Robin Morey

Pioneering motorcycle rider

"(In 1945) People used to run down the street pointing their fingers, gasping, saying, A girl on a motorcycle; I was grinning inside and loving every minute of it".
Robin Morey, The Ottawa Citizen, July 31, 2011

Born in the US in 1924; lives in Ottawa.

Was honoured at the Canadian Motorcycle Cruisers in Ottawa (July 2011) for being one of the first women to own a motorcycle in the 1940s. Rode a Harley Davidson.

www.ottawacitizen.com

Phyllis Throop

Advocate for young women, trailblazer in business

Born in 1919; died in Ottawa in 2011.

Fought hard in the 1960s to provide social programs for girls in the already established Ottawa Boys Club.

The Ottawa Boys Club became de first of its kind in North America to integrate girls.

Was also a successful business woman, taking over her husband's business after his death in 1966; the original business was Throop Pharmacy at Westgate, then came four other pharmacies in the city of Ottawa and two gift stores.

Was on the board of directors of the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa, and then became the first woman elected as president of the club.

Founding member of the Soroptimists Club of Ottawa, which helped mentor young professional women.

www.ottawa.citizen.com

Jill LaForty

Music advocate, classical music producer

Born in Toronto; moved to Ottawa in 1983.

Studied music in Toronto and in Vienna.

Through her work as a producer at CBC Radio, has dedicated 30 years to championing Ottawa's music scene.

Has greatly contributed to ensuring that concerts by Ottawa musicians were heard across Canada and around the world.

Has spearheaded concert series and made regular appearances on the local CBC Radio program Ottawa Morning.

Her high-profile work has included documentaries and special series for national programs and pre-concert chats at performances around Ottawa.

www.ottawacitizen.com

Order of Canada, 2010-

As of 2011, the Order of Canada has been awarded to 5,948 Canadians from coast to coast since 1967.

There are 113 women who were either born in Ottawa or resided in Ottawa at the time of their award or investiture in the Order of Canada (according to the Governor General's website). They are presented here according to the decade of their investiture. Please note that this group includes Ottawa, Nepean, Vanier, Kanata, Gloucester and Orleans. (to be updated soon in order to include 2011).

Since 2010, a total of 5 women, connected to Ottawa through place of birth or place of residence, were recognized for their significant achievements and remarkable service. They are:

Mary Ellen Jeans. For being a leader in health care and playing a key role in the launch of the first multidisciplinary pain clinic in Canada (in Montreal). 2010.

Sharon Johnston. Wife of the twenty-eighth Governor General of Canada. 2010.

Andrée Lortie. For being a leading figure in French education in Ontario and elsewhere in Canada. 2010.

Joy Harvie Maclaren. For her determination and commitment as well as for her generosity. She has helped a wide range of organizations to get off the ground including Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind, the Hospice at May Court and the community foundations of both Ottawa and Canada. 2010.

Maureen O’Neil. For public service, and her contributions to international development, gender equality and human rights. 2011.

www.gc.ca

Order of Canada, 2001-2009

As of 2011, the Order of Canada has been awarded to 5,948 Canadians from coast to coast since 1967.

There are 113 women who were either born in Ottawa or resided in Ottawa at the time of their award or investiture in the Order of Canada (according to the Governor General's website). They are presented here according to the decade of their investiture. Please note that this group includes Ottawa, Nepean, Vanier, Kanata, Gloucester and Orleans. (to be updated to include 2011)

The decade between 2000 and 2009 recognized the significant achievements and remarkable service of 25 women who have a connection to Ottawa through place of birth or place of residence. They are:

Constance Backhouse. For her advocacy for human rights. She co-wrote one of the first books in North America on sexual harassment in the workplace. 2008.

Cynthia Baxter. For her dedication, expertise and philanthropy. Played a fundamental role in the success of the Community Foundation of Ottawa. 2004.

Jocelyne Bourgon. For her leadership that helped to bring about the establishment of a new approach to human resources management in the public service. First woman to be appointed Clerk of the Privy Council. 2000.

Barbara J. Clark. For encouraging the development of choral music across the country. 2001.

Mary Dawson. For her unique and integral role in the development of constitutional law and policy in Canada. 2007.

Marion Dewar. For introducing a number of improvements to the region's social fabric during her three terms as Mayor of Ottawa. 2002.

Anne Golden. For her many outstanding achievements with the United Way including record-breaking financial campaigns, as well as a significant increase in the number of charities that receive funding. 2003.

Charlotte Gray. For providing Canadians with rich and relevant connections to our history, helping us to understand how our past shapes the Canada of today, and for shedding new light on the important role women played in our history. 2007.

Shirley E. Greenberg. For her community building work to empower women to improve their lives and to further equality in society. 2009.

Marguerite (Grete) Hale. For being a pillar in her community and her lifelong dedication to helping others. 2006.

Francis Itani. For being a generous mentor to aspiring writers. 2006.

Michaëlle Jean. Twenty-seventh Governor General of Canada. 2005.

Huguette Labelle. For her extraordinary ability and commitment to public service. 2001.

Gisèle Lalonde. For championing and promoting Francophone society in Ontario, and founding the Association française des municipalités de l'Ontario and serving as its first president. 2003.

Elizabeth May. For being a respected voice for Canada's environmental movement for more than 30 years through her involvement with organizations concerned with natural resource management, sustainable development and the protection of global ecosystems. 2005.

