Famous Canadian Women's Historic Timeline - 1960-1969

Return to Timeline introduction

1960 AD to 1969 AD
Events listed relate to Canadian women with a few extra items added to give the timeline perspective.

This timeline is not all inclusive.

The timeline was fun to prepare and hopefully it will be fun to read. Perhaps it will even be useful.

Events listed are drawn from various sources including those listed on other areas of http://famouscanadianwomen.com

If you wish more information on the women listed in this timeline be sure and check out the birthdays listed in
"Do you share a birthday with a famous Canadian woman?"

LAST UPDATED September 2009

DATES	EVENTS
1960	Native peoples living on reserves get the right to vote in federal elections. The Canadian Bill of Rights is accepted. February 17 - The National Art Gallery opens in Ottawa. February 26 - Anne Heggtveit wins the downhill slalom at Winter Olympic Games, Squaw Valley, U.S.A. February 28 - Anne Heggtveit (1939- ) wins Canada's first Olympic gold medal in skiing at the Winter Olympic Games in Squaw Valley, Colorado, U.S.A. March 2 - Barbara Wagner & Bob Paul win gold medals in pairs figure skating at the Winter Olympic Games at Squaw Valley. December - Birth control pills are available for purchase. The first self-cleaning oven arrives in the home sales market. Finally!!!! Births: 1961- Born Marjorie Fehr, inventor. February 14 - Born Meg Tilly, actress. March 30 - Born Laurie Graham, ski racing champion. April 2 - Born Stephanie Lemelin, international renownd musician April 8 - Born Pat Duncan, Premier of the Yukon 2000-2002. June 22 - Born Denyse Julien, medal winning badminton player. July 13 - Born Gail Greenough, champion equestrian rider and member of the Order of Canada. August 7- Born Deborah Ellis (1960- ) Governor General Award winning author. Deaths: July 10 - Died Edith Louise Marsh ( ?-1960) Historian. October 3 - Died Helena Rose Gutteridge (1879-1960) first woman elected to Vancouver City Council. November 24 - Died Olga Alexandrova Kulikovsky,(1882-1960) a Grand Duchess of the Russian Romanof family she eloped and immigrated to Canada to live and work as farmers.
1961	August 12 - *Mary Stewart* breaks the world record in Women's 100 m butterfly. December 21 - Mary Stewart is named Canada's woman athlete of the year. Pauline Johnson (1861-1913.) becomes the first individual Canadian woman to appear on a Canadian postage stamp. The CCF becomes the New Democratic Party. Women make up about 30% of the Canadian workforce with their pay some 2/3 of that of Canadian men. Source: The Timechart of History of Canada by Meredith Macardle (2004) .25% of Canadian engineers are women: 2.64% of Canadian lawyers are Women: 4.49% of Canadian dentists are women; 7.33% of Canadian medical doctors are women. Source: Canadian Chronology Http://tdi.uregina.ca/~maguirec/chron.html (accessed April 28, 2003) 4.6% of Canadian girls graduating high school continue to university studies. 11.3% of male high school graduates go on to university studies. Source: Canadian Chronology Http://tdi.uregina.ca/~maguirec/chron.html (accessed April 28, 2003) Pampers disposable diapers become available to purchase. Source : Canuck Chicks and Maple Leaf Mamas : women of the Great White North by Ann Douglas Toronto, McArthur and Co., 2002. Births: Born Silvia Pecota ( 1961- ) photographer January 16 - Born Marie Bottrell, country music writer and performer. January 27 - Born Margo Timmins (1961) Lead singer in the award winnin group the Cowboy Junkies. August 25 - Born Marie Saint Pierre award winning designer of clothing September 24 - Born Nancy Ellen Garapick, Olympic medal winning swimmer. Deaths: May 10 - Died Anne Wilkinson (1890-1961) author, biographer and poet. July 12 - Died Mazo de la Roche , author of the famous Jelna series. November 6 - Died Hortense Crompton Gordon (1887-1961) artist and teacher.
