status symbol ...

Mixed with the right kind of paint, radium would luminesce after exposure to light, so that a watch face painted with the stuff could soak up energy during the day and stay visible all night long.

The Ottawa Historical and Scouting Heritage Museum has a permanent exhibit dedicated to the young women who used radium paint ...