Womens Suffrage in Western Canada

Clara Phillips
Mme S. Trillaud
April 21, 2016

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Today in the 21st century, all Canadian women have the right to vote in
municipal, provincial and federal elections, regardless of their race, religion or social
standing. This has not always been an equal right for women. In fact, it was a privilege
granted only to men until the late 1800s when women began their long, enduring
struggle for the enfranchisement of women.1 There were three very important factors in
achieving this success, the creative tactics of the Political Equality League, the nontraditional roles of Manitoban women and the election of a Liberal government in the
Prairie Provinces.
In 1896, Sir Wilfred Laurier was elected as Prime Minister of Canada and
revoked the Dominion Franchise Act established by Sir John A McDonald in 1885. This
returned the power to the provinces (Dominion Elections Act) to decide who was eligible
to vote in provincial elections.2 As a result, the suffrage movement became a provincial
issue with dozens of associations and organizations fighting, including the Womens
Christian Temperance Union in Manitoba (WCTU), which led to the enfranchisement of
Manitoban women in 1916.
In 1874, Dr. Amelia Yeomans joined the WCTU in Manitoba providing leadership
to the provinces suffrage movement.3 The organization focused on social change,
including the prohibition of alcohol, but they also fought for the enfranchisement of

Bird, Florence. "Participation of Women in Public Life." In Report of the Royal Commission on the Status of
Women in Canada, 336. Ottawa, 1970. Accessed April 21, 2016. http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/200/301/pcobcp/commissions-ef/bird1970-eng/bird1970-part3-eng.pdf.
2

Strong-Boag, Veronica. "The Canadian Citizenship Debates: The Franchise Act of 1885 Women Suffrage and
Beyond." Women Suffrage and Beyond RSS. April 4, 2013. Accessed April 22, 2016.
doi:http://womensuffrage.org/?p=21338.
3

Charabarty, Moushumi. "Amelia Yeomans." The Canadian Encyclopedia. April 1, 2016. Accessed April 22, 2016.
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/amelia-yeomans/.

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women. The movement hit a standstill in 1900, when the legislature had adopted the
prohibition bill, but before it was passed, the premier of Manitoba resigned and was
replaced by conservative Sir Rodman Roblin.
The movement in Manitoba was revived in 1912 with the creation of the Political
Equality League (PEL) dominated by journalists, including Nellie McClung. The PEL
used satire, suffrage literature and speeches geared toward educating Manitobans and
rationally persuading them to believe in the movement.4 The league did speaking tours
around the province, gaining support for their cause. Anne Anderson Perry, a member
of the PEL, said, In this persistent education of the whole provincelay the great
secret of the success in forming Manitobaa firm, intelligent public opinion to women
suffrage.5 The PEL also closely cooperated with other suffrage groups, such as the
Grain Growers Association, the Young Womens Christian Association, the Trades and
Labour Council, the Icelandic Womens Suffrage Association, the Canadian Womans
Press Club and the Christian Temperance Union.6 On January 27, 1914, a large
number of men and woman from those organizations appeared before the Legislative
Assembly in Manitoba, to once again present the case for the enfranchisement of
women in provincial elections. Dr. Mary Crawford, the president of the PEL introduced
five speakers, and the last to address Premier Rodmond Roblin was Mrs. McClung. She
delivered her point with clarity, demanding, Give us our due. She argued that it was
time for women to have a hand in society, to fix unabashed wrongs such as prostitution

Hathaway, Debbie. The Political Equality League of Manitoba. Publication. Winnipeg, 1982. Accessed April 21,
2016. http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/03/politicalequalityleague.shtml.
5

Anne Anderson Perry, Winning the Franchise. The Grain Growers Guide, (July 7, 1920), p. 25.

P.E.L. Minute Book, June 27, 1912.

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and alcoholism. Premier Roblin replied with a long, condescending speech, insisting
that the enfranchisement of women would break up families and that nice women don't
want to vote. Mrs. McClung strongly disagreed and firmly said, Well get you yet, Sir
Rodmond.7 The presented bill was not passed.
The following day the PEL performed a mock parliament called,How the Vote
Was Won at Walker Theatre in Winnipeg, where Mrs. McClung played a female version
of Premier Roblin.8 The outrageous, satirical play consisted of women attacking men's
right to vote in a reversal of gender roles. The audiences roared with laughter, and the
show was a political and financial success, enabling the PEL to continue its campaign.
As a result of creative tactics, the suffrage movement was gaining momentum.
In 1915, the Liberals, led by Tobias Norris, formed the new government when
Premier Roblin resigned amid rumours of corruption. The Liberals promised that if the
PEL could get a petition signed by 17,000 people by the end of the year, they would
pass the bill of enfranchisement into the legislature.9 The PEL gathered over double the
amount of required signatures, and the Manitoba Legislative Assembly passed an Act to
amend the Manitoba Elections Act on January 28, 1916, giving women the right to vote

Gutkin, Harry. "Give Us Our Due!" How Manitba Women Won the Vote. Publication no. 32. 1996. Accessed April
21, 2016. http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/32/womenwonthevote.shtml.
8

Bird, Kym. "Mock Parliament, 1914." The Canadian Encyclopedia. May 16, 2005. Accessed April 23, 2016.
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/mock-parliament-1914/.
9

"Petition Presented by the Political Equality League." In Archives of Manitoba. P.E.L., 1915. First published in
December 23, 1915.

