THE STORY BEHIND OUR HISTORY100TH ANNIVERSARY
OF WOMEN'S RIGHT TO VOTE
A century ago, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta granted
most women the right to vote in provincial elections, beginning the journey
that would one day lead to securing voting rights for women across Canada. This
hard-won victory in the Prairie Provinces was the result of years of
campaigning by women's groups, beginning as early as 1890. As a result, women
in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta could not only vote, but also run for and
hold political office—granting them a far greater ability to drive social and
political change. This breakthrough was a critical turning point in the
evolution of women's rights and equality in Canada.
A Complicated Journey
Despite this victory in the Prairies in 1916, the path to
universal suffrage in Canada was full of twists and turns. Women's experiences
varied widely depending on where they lived, as well as their cultural, social,
and economic status. While Ontario and British Columbia granted women the right
to vote provincially in 1917, women in Quebec didn't enjoy the same rights
until 1940. Some ethnic minorities were still excluded, and First Nations men
and women weren't able to vote federally until 1960.
The Famous Five
Another important step in the evolution of women's political
rights in Canada is the "Persons Case," brought forward by the Famous
Five: Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Emily Murphy,
and Irene Parlby in 1927. The Famous Five collectively requested that the
Supreme Court clarify whether or not the word "persons" in the
British North America Act included women, and by extension, if women could
serve in an appointed office. Dissatisfied with the Supreme Court's ruling which
declared women nonpersons, the Famous Five took their case to the Judicial
Committee of the Privy Council in Britain, Canada's highest court of appeal at
the time. On October 18, 1929, Lord Sankey, Lord Chancellor of the Privy
Council, ruled in their favour, paving the way for the first female Senator in Canada
in 1930, Cairine Wilson.
100th Anniversary of
Women's Right to Vote $1 Coin
The Royal Canadian Mint is proud to commemorate this
defining historical moment with the 100th Anniversary of Women's Right to Vote
$1 coin. Designed by Canadian artist Laurie McGaw, this circulation coin
depicts a woman proudly casting a ballot while her young daughter looks on—an
important feature according to the coin's designer. "As I researched this
topic, I thought of my Manitoba-born grandmother. Married in 1916, she passed
on to her four children, including my mother, a strong sense of fairness,
responsibility, and curiosity about the world. Politics, I remember, was a
favourite topic of conversation around the kitchen table. Community involvement
was important. For her to vote for the first time must have been a powerful
experience! And now my daughter is a strong, accomplished woman who values the
efforts—as I do—of those who fought so hard to secure the vote for women and their
place in society."