CELEBRATING GREAT WOMEN

History texts have for too long ignored the incredible contributions of women. In 2015, the Society made women’s stories the focus of a special issue of Canada’s History magazine, and also of our Canada’s History Forum.

In the magazine, a panel of prominent women was recruited to select “30 Great Women” who each helped to make Canada a better place for all of us. Nominees included artist Emily Carr, civil rights activist Viola Desmond, and suffragist Nellie McClung. Readers also were invited to go online at CanadasHistory.ca/GreatWomen to nominate other worthy women.

In October, as part of the Governor General’s History Awards in Ottawa, the Canada’s History Forum and the History Makers Dinner each celebrated the accomplishments — both historic and current — of Canadian women. Highlights of the events included a compelling panel discussion on women’s history featuring authors and historians Charlotte Gray, Lawrence Hill, and Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail, and a dinner celebration hosted by journalist Ann Medina.

Dinner guests included LieutenantGovernor Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Supreme Court Justice Rosalie Abella, former federal cabinet minister Monique Bégin, Senior Citizenship Judge Renata Brum Bozzi, and Major (Ret.) Dee Brasseur, one of the world’s first female CF-18 pilots.