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and run for office in provincial elections. Within the next two months, Saskatchewan and
Alberta also won the franchise.10
Many wondered how the prairie women accomplished the sought-after goal of
enfranchisement before other provinces. In fact, the movement actually began years
before in central Canada beginning with the Toronto Womens Literary Club in 1876,
under the leadership of Dr. Emily Stowe. The organization eventually evolved into The
Dominion Womens Enfranchisement Association in 1889.11 The constitution of the
Association stated, The object of this Association shall be the obtaining for the women
of Canada all civil and political franchises on the same terms as men.12 With the many
advances in womens rights in central Canada and the intelligent women who were
behind the movement, what set the prairie women apart? Perhaps it was the nontraditional roles the women had in society.
In central Canada, women were traditional housewives who were completely
dependent on men. In comparison, prairie women worked as farmers beside the men,
sharing in the hard labour of farming. The womens contribution was critical to the
survival of family farms and the success of the wheat economy. Their assertive

10

Canada. Women's Right to Vote in Canada. March 31, 2014. Accessed April 20, 2016.
http://www.lop.parl.gc.ca/ParlInfo/compilations/provinceterritory/ProvincialWomenRightToVote.aspx.
11

Woloshen, Mark. "Toronto Women's Literary Club: 1876." In Snapshots of 19th Century Canada, by Ruth
Sandwell. Accessed April 21, 2016.
doi:http://marcialalonde.weebly.com/uploads/9/3/8/2/9382401/literary_club.pdf.
12

Canada. Early Candiana Online. Women's Enfranchisement Association of Canada. Constitution and By-laws of
the Women's Enfranchisement Association of Canada : Organized as C.W.S.A. March, 1883 ; Re-organized as
W.E.A.C. February, 1889. Toronto, 1889. 1-10. Accessed April 21, 2016.
http://eco.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.35579.

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presence in society earned them support for the suffrage movement from farm groups.13
The women in central Canada who lived a conservative, dependent life could not gain
as much credibility or support because they did not contribute to the economy or have
the opportunity to prove that women could help establish a prosperous community.
By using creative tactics and speech tours instead of confrontation, human
sacrifice and militant attacks like other provinces, the PEL educated the public on their
movement and gathered genuine support.14 They successfully demonstrated that the
enfranchisement for women was a necessary motion that must be written into the
legislature to ensure that their province would evolve as a society to benefit all
Manitobans.
The election of Liberal Premier Tobias Norris in 1915 was also an important
factor in the enfranchisement of women. The Norris government was in favour of
women enfranchisement from the beginning and quickly passed the bill, whereas the
suffrage movement was basically ignored by the Manitoban government while the
Roblin government (conservative) was in power.15 Interestingly, Manitoba,
Saskatchewan and Alberta all had Liberal governments in power, while Ontario, British
Colombia, and New Brunswick had Conservative governments in power.16 This leads
toward the conclusion that the election of Liberal government had a positive impact
upon the success of womens suffrage.
13

"Prairie Provinces." History of Canadian Women. World Heritage Encyclopedia.

14

"Women Win the Vote : Digital Resources on Manitoba History." Women Win the Vote : Digital Resources on
Manitoba History. Accessed April 20, 2016. doi:http://manitobia.ca/content/en/themes/wwv/1.
15
16

Ibid, 2016

"Provinces and Territories." Canada Info. Accessed April 22, 2016.

doi:http://www.craigmarlatt.com/canada/provinces&territories/provinces&territories.html.

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The womens suffrage movement in Canada was very complex and dynamic. It
took years of hardship, courage and sacrifice by many women to finally win the vote in
the Prairie Provinces. Without the strong, clever and intelligent women who worked
tirelessly together and took pride in each and every victory, women would not know the
equality and freedom that we enjoy today. As Nellie McClung said, I am a believer in
women, in their ability to do things and in their influence and power. Women set the
standards for the world, and it is for us, women in Canada, to set the standards high.17

17

Candace Savage. Our Nell: A Scrapbook Biography of Nellie L. McClung. p 48. 1979. Also.
http://www.sjr.mb.ca/MS/notable/2007/6MG/mcclung/why.htm