1962	January 19 - Citizenship and Immigration Minister,Ellen Fairclough,dismantled Discriminatory Policy Perhaps her most significant accomplishment was the radical reform of the government's "White Canada" immigration policy. Regulations tabled in 1962 helped to eliminate racial discrimination in Canada's immigration policy. Source: Historica : Black History- Timeline http://blackhistorycanada.ca/timeline.php?id=1900 (Accessed March 2007) July 1 - Saskatchewan introduces socialized Medicare. July 28 - Mary Stewart (1945- ) breaks the world record in butterfly swimming, a record she will hold through to August 16, 1963. Source: British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame Online (Accessed June 2008) September 3 - The Trans-Canada Highway opens. December 11 - the last execution in Canada takes place in Toronto. The Canadian Nurses Foundation is established to promote health and patient care in Canada by supporting nursing education and research. Source : http://www.canadiannursesfoundation.com/ The drug Thalidomide is removed from the Canadian market. Source : Canuck Chicks and Maple Leaf Mamas : women of the Great White North by Ann Douglas Toronto, McArthur and Co., 2002. Canadian inventor Edward Asselbergs introduced his instant mashed potatoes. Source : Canuck Chicks and Maple Leaf Mamas : women of the Great White North by Ann Douglas Toronto, McArthur and Co., 2002. pg 19. Births: February 28 - Born Rae Dawn Chong, actress. February 29 - Born Sylvie Daigle, Olympic medal winning speed skater March 13 - Born Rukhana "Roxy" Khan, author March 28 - Born Jann Arden, award winning singer April 22 - Born Suhana Meharchand, award winning television news journalist. June 12 - Born Camilla Scott, TV Personality and actress. June 24 - Born Barbara Underhill, champion skater in pairs with partner Paul Martini. Deaths: Died Lady Elsie Elizabeth Allardyce (1878-1962) founder of Girl Guides in Newfoundland. March 3 - Died Cairine Wilson (1885-1962) First woman appointed to the Canadian Senate. June - Died Sandra Tewksbury (1942-1962) Olympic figure skater.
1963	April - Federal Social Insurance Cards are given to Canadians. CUPE = Canadian Union of Public Employees is formed with the merger of NUPE = National Union of Public Employees and NUPSE = National Union of Public Service Employees. Ringette, an on ice women's sport invented in Canada, is introduced in North Bay Ontario by the town's Parks and Recreation Director, Sam Jacks. The first-ever- "game" was played in the winter in Espanola, Ontario. Source: Ringette Canada. British Empire/Commonwealth Games - Mary Stewart (1945- )wins a gold medal (100 m butterfly), 2 silver medals and a bronze medal in swimming. Source: British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame Online (Accessed June 2008) Births: Born Judy McClintock-Messer (1963- ), World Champion water skier. February 15 - Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond (1963- ) Legal council for the Native Women's Association of Canada. February 21 - Born Lori Fung(1963- ), Gold medalist in Rhythmic Gymnastics in 1984 Los Angeles Olympics June 11- Born Sandra Schmirler (1963-2000), World and Olympic Champion curler. Deaths: Died Bylee Fay Lang (1908-1963) sculptor. Died Martha Ostenso, (1900-1963) author and social worker. Died Gertrude Balmer Watt (1873-1963) journalist January 3 - Died Dorothy Sproule (1868-1963) poet. January 22 -Died Irma LeVasseur (1878-1964) the first woman to practice medicine in the province of Quebec and pediatric care pioneer. February 25 - Died Edith Berkeley (1875-1963) world authority on the classification of marine worms and noted botanist. April 6 - Died Thais Frémont (1886-1963) social activist May 31 - Died Grace MacLennan Grant Campbell (1895-1963) award winning novelist. August 19 - Died Kathleen Parlow (1890-1963) international violinist
1964	Jeanne Fisher Manery (1908-1986.) is the first woman appointed professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Toronto. Mary "Bonnie" Baker,(1919?-2003) member of the All American Girls Baseball League becomes the first female sports caster on CKRM Radio in Regina, Saskatchewan. Source: Baker, Mary "Bonnie", City of Regina: 2008 www.Regina.ca (accessed September 2008) Births: January 31 - Born Sylvie Bernier, first Canadian to win a medal in Olympic diving. September 11 - Born Leah Pells, Track and field athlete. Deaths: March 25 - Died Pearl McCarthy, (1895-1964) journalist and art critic. April 15 - Died Alice Wilson (1881-1964) a paleontologist, the first woman elected fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. August 26 - Died Cora Bell Ahrens (1891-1964) , teacher, lecturer and pianist