Barbara McInnes. For enhancing the culture of philanthropy in Ottawa and beyond. 2008.

Marguerite Elizabeth Ritchie. For dedicating her life to the advancement of justice and equality. First woman appointed Queen's Counsel by the federal government. Founding President of the Human Rights Institute of Canada, and advocate for change and promoting the equality of women. 2000.

Ginette Lemire Rodger. For advancing the nursing profession and the quality of health care, and initiating a national model of nursing recognized for its innovative approach to patient care. 2007.

Roseann Runte. For her promotion of the Humanities in Canada and of bilingualism. First woman to be named president of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO. 2001.

Mary J. May Simon. For strengthening ties between Canada's Northern people and the people of Arctic regions around the globe. 2005.

Harriet (Hallie) J. Sloan. For demonstrating outstanding leadership for 50 years and advancing military nursing and patient care. 2003.

Patricia Smart. For bringing new insight and understanding to the study of Quebec's culture and writing a pioneering work that is the touchstone for those investigating the province's literature from a feminist perspective. 2004.

Shirley L. Thomson. For demonstrating a lifelong commitment to uphold the highest principles of artistic integrity, and bringing art to people and people to art. 2001.

Pamela Wallin. For her excellence as a journalist, entrepreneur, diplomat and volunteer. Headed CTV's Ottawa bureau in the 1980s, a breakthrough role for a woman. First woman to co-anchor a nightly network television newscast. 2007.

Anne H. Wieler. For helping to improve the quality of life of countless individuals throughout northern Canada and around the world, and improve health care for Native peoples. 2007.

www.gg.ca

Order of Canada, 1990s

As of 2011, the Order of Canada has been awarded to 5,948 Canadians from coast to coast since 1967.

There are 113 women who were either born in Ottawa or resided in Ottawa at the time of their award or investiture in the Order of Canada (according to the Governor General's website). They are presented here according to the decade of their investiture. Please note that this group includes Ottawa, Nepean, Vanier, Kanata, Gloucester and Orleans. (to be updated in order to include 2011)

The 1990s recognized the significant achievements and remarkable service of 33 women connected to Ottawa through place of birth or place of residence. They are:

Joyce L. Beare-Rogers. For her work in the field of edible oils and fat and helping to make Canadians healthier through her research. 1992.

Monique Bégin. For her influence on developments in the applied social sciences across the country, especially in the fields of health and education. 1997.

Agnes Benidickson. For helping to strengthen and build educational institutions, health and social service agencies and the arts. 1997.

Deanna Marie Brasseur. For being one of the first women in Canada to graduate as a pilot in the Canadian Forces and Canada’s first female jet flying instructor and flight commander. One of the first two women in the world to qualify as CF-18 pilot. 1998.

Olive Patricia Dickson. For her contribution to our knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Métis People. 1995.

Jennifer Dickson. For her artistic works that are treasured by collectors around the world. 1995.

Monique Aubry Frize. For her dedication to the status of women, particularly in scientific endeavours. 1993.

Miroslawa Gawalecwicz. For being the contact point for many immigrants over the years, helping them adapt to Canadian life while maintaining their culture and traditions. 1991.

Claudette Gravelle. For offering unconditional love and spiritual counselling to people in need, reaching out to and comforting drug addicts, street people, and persons living with AIDS and HIV. 1999.

Naomi E.S. Griffiths. For being an ongoing inspiration to Canadian women. The first female Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Carleton University. 1999.

Joan Fletcher Harrison. For being a distinguished medical researcher and teacher whose work has been of signal importance in the study of bone diseases. She co-developed the first method of measuring the amount of calcium in the body, an invaluable tool in the treatment of osteoporosis. 1996.

Karen Gerda Hnatyshyn. Wife of the twenty-fourth Governor General of Canada. 1990.

Naomi Jackson Groves. For being a leading art historian, patron, artist, teacher and writer. 1992.

Pauline Jewett. For her brilliant career as an academic, politician and social activist. She was the first woman president of a major, co-educational Canadian university, Simon Fraser. 1991.

Elaine Elizabeth Jolly. For her recognition as a Canadian authority in the study of menopause and osteoporosis, and raisibg awareness of women's health issues. 1998.

Rosemarie Esther Kuptana. For playing a significant role in securing for Aboriginal peoples an equal participation with other Canadians in national constitutional and political processes. 1998.

Trudi Le Caine. For dedicating over forty years to the development of the arts in Ottawa. 1991.

Janet Louise Lunn. For helping to raise the status of children's literature in Canada. First children's author to hold the position of Chair of the Writers' Union of Canada. 1997.

Flora Isabel MacDonald. For being a distinguished Parliamentarian and for being a leading figure in the movement to alleviate human suffering worldwide. 1998.

Ethel G. Martens. For being a pioneer in the field of primary health care, and empowering disadvantaged people in Canada, Africa and Asia to improve their lives. Is one of the first health educators in Aboriginal communities in northern Canada. 1998.

Nurjehan Mawani. For actively promoting voluntarism, open discussion of gender issues, multiculturalism and international development. 1993.

Judith Maxwell. For her significant contribution to public policy and the debate on economic and social issues. 1995.

M. Michaelena McLaughlin. For performing her senior secretarial duties in the foreign service for more than thirty-five years in postings most often characterized by stressful and dangerous conditions. 1999.

