Louise McKinney

Louise McKinney nee Crummey ( born September 22, 1868 in Frankville, Ontario, † July 10, 1931 in Claresholm, Alberta) was a Canadian provincial politician and women's rights activist. She was the first woman who was sworn in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, and the first woman who was elected to Canada and the British Empire in a parliament. She kept her mandate from 1917 to 1921 and then sat for the Alberta Non -Partisan League in opposition. Louise McKinney was a member of the Famous Five.

Political career

McKinney ran for a seat in Parliament for Alberta in general elections 1917. She won the constituency Claresholm as a candidate for the Non -Partisan League, and defeated it the liberal incumbent William Moffat in a highly competitive race. McKinney believed in the education to abstinence, greater control of alcohol, women and property rights and the Dower Act. She was one of two women who was sworn in on June 7, 1917 in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. The other was Roberta MacAdams. They ran for a second term in the general election in 1921 with the United Farmers of Alberta. She was beaten and lost her seat to an independent candidate the Farmer Thomas Milnes in a highly competitive race.

Together with Nellie McClung, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Emily Murphy and Irene Parlby she was one of the Famous Five (also called Valiant Five ). The five drove in 1927 successfully petitioned the " Persons Case ", ahead, clarified the notion of "person" in the Constitution Act of 1867. It was found that women actually persons within the meaning of the Act were and that it was therefore allowed them to become members of the Canadian Senate. This section had until then made ​​sure that women were excluded from political office.

The Senate decided in October 2009, McKinney and the other members of the Famous Five of Canada's first "honorary senators " to appoint.

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