1965	February 15 - The now familiar red maple leaf flag becomes the official national flag. March 4 - Petra Burka wins the women's title at the world figure skating championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.A. *Grace MacInnis* (1905-1991) is the first woman elected to the British Columbia House of Commons. Source: British Columbia Federation of Labour. http://bcfed.com/issues/women/history The Government of Canada decides to continue to employ women in the Canadian Armed Forces. A ceiling of 1500 members, including women in all three services, is established. This limit represents about 1.5% of the total Canadian Armed Forces of the day. Source "Women throughout Canadian military history." in Canadian Forces Personnel Newsletter Issue 2/05 23 February 2005. Births: January 31 - Born Ofra Harnoy (1965- ) cellist July 17 - Born Carrie Serwetnyk, (1965- ) Award winning international soccer star. August 7 - Born Elizabeth Manley, Olympic medalist in figure skating. August 22 - Born Patricia Hy-Boulais, Canadian champion tennis player. August 28 - Born Shania Twain, country/Pop singer and song writer. December 12 - Born Mina Shum (1965- ) award winning independent film director. Deaths: Died Viola Desmond (1914-1965) first black woman to challenge discrimination successfully in Canada. January 31 - Died Isabella Preston, (1881-1965) first professional hybridist in Canada. July 12 - Died Irene Parlby (1868-1965) one of the "Famous Five" who worked on the Persons Case 1929. September 20 - Died Madge MacBeth (1878-1965) multimedia author with over 20 novels to her credit.
1966	Limited career choices sees the number of women in the Canadian military drop to 900 members in the regular services. . Source: Women in the Military. The Canadian Encyclopedia Online http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com *Jessie Gray* (___ - 1978) is the first woman elected to the Science Council of Canada. The Canadian government establishes the Canada Pension Plan. Dr Marion Powell helps launch the firs municipally funded birth control clinic in the country. Jean Sutherland Boggs is appointed as Director of the National Gallery of Canada and becomes the first woman in the world to head up a national art gallery. Source Canada Women's Foundation. History of the women's movement: selected moments of importance in the history of Canadian women , 2004 http://cdnwomen.org. Jean Edmonds (Born 1921- ??) is the first woman executive in the federal government as an executive director with the Department of Manpower and Immigration. Marjorie Bowker (1906-2006) is appointed Albert's first woman Family Court Judge A federal government committee considers amendments to the Criminal Code of Canada on abortion. It is estimated that 35,000 to 120,000 illegal abortions are performed each year. Source : A History of Abortion in Canada http://www.prochoiceactionnetwork-canada.org/history.html (accessed July 30, 2003) Births: May 12 - Born Anne Ottenbrite, the first Canadian woman to win an Olympic gold medal in swimming. May 21- Born Lori-Ann Muenzer ( 1966- ) Gold medal Olympic athelete in Cycling, businesswoman and author. September 9 - Born Alison Sydor (1966 - ) world champion mountain biker. September 21 - Born Kerrin Lee-Gartner, Olympic gold medalist in downhill skiing. Deaths: January 27 - Died Elizabeth Wyn Wood (1903-1966) well known sculptor who has left a legacy of statues and fountains in municipalities across Canada. June 5 - Died Dorothy Stevens (1888-1966) Portrait and figure painter. December 6 - Died Yoshiko Kasahara (1912-1966) noted population statistician.
1967	The United Nations adopts the Declaration of Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. April 25 - The Canadian Armed Forces unites the army, air force and navy. April 27 - Expo '67 opens in Montreal. July 1 - Canada Centennial of Confederation is celebrated. - The Order of Canada is established. Joni Mitchel releases her firs album Song to a seagull. The Canadian TV show , Mr. Dressup is aired for the first time. Generations of children will grow up watching this show. Source : Canuck Chicks and Maple Leaf Mamas : women of the Great White North by Ann Douglas Toronto, McArthur and Co., 2002. Nancy Greene wins the first woman’s season championship in the World Cup of ski racing. She wins the final race of the season by seven-hundredths of a second. source: www.womenwarriors.ca Timeline Canada's Women's Basketball team wins is first medal, a bronze. Source: http://womenworriers.com under Ruth Wilson accessed March 2006) Births: January 27 - Born Susan Aglukark. Born Churchill, Manitoba. A renown Canadian entertainer. January 31 - Born Shauna Rolston ( 1967- ) internationally known cello player. February 20 - Born Theresa Anne Luke, Medal winner and member Canadian Olympic rowing team in the 1990"s. July 1- Born Pamela Anderson, actress. July 12 - Born Tonya Lee Williams ( 1967- ) award winning actress. October 9 - Born Carling Bassett-Seguso, award winning tennis player. Deaths: Died Florence Harvey (1878-1968) member of Canada's Golf Hall of Fame. May 11 - Died Margaret McTavish Konantz (1899-1967) International welfare organizer.