Helen K. Mussallem. For her powerful influence on nursing education and the delivery of health services, not only to Canadians but also to people throughout the world. 1992.

Freda L Paltiel. For her efforts in creating an impressive network of organizations that deal with the social status and health of women through her role as Canada’s senior advisor on the Status of Women. 1993.

Evelyn Agnes Pepper. For her leadership in various health organizations, and contribution to the health care of Canadians as a nurse in combat casualty stations. 1996.

Jean E. Pigott. For her leadership and determination in ensuring the use of resources for positive growth and change at all levels of government. First woman Chair of the National Capital Commission. 1995.

Suzanne E. Pinel. For her role in promoting bilingualism among both the younger and older members of the two language groups, and as an ambassador of French-Canadian culture. 1991.

Beryl Plumptre. For her active involvement as a consumer advocate for more than forty years in many crucial issues. 1994.

Marianne Florence Scott. For her expertise in developing collections and services has benefited all library users, especially researchers and scholars. 1994.

Shirley Sharzer. For helping to pave the way for women in journalism. Became the first female legislative reporter at the Winnipeg Free Press (late 1940s). 1999.

Irene Mary Spry. For her long and inspiring career as a writer, teacher and scholar, and for figuring prominently in the education of women. 1992.

Bertha Wilson. For leaving her mark on Canadian law and society as the first woman appointed a judge of the Ontario Court of Appeal and the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada. 1991.

Order of Canada, 1980s

As of 2011, the Order of Canada has been awarded to 5,948 Canadians from coast to coast since 1967.

There are 113 women who were either born in Ottawa or resided in Ottawa at the time of their award or investiture in the Order of Canada (according to the Governor General's website). They are presented here according to the decade of their investiture. Please note that this group includes Ottawa, Nepean, Vanier, Kanata, Gloucester and Orleans. (to be updated in order to include 2011)

The 1980s recognized the significant achievements and remarkable service of 24 women connected to Ottawa through place of birth or place of residence. They are:

Moyra Allen. For her dedication to nursing education. 1986.

Suzanne Azzie. For her extraordinary compassion, sincerity and zeal to change the attitudes of many federal employees toward hiring the disabled. 1985.

Ruth Marion Bell. For advancing a very wide variety of social and educational causes. 1981.

H. Elizabeth Collard. For her diligent and meticulous research on porcelain and pottery. 1987.

Celia Franca. For founding one of the major ballet companies in the world, the National Ballet of Canada. 1985.

Laurie J. Graham-Flynn. For being one of Canada's premier woman downhill skier. 1988.

Abigale Hoffman. For being an athlete of international standing and her promotion of amateur sport. 1982.

Margaret M. Hunter. For her work dedicated to the welfare of Canadians at home and abroad through her work with the armed forces and as National Director of Health Care for St. John Ambulance of Canada.1984.

Margaret Wade Labarge. For bringing history to life through her writing of medieval history and biographies. 1982.

Renaude Lapointe. For serving her country and the status of women. One of the first women to become a journalist and then editorial writer of a daily French-language newspaper, she was the first Francophone woman to become Speaker of the Senate of Canada. 1989.

Sandra M. Lovelace Sappier. For her work to amend the Indian Act in order to reinstate the rights of non-status Indian women and their children. 1989.

Elizabeth Manley. For her figure skating career. 1988.

Annette McDonald. For being deeply involved in community activities in Navan and serving the Shepherds of Good Hope in Ottawa. 1986.

Patricia M. Messner. For her unique contribution to the sport of water skiing. She is Canada's first and only Olympic medallist in that sport. 1981.

Rose Eleanor Milne. For her expertise in restoration and gold-leaf work, stained glass windows, bronze casting, wood carving and steel and wood engraving. She is Canada’s official sculptor. 1988.

Helen J. Morton. For her contribution to science as a cell biologist and senior chemist. 1983.

Mary Catherine O’Flaherty. For serving the Department of External Affairs on several continents before being posted to the Canadian Embassy in Tehran in June 1978 during the Iranian Revolution. 1980.

Gilberte Paquette. For her remarkable contribution to the organization and management of health care in the National Capital Region. 1985.

Barbara E. Reesor. For her services in occupational therapy. Founding president of the Therapeutic and Educational Living Centre in Ottawa, the first of its kind in Canada, to rescue the blind and deaf from so-called retardation and open to them a new life. 1984.

Henriette P. Rouleau. For popularizing Canadian nutritional standards and promoting the consumption of home-grown agricultural products. 1988.

Thérèse Saint-Bertrand. For her dedication for 50 years to Ottawa region patients, specifically those who are alcoholics. 1983.

Zena Kahn Sheardown. For serving with her husband, John Sheardown, a member of the Canadian Embassy in Tehran, during the Islamic Revolution. (Canadian Caper). 1986.

Linda Thom. For her contribution to the sport of pistol shooting. First woman in the world to win an Olympic gold medal in pistol shooting, the first Canadian woman to win a gold medal in a summer Olympics since 1928 and the first Canadian to win a gold medal in a summer Olympics since 1968. 1985.

Carolyn Jane Waldo-Baltzer. For her contribution to the sport of synchronized swimming. First Canadian woman to win two gold medals at the same Olympics. 1988.

www.gg.ca

Order of Canada, 1970s

As of 2011, the Order of Canada has been awarded to 5,948 Canadians from coast to coast since 1967.

