Kit Coleman (1864 – 1915)

Kathleen Blake “Kit” Coleman was a groundbreaking journalist and advocate for women's economic equality. Born in Ireland, she came to Canada as a young widow in 1884 and immediately put her education and talent to use writing articles for local magazines. When she became a columnist for the Toronto Daily Mail in 1889, she distinguished herself as the first woman to head a section of a Canadian newspaper. Her "Woman's Kingdom" column quickly became a sensation for tackling serious issues for women, but it came under fire in 1895 when the paper merged with the more conservative Empire. During the Spanish-American War of 1898, the Toronto Mail sent Kit to Cuba, making her the first accredited woman war correspondent in the world. In 1904, she helped establish the Canadian Women's Press Club.

“They tell you that to be a journalist you must never let your heart run away with you. What a foolish saying! You must bury yourself and your troubles and joys and pipe up to amuse the people! Nonsense.”