1968	The Olympic Committee conducts gender tests for the first time in internationals sports at the Winter Olympic Games in Grenoble, France. Source www.womenwarriors.ca timeline. February 17 - Nancy Greene (1943- ) wins gold medal in the giant slalom at the the Winter Olympic Games in Grenoble, France. Sandra Post (1948- ) beats Kathy Whitworth by seven strokes in a playoff to become the first non-US player and rookie to win the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Championship. Source www.womenwarriors.ca timeline The Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (CAEFS) is conceived and was incorporated as a voluntary non-profit organization in 1978. Today there are 22 member societies across Canada. Canadian divorce laws are reformed allowing for divorce on the basis of marital breakdown as well as for adultery and mental or physical cruelty. The Royal Commission on the Status of Women begins. Bea Irwin, previously a partner in her husbands toy business, takes over the business when her husband dies. Source: I Know that name: the people behind Canada's Best known Band Names...by Mark Kearney and Randy Ray (Toronto, Hounslow Book, 2002. Michaelle Jean, (1957- ),a future Governor General of Canada, emigrates to Canada with her family from Haiti Source: web pages of the Governor General of Canada. www.gg.ca (accessed March 2007) . The Chargex credit Card (later renamed VISA) in now available in Canada. Source : Canuck Chicks and Maple Leaf Mamas : women of the Great White North by Ann Douglas Toronto, McArthur and Co., 2002. pg 19. Births: January 28 - Born Marnie McBean, medal winning rower. - Born Sarah McLchlan , a singer whose songs convey a passionate honesty. March 14 - Born Megan Fallows, TV and movie actress. March 30 - Born Céline Dion, international singing star. August 5 - Born Terri Clark, award winning country singer. September 1 - Born Michelle Buckingham (1968- ) medal winning Judo champion. Deaths: Died Julia Crawford (1896-1968) artist and teacher. January 9 - Died Kathleen May Redman Strange (1896-1968) author January 13 - Died Jocelyne Binet (1923-1968) composer, pianist, teacher. January 14 - Died Florence Wyle (1881-1968) a sculptor who made several Canadian War Memorials and is represented in numerous art galleries. February 5 - Died Frances Loring (1887-1968) artist and sculptor, co-founder of the Sculptors Society of Canada. March 22 - Died Margaret Iris Duley (1895-1968) author, first woman of Newfoundland to be recognized outside her home province. August 9 - Died Dr. Norma Ford Walker (1893-1968)well known medical researcher of childhood diseases. August 21 - Died Germaine Gévremont (1900-1968) journalist and award winning author. September 2 - Died Ethel Johns, (1879-1968) nurse, teacher and administrator.
1969	The Federal government amends the Criminal Code of Canada so that it is no longer an offence to disseminate information on birth control. 36% of the students attending undergraduate studies at university are women. Source: Canadian Chronology Http://tdi.uregina.ca/~maguirec/chron.html (accessed April 28, 2003) Dorothy Lidstone (1938- ) is first Canadian to win World Target Archery championships in Valley Forge, U.S.A. Margaret Atwood (1939- ) published her first novel Edible woman. Access to abortion is applied unevenly and often unfairly across the country. Women can wait an average of 8 weeks for an abortion. Some provinces refuse to provide any abortion services at all and abortion is largely unavailable to women outside major cities. Source : A History of abortion in Canada. http://www.prochoiceactionnetwork-canada.org/history.html (accessed July 30, 2003) Births: March 20 - Born Caroline Brunet, champion in kayak and one of Canada outstanding Female Athletes of the Year. August 3 - Born Anne Marie Loder, accomplished TV and movie actress. August 21 - Born Josée Chouinard champion Canadian figure skater. November 7 - Born Tanya Dubincoff (1969- ) first Canadian woman to be World Champion in track cycling. Deaths: Died Elizabeth Rebecca Laird (1874-1969), a Physics teacher & college administrator. who after she retired she became a researcher. November 4 - Died Violet Alice Dryvynsyde (1888-1969) An educator who opened her own school and published books. November 19 - Died Vera Cryderman (1897-1969) an artist who worked in several medium helped establish Visual Arts in colleges. December 21 - Died Ellen Ballon (1898-1969) child prodigy and internationally renouned pianist.