There are 113 women who were either born in Ottawa or resided in Ottawa at the time of their award or investiture in the Order of Canada (according to the Governor General's website). They are presented here according to the decade of their investiture. Please note that this group includes Ottawa, Nepean, Vanier, Kanata, Gloucester and Orleans. (to be updated in order to include 2011)

The 1970s recognized the significant achievements and remarkable service of 17 women connected to Ottawa through place of birth or place of residence. They are:

Ellen Aloysia Ahern. For her many contributions to national and community affairs through voluntary service and as a citizenship court judge. 1973.

Florence Bird. For her services in the fields of journalism and broadcasting, and as the Chairman of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women. 1971.

Joyce Bryant. For her dedication throughout her service at Government House during the tenure of five Governors General. 1973.

Dorothy Caldwell. For her services with the Federal Civil Service Commission for more than twenty-five years, and for her work on the Royal Commission on the Status of Women. 1971.

Sylva M. Gelber. For her achievements at home and abroad in the area of industrial relations and the development of women's rights. 1975.

Lotta Hitschmanova. For her thirty-five years of total dedication to the cause of the needy around the world. 1979.

Gabrielle Léger. Spouse of the twenty-first Governor General of Canada. 1974.

Mary Elizabeth Macdonald. For giving nearly forty years of dedicated service to Canada as a public servant. 1979.

Dorothy Macpherson. For her unique contribution in fostering the use of films throughout Canada in the service of the Arts. 1973.

Jane B.D. Murray. For devoting her efforts to the development of the Ottawa Little Theatre. 1978.

Florence O’Neill.  In recognition of her contributions to adult education and community development and her career as a teacher in rural Newfoundland. 1974.

M.A. Pauline Sabourin. For her dedication in the position of secretary, particularly for numerous Under Secretaries of State for External Affairs. 1974.

Anna Wilson Sharpe.  For her devotion for more than forty years to her profession as gynaecologist, pediatrician and medical officer of health. Her dream has been realized in the opening of the Eastern Ontario Children's Hospital. 1977.

Adine Tremblay. For her contribution to the artistic and cultural life of the city of Ottawa for more than 40 years. 1975.

Annette Walls. For devoted public service to the Privy Council Office under five Prime Ministers and five Cabinet Secretaries. 1973.

Maud H. Watt. For her contribution to the well-being of the Indian people of northern Quebec. 1970.

Cairine R.M. Wilson. For her invaluable contributions on behalf of needy children around the world. 1977.

www.gc.ca

Order of Canada, 1960s

As of 2011, the Order of Canada has been awarded to 5,948 Canadians from coast to coast since 1967.

There are 113 women who were either born in Ottawa or resided in Ottawa at the time of their award or investiture in the Order of Canada (according to the Governor General's website). They are presented here according to the decade of their investiture. Please note that this group includes Ottawa, Nepean, Vanier, Kanata, Gloucester and Orleans. (to be updated in order to include 2011)

The 1960s recognized the significant achievements and remarkable service of 8 women who have a connection to Ottawa through place of birth or place of residence. They are:

Kathleen Fenwick. For her role as curator of prints and drawings at the National Gallery of Canada, and being largely responsible for developing the collection into one of the finest of its kind. 1968.

Nancy Greene-Raine. For her services to sports, particularly skiing. 1967.

Elizabeth MacCullum. For her achievements in various posts in the Canadian Diplomatic Service. 1967.

Elizabeth H. Morton. For her contributions to the develonment of library science in Canada over a period of 40 years. 1968.

Adelaide Sinclair. For her contributions to Canada as former Director of the Royal Canadian Naval Service and later as Deputy Director of the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund. 1967.

Elaine Tanner. For her achievements in swimming.1969.

Pauline Vanier. For her humanitarian work. 1967.

Charlotte Whitton. For the important causes she supported with great vigour and for her contributions as Founder and Director of the Canadian Welfare Council. First woman Mayor of Ottawa. 1967.

www.gg.ca

Jean Sutherland Boggs

Academic, art historian, civil servant

Born in Negritos, Peru.

Was appointed curator for the Art Gallery of Toronto in 1962.

Has written books about the life of Edgar Degas, including Portraits By Degas in 1962.

Was appointed the first female and fifth director of the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa in 1966, and served in this position until 1976.

Was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1973 in recognition of her scholarship in art history, and the vision and energy she displayed in developing the collection and the services of the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa.

Was chair and chief executive officer of the Canada Museums Construction Corporation from 1982 to 1985, where she was involved with the construction of both a custom-built National Gallery building and the unique Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Sutherland_Boggs

Amelia Hall

Actress, stage director

Born in England, came to Ontario in 1921.

Attended McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, then became a teacher in Ottawa.

In 1948, left her teaching position to become a full-time actress and in 1949 was a joint founder of the Junior Theatre in Ottawa.

Served as President of the Stage Society, Ottawa, and joined the Canadian Repertory Theatre (CRT) Ottawa in 1949, and later co-managed the company with actor Sam Payne. She remained with the CRT for 5 seasons, 1949-1954, during which time over 150 productions were mounted at the La Salle Academy. She appeared in or directed the majority of its productions.

Became the first woman to ever perform at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival (she was Lady Anne in Richard III) in 1953.



Her last Stratford performance was in 1984; she died in Toronto in 1984.

