Tribute to the Canadian Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote

The Government of Canada supports a project marking the 100^th anniversary of women’s first right to vote in Canada

November 7, 2016 – Lindsay, Ontario – Department of Canadian Heritage

The Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister of Democratic Institutions, today announced $250,000 in funding for the Victoria County Historical Society (VCHS) for its project marking the 100^th anniversary of the first women’s suffrage in Canada. Minister Monsef made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage.

This support will help the VCHS present the interactive exhibition Their Votes Counted, a tribute to the women who contributed to this historic victory. The project will also allow Canadians to learn the story of the women who participated, directly or indirectly, in the women’s suffrage movement in Canada.

Quick Facts

• The year 2016 marks the 100^th anniversary of women’s first right to vote in Canada.
• Several organizations, including the VCHS, have received funding from the Government of Canada for projects marking this historic anniversary (see Backgrounder).
• The VCHS exhibition Their Votes Counted chronicles the history of women’s suffrage in Canada, from its beginnings to the landmark events of 1916 to 1919.
• The exhibition will be presented at several locations in Canada, including Lindsay, Ottawa and Toronto.
• In 1918, federal legislation was passed granting all women 21 years of age and over the right to vote. The first federal election in which women voted under the universal franchise was in 1921.
• For more information about women’s suffrage in Canada, visit the website for the 100th Anniversary of Women’s First Right to Vote in Canada.

Quotes

“Women’s right to vote in Canada is the result of the determined struggle of true pioneers driven by the desire to create a more egalitarian society. As we approach the 150^th anniversary of Confederation in 2017, the Government of Canada is pleased to support the Victoria County Historical Society, which helps Canadians better appreciate the important contribution of these women to the democratic life of our country.”

—The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage

“This year marks the 100^th anniversary of women’s right to vote in Canada. This historic victory played an important part in shaping the Canada we know and love today. Let us take time to pay tribute to the women who fought for the right to vote, and thereby helped create a more inclusive society in which all Canadians can thrive.”

—The Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister of Democratic Institutions

“The momentous story of Canadian women gaining the right to vote often appears as a small footnote in the lives of regular women, and that is how the Victoria County Historical Society happened upon the inspiration for this exhibition project. Amidst the backdrop of the First World War, the first women to cast a ballot in a federal election were the Canadian Nursing Sisters serving overseas who were extended this right as a wartime measure in 1917. We are thrilled to be given this opportunity to share the stories of two groups of women in Canadian history: those who actively fought for the right to vote and those who were first to receive it.”

—Lyndsey Friesen and Ashley Creed, Exhibition Project Managers

Associated Links

Status of Women – Women’s First Right to Vote

Prime Minister of Canada – Statement

Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba – News release

Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan – Statement

Lieutenant Governor of Alberta – Special initiative

Women’s History Month

Backgrounder

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For more information (media only), please contact:

Pierre-Olivier Herbert
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage
819-997-7788

Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
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