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  • People

  • first woman MP in 1921: Agnes Macphail

    by Pat Staton | Oct 9, 1997

    Agnes Macphail was the first woman in Canada elected as a Member of Parliament – less than two years after many women were granted the right to vote and hold office federally. For 15 of the 19 years that Agnes Macphail served in Parliament, she was the only woman out of 244 members! read more

  • writer: K. Linda Kivi

    by K. Linda Kivi | Aug 27, 1997

    The spark that lit West Kootenay, British Columbia, author K. Linda Kivi’s fires of curiosity was the first Canadian Music and Cultural Festival in Winnipeg, 1984, where, like many other festival goers, she went knowing little about women musicians in Canada. Sure there were big names like Anne Murray, Joni Mitchell and Carole Pope, but after that? read more

  • entrepreneur: Kim Viney

    by Martha Russell | Jul 30, 1997

    Kim Viney has been an entrepreneur since 1977. While working as a graphic designer over this period, she also managed to develop Hardwood Hills, an Olympic-caliber mountain bike and cross-country ski facility, and Kim Viney Art Studio. She also sits on committees, was the first woman Chair of a World Cup organizing committee, and has opened a bed-and-breakfast. read more

  • filmmaker: Renae Morriseau

    Jul 11, 1997

    Of the Saulteaux/Cree, Peguis First Nations, Manitoba, Renae Morriseau is as familiar as the character Ellen in the TV series, North of 60, but Renae's career over the last dozen years has spanned acting, filmmaking, writing and producing. In her determination to ensure that First Nations voices are heard and stories told, Renae created the Coyote Collective, a group of First Nations producers, directors, technicians and writers from across Canada . read more

  • photographer: Sandra Russell

    by Martha Russell | Jun 27, 1997

    Being the Ontario government’s photographer for Royal visits to Canada for the past 11 years, Sandra Russell has met and photographed everyone from Queen Elizabeth II to Prince Philip, the Duke and duchess of York, the King of Norway, the King and Queen of Sweden and the Prince and former Princess of Wales (Charles and Diana to us). When not snapping shots, Sandra’s off-camera achievements are astounding. Who says women don’t do it all! read more

  • storyteller: Alma Greene

    by Alma Greene | Jun 20, 1997

    Descended from a long line of chieftains, affectionately called, “Gah-wonh-nos-doh” (Forbidden Voice) by her people, the Mohawks of the Grand River Lands, Ontario, Alma Greene – medicine woman, community activist, storyteller and author – devoted her life to achieving justice for Native people, and making connections with non-natives. read more

  • peace activist: Kay Macpherson

    by Pam Harris | May 9, 1997

    The visit of the Dalai Lama to Canada in April 2004 is a major event. Thousands are seeking the opportunity to meet him, hear him. We honour those who take a public stand for peace, a movement in which women have been leaders over the decades. Kay Macpherson was nothing, if not a peace activist. She believed that women had to play a vital role in the construction of cooperative, non-violent and equal rights-based societies and devoted herself to spreading this gospel. read more

  • settler: Sylvia Stark

    Mar 4, 1997

    Sylvia Stark’s journey to freedom took her from slavery in Missouri, to marriage and forced displacement from California, to a life on Vancouver Islands. Though her husband may have been murdered at the hands of the white man, Sylvia was able to raise a family of four children, even though the family was uprooted regularly. Her family was one of the first wave of immigrants that has shaped Canada so strongly. read more

  • poet: Maxine Tynes

    by Pam Harris | Feb 24, 1997

    Maxine Tynes has lived her life in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, where her heritage stretches back to the time of the Black Loyalists. She draws heavily on this in her poetry. This excerpt is from a book collection published through Second Story Press called, “Faces of Feminism.” read more

  • Eunadie Johnson

    by Eunadie Johnson | Feb 17, 1997

    Barriers still exist for Black people in Canada, especially for a woman like Eunadie Johnson, who chooses to live in northern Manitoba as a Black woman and a feminist. read more

features

  • Seasonal Feature

  • February 2: Imbolc – Groundhog Day

    by Pat Hacker

    Groundhog Day, is the modern version of St. Brigid’s Day and Imbolc (or Candlemas). A time of intuition and looking forward, it is held that the groundhog comes out of her hole and looks for her shadow. If she sees it, she knows there will be six weeks more of winter. The spirit of life is born at the winter solstice when the sun begins its gradual return. In February, at Imbolc, the earth, the physical, has its first experience of life stirring deep within, waiting to appear in the spring. read more