Electoral Firsts in Canada - Women

Women

Earliest elected women in Canada:

1. First woman in Canada elected at either the federal, provincial, or municipal level: Hannah Gale, Alderman in Calgary 1917.

First woman elected to a legislature in Canada: Louise McKinney, first woman elected anywhere in the British Empire, member 1917–1921 of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for the Non Partisan League, a left wing prohibition and social welfare party. (Roberta MacAdams, a member of the Canadian Army Medical Corps, was also elected in the 1917 Alberta general election, as a member at large in overseas voting by Albertans serving in the First World War. McKinney was the first woman declared elected because the overseas voting was completed after the in-province election.)

First woman candidates in a Federal Election Five women ran in the first federal election in which women were allowed to become candidates (1921)

• Harriet S. Dick - Winnipeg Centre, Independent ; 2,314 (4th Place, 4/5)
• Rose Mary Louise Henderson - St. Lawrence—St. George, Labour Party ; 510 (Last Place, 3/3)
• Elizabeth Bethune Kiely ; Toronto East, Liberal ; 52 votes (Last Place, 5/5)
• Agnes Macphail - Grey Southeast, Progressive Party ; 6,958 (1st ; 1/3)
• Harriet Dunlop Prenter - Toronto West, Labour Party ; 1,741 (Last Place, 3/3)

First women elected to the Canadian House of Commons

1. Agnes Macphail, Progressive, United Farmers of Ontario-Labour, Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) MP Grey South and Grey—Bruce, from 1921 to 1940 (She was also one of two women who were the first women as MPPs in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for the Ontario CCF (the forerunner to the New Democratic Party) for the riding of York East 1943–1945 and 1948–1951
2. Martha Black, Independent Conservative, MP Yukon, 1935–1940
3. Dorise Nielsen, Unity (Communist) and Labour Progressive (Communist) MP North Battleford, Sask. 1940–1945
4. Cora Taylor Casselman, teacher, Liberal MP, Edmonton East, 1941–1945
5. Gladys Strum, teacher, CCF MP Qu'Appelle (electoral district), Sask., 1945–1949

First female Prime Minister

• Kim Campbell, Progressive Conservative Prime Minister 1993

First women in Cabinet

• Provincial: Mary Ellen Smith, 1898, British Columbia
• Federal: Ellen Fairclough, 1957, Progressive Conservative

First female Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons: Jeanne Sauvé, 1980–1984

First female federal Justice Minister (Attorney General): Kim Campbell (Progressive Conservative)

First female Defence Minister: Kim Campbell, (Progressive Conservative)

First female Speaker of the House

• Nancy Hodges British Columbia Liberal, MLA 1941–1953, made speaker of BC legislature in Dec 1949.

First female senator: Cairine Wilson, 1930

First female Governor General of Canada: Jeanne Sauvé, (1984–1990)

First female Premiers

1. Rita Johnston, BC, 1991 (Social Credit)
2. Nellie Cournoyea, Northwest Territories, 1991–1995, (non-partisan consensus government)
3. Catherine Callbeck, PEI, 1993–1996, (first elected female Premier) (Liberal)
4. Pat Duncan, Yukon, 2000–2002, (Liberal)

First female MLAs elected in British Columbia: Mary Ellen Smith, Liberal MLA 1918–1928, elected to replace her late husband

First female MLA elected in Alberta: Louise McKinney, she was also the first woman elected anywhere in the British Empire, 1917–1921 Alberta Legislature for the Non Partisan League, a left-wing prohibition and social welfare party.

First female MLA elected in Saskatchewan: Sarah Ramsland, Saskatchewan Liberal - Pelly 1919 by-election - 1925. Replaced her husband Max who won the seat in 1917 general election after his death. Was re-elected in 1921 and defeated in 1925.

First female MLA elected in Manitoba: Edith McTavish Rogers, Manitoba Liberal MLA 1920–1932

First female MPPs elected in Ontario:

• Agnes Macphail and Rae Luckock, CCF (the forerunner to the New Democratic Party MPPs for York East 1943–1945, 1948–1951 and for Bracondale 1943–1945 respectively

First female MNA elected in Quebec: Marie-Claire Kirkland, elected in 1961. Also first woman appointed a cabinet minister in Quebec, the first woman appointed acting premier, and the first woman judge to serve in the Quebec Provincial Court.

First female MLA elected in New Brunswick: Brenda Robertson, New Brunswick Progressive Conservative MLA, 1967–1984

First female candidate in P.E.I.: Hilda Ramsay, P.E.I. CCF candidate in 1951

First female MLA elected in P.E.I.: Jean Canfield, PEI Liberal MLA 1970–1979

First female MHA elected in Newfoundland & Labrador (Pre-Confederation): Helena Squires, MHA 1930–1932

First female MLA elected in Nova Scotia: Gladys Porter, Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative MLA 1960–1967

First female MLA elected in Yukon: G. Jean Gordon, Non-Affiliated, MLA 1967–1970

First female MLA elected in Northwest Territories Lena Pedersen (Pederson) in 1970 to 1975

First female MLA elected in Nunavut: Manitok Thompson, Independent, 1999–2003

First female elected in a Nova Scotia municipal election: Mary Teresa Sullivan, Halifax City Council, 1936+

First female elected in an Ontario municipal election: Constance Hamilton, Toronto City Council, 1920–21

First female mayor: Barbara Hanley, Webbwood, Ontario (1936–1944)

First female mayor of a city: Charlotte Whitton, Ottawa (1951–1956, 1960–1964)

Female presidents of major political parties

1. Agnes Macphail - Founding President of the Ontario CCF 1932–34
2. Gladys Strum - President of Saskatchewan CCF 1944-195?