Was awarded a centennial medal in 1967 for her work in Canadian theatre and the Order of Canada in 1982.

http://www.welcometostratford.com
http://www.suite101.com
http://collectionscanada.gc.ca

Lotta Hitschmanova

Humanitarian, pioneer of international cooperation

Born in Prague in 1909; died in Ottawa in 1990.

Arrived in Canada in 1942.

Founded USC Canada in 1945 (Unitarian Service Committee) in Ottawa.

Dedicated her life to helping people in far-off lands and became one of Canada’s most recognized public figures. It is often said that 56 Sparks Street in Ottawa (the address of USC), is the second most famous Canadian address after 24 Sussex.

Helped mobilize Canadians from coast to coast, putting Ottawa on the map as a seat of national government and political debate, and also as a center of Canadian concern for the rest of the world.

Mayor Larry O’Brien proclaimed November 28 to be Dr. Lotta Day in Ottawa in 2009.

http://usc-canada.org

Chantal Beauvais

Rector, Saint Paul University, Ottawa

“Helping people in life’s journey from where they are to where they want to be.” - Chantal Beauvais

Became the sixth rector of Saint Paul University in Ottawa in 2009.

Born in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec.

Studied philosophy at Dominican College in Ottawa, where she earned a B.A. in Philosophy. She subsequently earned an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Philosophy at the University of Ottawa. Also holds a Diplôme d'études supérieures spécialisées in public administration publique from the École nationale d'administration publique (ÉNAP).

http://www.ustpaul.ca

http://www.cpac.ca

Roseann O’Reilly Runte

President and vice-chancellor of Carleton University, Ottawa

Is president and vice-chancellor of Carleton University since 2008.

Graduated with a BA in French from the State University of New York and obtained her MA and PhD from the University of Kansas.

Has previously served as president of l’Université Sainte-Anne, principal of Glendon College, president of Victoria University and of Old Dominion University.

Author of numerous scholarly works in the fields of French, comparative literature, economic and cultural development, higher education and the importance of research.

Has received a poetry prize from the Académie française.

Has been awarded the Order of Canada and the French Order of Merit and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Has been awarded the Palmes Académiques and several prizes for her work on the environment, for community and national service. In addition, 

http://www1.carleton.ca/about/university-executive/the-president-and-vice-chancellor/

Chancellors of the University of Ottawa

Since 1889, there have been 13 chancellors of the University of Ottawa of which 4 were women. The chancellor is the chief executive of a university. For information related to the four chancellors, please view their personal entry under their respective names.

Pauline Vanier

First woman chancellor of the University of Ottawa from 1966-1973

Gabrielle Léger

Second woman chancellor of the University of Ottawa from 1979-1985

Huguette Labelle

Third woman chancellor of the University of Ottawa since 1994

Michaëlle Jean
Fourth woman chancellor of the University of Ottawa as of February 2012

Jennifer Macklem

Sculptor, professor

Born in Montreal.

Associate professor in the Department of Visual Arts, University of Ottawa.

Studied in Montréal and Paris.

Internationally reknowned artist, known for her environmental art.

Did an installation for Winterlude in Ottawa during the winter of 2011.

Fields of interest:  

• Sculpture, public sculpture, animation/video, painting, drawing, installation
• Mind body relationship: subjectivity and objectivity. animals and natural history
• Popular cultural ideas around psychology, spirituality, fiction, narrative
• Cross disciplinarity - visual art and literature, music, natural science 

http://www.visualarts.uottawa.ca/faculty/macklem.html

www.ottawacitizen.com
http://www.jennifermacklem.com/

Women For Mental Health

Philathropists

"Change is our mandate. Collaboration is our philosophy. Transforming lives is our goal. Together we can make it a reality." - Women For Mental Health

Women for Mental Health is a philanthropic program at The Royal Ottawa Health Care Group located in Ottawa, bringing together like-minded women who inspire conversations and support for mental health.They wish to shift attitudes and make real progress in changing the way people think about mental health. This change will help transform patient care and research at The Royal.

The program is an integral part of the Campaign for Mental Health at The Royal.

www.youknowwhoiam.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Ottawa_Mental_Health_Centre

Louise Arbour

Justice on the Supreme Court of Canada

Born in Montreal, Quebec.

Fourth woman appointed to the position of Justice on the Supreme Court in Canada from 1999-2004.

Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Former justice of the Court of Appeal for Ontario and a former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

Serves as President and CEO of the International Crisis Group since 2009.

Has published in the area of criminal procedure and criminal law, in both French and English. Has served as an editor for the Criminal Reports, the Canadian Rights Reporter, and the Osgoode Hall Law Journal.

Best known as a chief prosecutor for tribunals into the genocide in Rwanda and human rights abuses in Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

Partial List of Awards:

• Has been awarded honorary doctorates by twenty-seven universities.
• Was honoured with the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Award in 2000.
• Was awarded the Thomas J. Dodd Prize in International Justice and Human Rights in 2005.
• Was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and Companion of the Order of Canada in 2008.
• Became Grande Officière de l’Ordre national du Québec in 2009.
• Received the Colombian Order of National Merit, Grand Cross class and was named Commander of the French Legion of Honour in 2010.  
• Was named alongside former President of Brazil Luis Inácio Lula da Silva as the winner of the 2010 North-South Prize of the Council of Europe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Arbour

http://www.crisisgroup.org

Claire L'Heureux-Dubé

Justice on the Supreme Court of Canada

Born in Québec City.

Second woman appointed to the position of Justice on the Supreme Court in Canada from 1987-2002.

