Kate Rice (1882 – 1963)

Kate Rice was Canada's first female prospector, a courageous advocate who broke down stereotypes and forged a path for other women explorers to follow. A teacher by trade, Rice's thirst for adventure led her to abandon the comforts – and structures – of her southern Ontario home. She headed for the wilderness of Northern Manitoba where she staked claims and discovered mining sites that continued to turn profits for their 21st century owners. Rice's many copper and nickel discoveries ultimately led to the development of large mining operations and the creation of the mining hub of Thompson, Manitoba. Throughout her later years, Rice continued writing, fishing, trapping, and prospecting, earning her the epitaph "Extraordinary Woman of the Wilds."

“No woman need hesitate about entering the mining field because she is a woman, it isn’t courage that is needed, so much as perseverance.”