People

refugee worker: Nancy Pocock

by Ann Farrell | Jul 27, 2000

Meet Nancy Pocock, peace activist, social justice advocate, writer and jewelry maker, and Pearson Peace Prize and Order of Canada recipient. Nancy’s personal brand of social activism meant opening her heart and her home in Canada to people from all over the world; all people seeking refuge from torture and death in their own countries. Her choices show us that nothing that happens is beyond us and teaches us to think globally, act locally! read more

performer: Marguerite Curtis

by Allison Brewer | Jun 28, 2000

It wasn’t unusual for Marguerite Curtis to feel just a little nervous before a performance. But it was more than a case of butterflies this time. Beads of sweat formed on her brow as she clutched her abdomen, lost for a moment in a spasm of pain. This was no small town crowd, and it was no ordinary concert hall. The gifted woman from Blackville, New Brunswick, was about to make her debut on the stage of Carnegie Hall, and she was in the midst of an attack of appendicitis. read more

soldier: Emma Edmonds

by Allison Brewer | Jun 28, 2000

Emma Edmonds was a woman from New Brunswick who spent part of her life as a man called Franklin Thompson. Growing up in the mid-19th century, the only way to be independent and escape oppression as women was to take on the trappings of the oppressor. read more

publicist: Pat Adams

by Jane George | Jun 7, 2000

Feminist, activist, writer, artist, actor and communications guru – Pat had countless talents and enthusiasms, but her greatest gift was her unwavering and empowering belief in those whose lives she touched. She was opinionated, obstinate, tenacious, stubborn, enthusiastic, opinionated, energetic, witty, creative, artistic, loving, opinionated, a flaming extrovert, fun, funny, energetic, energizing and, yes, opinionated.  read more

activist: Rosemary Brown

by Penney Kome | Jun 2, 2000

For Rosemary Brown, “being Black and female in a society which is both racist and sexist is to be in the unique position of having nowhere to go but up!” As the first woman to run for leadership of a national political party, and the first woman of colour elected to British Columbia’s legislature, she knew much about it. She also said, “Fighting for equality is like washing the dishes. You’ve got to keep on it every single day.” read more

Joy Kogawa

by DG Graham | May 16, 2000

She was interned herself. And Joy Kogawa’s natural dignity and literary power in telling the story of Japanese internment in Canada during the World War Two resulted in numerous awards. Her book, Obasan, alerted Canadians to a history of discrimination that most of us had never realized happened. It is her recollection of those years that forms the basis for her story. She has been active on behalf of Japanese Canadians for many years. read more

Muriel Duckworth, peace activist

May 10, 2000

When mainstream society still viewed women's roles as domestic and passive, Muriel Duckworth emerged from the margins as one of Canada’s most ardent female pacifists. Her story plays a huge part in the story of the rise of the female voice in Canadian politics in the last half of the 20th century. read more

sculptors: Loring and Wyle

by Elizabeth Dobson | May 4, 2000

As women, Frances Loring and Florence Wyle were radicals in society’s terms because they rejected the norms of getting married and having children. They lived together for 55 years and did not marry and did not have children. For them, work was their most important focus. They became artists and chose sculpture, a field that had been virtually closed to women until around mid-century. By making these choices for themselves, they set an example for other women. read more

Dr. Daurene E. Lewis

May 3, 2000

Daurene is a seventh generation descendant of Black Loyalists who settled in Annapolis Royal in 1783. In 1984, she was elected Mayor of Annapolis Royal, becoming the first black mayor in Nova Scotia, and the first black woman mayor in North America. In 1988, she entered provincial politics, and was the first black woman in Nova Scotia to run in a provincial election. read more

Chinese immigration to Canada: coming to Gum San

Feb 3, 2000

Racism against Chinese immigrants persisted in Canada well into the 1960s. Racism has been institutionalized in Canada’s immigration policies since the mid-1800s, and this has strongly affected the plight of Chinese women in Canada. Due to draconian laws in the 1920s and 1930s, wives were separated from their husbands for 25 years. read more