First woman from Quebec appointed to this position.

Graduated from the law faculty of Université Laval in Quebec.

Appointed as a judge to the Quebec Superior Court in 1973.

Was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2003

Was made a Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec in 2004.

Remembered as one of the most prolific dissenters of the Court. Her judicial view was atypical for her time and often clashed with the majority of the Court.

Among her more controversial decisions we find Canada (Attorney General) v. Mossop, [1993] 1 SCR 554 where she alone acknowledged that the meaning of family is not fixed and should be read purposively to adapt to the changing times and it should include same-sex couples.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claire_L'Heureux-Dubé
http://www.scc-csc.gc.ca

Irene Mary Biss Spry

Economic historian, writer, teacher, scholar

Born in South Africa in 1907; died in Ottawa in 1998.

Awarded two honorary doctorates, one from the University of Toronto, the other from the University of Ottawa.

Named to the Order of Canada in 1992 for her contributions to Canadian intellectual and public life, and to the women’s movement.

Joined the Department of Political Economy at the University of Toronto in 1929 where she taught Canadian economic history.

Served actively on the Wartime Prices and Trade Board and its later affiliate, the Commodity Prices Stabilization Corporation, in Ottawa and, during the early postwar years, went to England and co-founded Saskatchewan House with her husband, broadcast reformer Graham Spry, who was Agent-General for Saskatchewan in London from 1946 to 1967.

Spry's work in the women's movement blossomed during her time in London. She represented the Federated Women's Institutes of Canada at the Associated Country Women of the World.

Taught at the University of Ottawa from 1968 until 1995, well after her official retirement in 1973.

Partial list of publications:

• Spry, Irene M. (1963) The Palliser Expedition: The Dramatic Story of Western Canadian Exploration, 1857-1860. Toronto: MacMillan. Republished Toronto: Fifth House Publishers, 1995.
• Spry, Irene M., ed. (1968) The Papers of the Palliser Expedition, 1857-1860. Toronto: Champlain Society Press.
• Crabbé, Philippe, and Irene M. Spry, eds. (1973) Natural Resource Development in Canada. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press.
• Spry, Irene M., and Bennett McCardle. (1993) The Records of the Department of the Interior and Research Concerning Canada's Western Frontier of Settlement. Regina: Canadian Plains Research Center.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irene_Spry

Jerry Grey

Visual artist, teacher

Born in Vancouver, lives in Ottawa.

Has been exhibiting nationally since 1963; her work appears in numerous public and private collections.

Has received commissions for several important public art installations, including The Great Canadian Equalizer at Statistics Canada; The Tiles of Time at the Ottawa Police Station; and The Sisters of Charity Building Hope, for the Sisters of Charity (Grey Nuns).

Elected to membership of The Royal Canadian Academy of Art in 1984.

Lectures on a variety of topics at the National Gallery of Canada, the Banff School of Fine Arts, the Emily Carr School of Art, the University of Ottawa, the Ottawa School of Art and the Avenue Road Art School in Toronto.

Works in oils, watercolour, pastels and glass media; explores themes of nature, politics, history and issues of public concern. Some examples are:

• Dualities, a series of paintings reflecting the artist's reaction to the Gulf War, exhibited at the Carleton University Art Gallery, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, and the new Abdullah Salem Exhibition Hall in Kuwait.
• Rare Spirits: A Personal Tribute to Vintage Elders, a series of portraits of accomplished older Canadians, opened in Ottawa and then traveled to Vancouver, Toronto and Kelowna before being purchased by the new Portrait Gallery of Canada.
• Icons of Beauty was given a solo exhibition in September 2005 at the Galerie d’art Jean-Claude Bergeron in Ottawa.

Received the Victor Tolgesy Arts Awards in 2011 for enhancing Ottawa with a high caliber of artistic achievement and for her profound and sustained commitment to the arts community, including the performing arts of music and dance, and extensive and valued participation in numerous committees and fundraising activities. 

http://www.jerrygrey.ca
http://www.artengine.ca/jerrygrey/artist.htm

Trudi Le Caine

Advocate for the arts, patronness

Née Gertrude Janowski; born in 1911 in Paussau, Bavaria; died in Ottawa in 1999.

Settled in Ottawa in 1942; her involvement with Le Groupe de la Place Royale, Opera Lyra Ottawa and the Council for the Arts in Ottawa led to recognition and awards such as the Order of Canada in 1991, the Lescarbot Award and the Victor Tolgesy Arts Award.

Helped to establish the Ottawa Children's Concerts in 1946.

Was known as the doyenne of the art patrons in Ottawa.

Convinced the National Capital Commission to open the Rideau Canal during the winter for skating, which has now become famous as the world's longest skating rink.

In her honour, the Community Foundation of Ottawa-Carleton maintains the Trudi LeCaine Fund.

Married Hugh Le Caine, Canadian physicist and pioneer electronic musician.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trudi_Le_Caine
http://www.gallery.ca

Shelagh Rogers

Radio broadcaster

Born in 1956, grew up in Ottawa where she attended Lisgar Collegiate Insititute.

Began her career in broadcasting at CFRC, the campus radio station of Queen's University.

Graduated from Queen's University's arts program in 1977.

Joined CBC radio in Ottawa, in 1980, hosting the local current affairs programs and jazz and classical music broadcasts.

Won an ACTRA Award in 1983 for Best Host/Interviewer.

