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The names appearing below are just a fraction of the Canadian
women of accomplishment. Check out The Famous Canadian Women 's
section ON THE JOB which contains mini profiles of 1000
Canadian Women of Achievement.
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Lawyers
Many lawyers went on to become politicians. Be
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Clara Brett
Martin.
Born Toronto, Ontario circa 1874. Died October 30, 1923. After receiving
an honours BA from Trinity College in Toronto in 1888, The Law Society of
Upper Canada refused to accept her as a student. Enlisting the help of
notable and forceful people of the day, including, Dr Emily Stowe, Ontario
Premier Oliver Mowat and Lady Aberdeen, to force legislation that would
allow women as barristers. In 1897 she
became the first woman lawyer in the
British
Empire. Even though she was licensed she did not often enter court. Her presence
in the court room caused too much of a ruckus. It would not be until the
middle of the century that women would be able to comfortably represent
their profession in the courts. |
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Helen Alice
Kinnear .
Born Cayuga, Ontario May 6, 1894.
She
graduated and was called to the Ontario bar, to become a lawyer, in 1920.
She practiced law in Port Colborne, Ontario until 1943, when she was
appointed county-court judge for Haldimand County. In 1947 she was
appointed judge of the Juvenile Court. She
was the first woman in the British Commonwealth to be created a Kings
Counsel and the first in the Commonwealth appointed to a county-court
bench and the first lawyer in Canada to appear as counsel before the
Supreme Court in Canada in 1935. In 1993 the Canadian Post
Office issued a commemorative stamp to honour the achievements of this
woman Lawyer. |
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Marion Ironquil Meadmore was appointed to the Manitoba
Barr and is the first aboriginal Canadian
woman lawyer. |
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Constance R. Glube
Née Lepofky. Born Ottawa, Ontario November 23, 1931. In 1952 she earned
her BA at McGill University, Montreal and married Richard Glube. The
couple would have 4 children. By 1955 she had graduated in law at
Dalhousie University and entered the Bar of Nova Scotia.
In 1974 she became the Manager of the City
of Halifax, the first woman in Canada to hold such a position. In 1977
she received the Award of Merit from a grateful City of Halifax.
September 21, 1977 she was appointed In 1982 she was appointed 21st
Chief Justice of Nova Scotia and in 1998
Chief Justice of the Court of Appeal of Nova Scotia, once again being
the first woman in Canada to be appointed to such a position,
retiring in 2004. She is a judicial leader and mentor who has the
admiration and respect of her peers. She has been active in judicial
education and court administration. She has graciously served on various
and numerous professional and volunteer boards and committees at local,
provincial and national levels. Accolades for her services have
included: The Canada 125 Medal, 1992; the Frances Fish Award, a women
lawyers Achievement Award, 1997; The Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award, 2002;
the International Honours Society Golden Key Award, 2003; numerous
honourary doctorate degrees from universities; Honourary member of the
Canadian Bar Association, 2004; the Order of Nova Scotia 2005 and the
Order of Canada , 2006.
Suggested sources: Protocol Office, Order of Nova Scotia Recipients
Http://www.gov.ns.ca/frot/2005recipients.htm (Accessed August 2008;
Canadian Who’s Who . Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2006.
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