Government of Canada Recognizes National Historic Significance of Geologist Alice Evelyn Wilson

Wilson became one of Canada’s most respected geologists, paving the way for women in her field

October 18, 2018                                  Ottawa, Ontario                                     Parks Canada Agency

Alice Evelyn Wilson was a woman of many firsts: the first female geologist hired by the Geological Survey of Canada, the first Canadian woman to be admitted to the Geological Society of America, and the first female Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Today, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Catherine McKenna, paid tribute to this trailblazing scientist during a special ceremony to unveil a plaque commemorating Alice Evelyn Wilson as a person of national historic significance at the Canadian Museum of Nature.

In 1909, Wilson started work at the Geological Survey of Canada in Ottawa as a museum assistant. Working in what was then a male-dominated field, Wilson struggled to have her professional aspirations taken seriously. When colleagues raised objections to a woman doing remote fieldwork, she pursued her passion for fossils and started research in the Ottawa-St. Lawrence Lowlands, an area easily accessible from her home. On foot, by bicycle, and, later, by car, she explored this area for the next 50 years.

Wilson also overcame sexist barriers to pursue doctoral studies in geology. She won a private scholarship from the Canadian Federation of University Women, an organization whose advocacy proved instrumental in her becoming a recognized authority in her field. She received her PhD in 1929 at the age of forty-nine and was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1935.

Despite the challenges she faced Alice Wilson became one of Canada's most respected geologists, a paleontologist of worldwide reputation, and an inspiring teacher.

The Government of Canada is committed to connecting Canadians to the significant people, places and events that contributed to our country’s diverse heritage. The commemoration process is largely driven by public nominations. To date, more than 2,000 designations have been made.

The Government of Canada is celebrating families with free admission to Parks Canada places for youth 17 and under, and free admission for one year for new Canadian citizens, starting in 2018 and beyond. We invite Canadians to learn more about our history — from lighthouses to battlefields, historic neighbourhoods to Indigenous contributions to Canada, there is an amazing array of places and stories to discover.