Moved to CBC radio's Toronto station in 1984.

Became a frequent guest host of Morningside, and in 1995 the program's host and producer, Peter Gzowski, named Rogers the show's permanent guest host.

Presently hosts The Next Chapter, a new weekly show on Canadian writers and writing.

Received the Hero Award from the Mood Disorders Association of Ontario and an award from Native Counselling Services of Alberta for working on reconciliation in 2010.

Was made an Officer of the Order of Canada "for her contributions as a promoter of Canadian culture, and for her volunteer work in the fields of mental health and literacy" in 2010.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelagh_Rogers

Princess Margriet Francisca of the Netherlands

Historical link to Ottawa's Annual Tulip Festival

Born in 1943 in Ottawa at the Ottawa Civic Hospital.

First royal baby to ever be born in North America.

Is the third daughter of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. Member of the Dutch Royal House and currently ninth in the line of succession to the Dutch throne.

The Princess was born in Ottawa, Ontario, as the family had been living in Canada since June 1940 after the occupation of the Netherlands by Nazi Germany. The maternity ward of Ottawa Civic Hospital in which Princess Margriet was born was temporarily declared to be extraterritorial by the Canadian government. Making the maternity ward outside of the Canadian domain caused it to be unaffiliated with any jurisdiction and technically international territory. This was done to ensure that the newborn Princess would derive her citizenship from her mother only, thus making her solely Dutch.

The Dutch royal family was so impressed with Ottawa that they donated tulip bulbs to the city, which led to the establishment of the annual Tulip Festival in Ottawa.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Margriet_of_the_Netherlans
www.archives.cbc.ca

Jennifer Cloutier

Science researcher, competitive water skier

Canada’s Top Twenty Under Twenty (2011)

"It's something [referring to the accident that left her a paraplegic] that's had a really, really big impact on my life, but now I'd say probably for the better, it's made me a really motivated person and it's made me realize how short life can be."  - Jennifer Cloutier

Born in Ottawa; attended Immaculata High School.

Presently studying biology at Harvard University, one of the top students in her class.

President of Women in Science at Harvard Radcliffe.

Named to Canada's Top Twenty Under Twenty in 2011. The awards are given out each year to 20 Canadian youths, under the age of 20, who demonstrate innovation, leadership and achievement in a certain field.

Was nominated by her professor at Harvard for her stem cell research and advocacy work for women in science.

Competitive water skier who trains and volunteers with Ski Ability Ottawa throughout the summer, competing on a regular basis.

www.ottawacitizen.com

Margaret Anglin

Broadway actress, director, producer

Born in Ottawa in 1876; died in Toronto in 1958.

Was actually born in the House of Parliament Speaker’s Chambers. Her father Timothy Warren Anglin was Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons at that time.

Her brother, Francis Alexander Anglin served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada from 1924 to 1933.

Had a career in New York City in the 1890’s, studied in Toronto and Montreal, and graduated from the Empire School of Dramatic Acting in NYC.

Inspired by reading the classics and a love for the Greek tragedies that centered on women, became the dominant dramatic actress of the first two decades of the 20th Century.

Earned wide recognition for her dramatic skills and was invited to work with Sarah Bernhardt.

Had her own Shakespearian touring group.

Performed her last show on Broadway in 1936.

The Canadian Encyclopedia Online Accessed 2000.

Encyclopedia Britannica online. Accessed 2000.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Anglin

Sandra Oh

Actress

Born in 1971 in Ottawa (formerly Nepean).

Attended Sir Robert Borden High School in Ottawa.

Well known for portraying Dr. Cristina Yang on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, for which she has won a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award.

Also played notable roles in the feature films Under the Tuscan Sun and Sideways, and had a supporting role on the HBO original series Arli$$.

www.sandraoh.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandra_Oh

Keshia Chanté

Singer

Born in Ottawa in 1988.

Is a critically acclaimed, singer, songwriter, model and actress.

Signed to BMG Music Canada at the age of 14 and has released two albums.

Won many awards, including a Juno Award, "Best New Artist" at the Canadian Radio Awards and Urban Music Awards, as well as "Video of the Year" and "Fans Choice". Has had six Top Ten singles at radio.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keshia_Chanté

Flora MacDonald

Politician

Born in 1926 in North Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Worked in administration for the Progressive Conservative Party for several years, prior to becoming involved in electoral politics.

First elected to the House of Commons in the 1972 general election as the Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament for the riding of Kingston and the Islands. She remained in parliament until her defeat in the 1988 election.

At the 1976 PC leadership convention, she became the first woman to mount a serious campaign for the leadership of one of Canada's two major governing parties. In this, she had been preceded by Rosemary Brown who ran in 1975 for the leadership of the New Democratic Party, and by Mary Walker-Sawka, who won two votes at the PC leadership convention in 1967.

When Joe Clark became Prime Minister of Canada in 1979, he made MacDonald the first female Secretary of State for External Affairs in Canadian history, and one of the first female foreign ministers anywhere in the world.

MacDonald returned to government after the PC victory in the 1984 federal election, serving first as Minister of Employment and Immigration, and then as Minister of Communications under Prime Minister Mulroney.

Since losing her seat in 1988, she has devoted her time to international humanitarian work.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flora_MacDonald_(politician)

Adèle de Guerry Languedoc

Librarian

Born in 1904 in Tadoussac, Quebec.

Studied at McGill University in Montreal in 1929.

Also studied at Columbia University and obtained a Bachelor of Library Service in 1946.

Worked in France after the Second World War where she set up the first children's library outside Paris.

Was hired in 1951 as Accessions Librarian at the Canadian Bibliographic Centre in Ottawa, the forerunner of Library and Archives Canada.

Developed the Canadiana acquisitions program and became well known for her expert detective work in discovering Canadian authors.

In 1964, was appointed Assistant National Librarian, a position held until her retirement in 1969.

Upon her death in December 1993, the National Library News paid tribute to her achievements: "To all her work, she brought a broad, deep knowledge and experience of Canada's French and English traditions".

www.collectionscanada.gc.ca
www.famouscanadianwomen.ca

Ethel Jean Southworth

Journalist

Born in Onemee, Ontario in 1923; died in Ottawa in 2008.

Studied history at the University of Toronto, and studied organ music with Godfrey Hewitt who was organist of Christ Church Cathedral in Ottawa for 50 years.

Southworth joined the news staff of The Ottawa Journal in 1948, served as the music and drama editor from 1953-75, and continued as an arts writer until the paper's demise in 1980.

Contributed a weekly arts column to other Ottawa papers beginning in 1988.

Was member and historian with the Media Club of Canada (originally the Canadian Women's Press Club.)

Was chairman of the Ottawa Centre of RCCO in 1972-1974, a board member of the Ottawa Kiwanis Music Festival, and a contributor to EMC.

www.the canadianencyclopedia.com

Jean Edmonds

Journalist, public servant

Born in 1921.

After her studies at the University of Manitoba, spent the first twenty years of her career as a journalist for the Financial Post newspaper.

Joined the federal government public service in 1964.

Became the first woman executive in the federal government as an executive director with the Department of Manpower and Immigration in 1966.

Became chairperson of the Task Force on Barriers to Women in the Public Service in 1988, and published the ground breaking report called Beneath the Veneer.

Office Towers Named for Jean Edmonds in Ottawa
Built in 1971 and renovated in 1995, the office towers located at 300 Slater Street in Ottawa were originally called the Old Journal Towers. The towers have been renamed in her honour and currently house the offices of Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

www.famouscanadianwomen.com

Alexa McDonough

Politician

Born in Ottawa in 1944, raised in Nova Scotia.

Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada from 1995 to 2003.

Elected to the House of Commons in 1997.

First woman to lead a recognized political party in Canada when she was elected leader of the Nova Scotia NDP in 1980.

http://canadaonline.about.com

Caroline Andrew

Professor, political scientist researcher

Director of the Centre on Governance, University of Ottawa.

Political scientist researcher on local politics, municipal government and urban development.

Former Dean of the Faculty of Social Science of the University of Ottawa, 1997-2005.

Distinguished university Professor, 2006-07.

Received the Ontario Francophonie Award (Francophile of the Year) from the government of Ontario during a special ceremony in Ottawa in 2006.

First Chair of the Board of Echo: Improving Women's Health in Ontario, 2007.

http://www.socialsciences.uottawa.ca
http://www.powerstudy.ca/profile/caroline-andrew
http://www.media.uottawa.ca

Julie Nesrallah

Mezzo-soprano, radio host

Born in Ottawa.

Graduated from Ridgemont High School in Ottawa in 1987.

Studied music performance at McGill University in Montreal and Carleton University in Ottawa.

Acted as an advisor to the Ontario Arts Council, Choirs Division 2002 and 2003.

As of 2008, is the host of Tempo, a classical music program on the CBC Radio 2 network.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Nesrallah
http://www.julienesrallah.com/
http://www.cbc.ca

Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada

Since 1875, there have been 80 Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada of which 7 were women, including the present Chief Justice, Beverley McLachlin, the first woman Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.

1. Bertha Wilson

Supreme Court Judge from 1982-1991

• First woman to sit on the Supreme Court of Canada.
• First woman appointed a partner in a major Canadian law firm in 1959.
• First woman appointed to the Ontario Court of Appeal in 1975.
• Author of the Supreme Court decision overturning Criminal Code of Canada restrictions on abortion in 1988.
• Known for her acceptance of the battered-wife syndrome as self-defense in R. v Lavallée, 1990.

http://canadaonline.about.com

http://www.scc-csc.gc.ca

2. Claire L’Heureux-Dubé

Supreme Court Judge from 1987-2002

• Second woman appointed to the position of Justice on the Supreme Court of Canada.
• First woman from Quebec appointed to this position.
• Remembered as one of the most prolific dissenters of the Court. Her judicial view was atypical for her time and often clashed with the majority of the Court.
• Among her more controversial decisions we find Canada (Attorney General) v. Mossop, [1993] 1 SCR 554 where she alone acknowledged that the meaning of family is not fixed and should be read purposively to adapt to the changing times and it should include same-sex couples.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claire_L'Heureux-Dubé

http://www.scc-csc.gc.ca

3. Beverley McLachlin

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, since 2000

• Third woman appointed to the position of Justice on the Supreme Court of Canada.
• First woman to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, appointed in 2000.
• First woman appointed to the BC Court of Appeal and the first female BC Supreme Court Justice.
• When Governor General Adrienne Clarkson was hospitalized in July 2005, Justice McLachlin served as the Administrator of the Government and performed the duties of the Governor General, including giving royal assent to the Civil Marriage Act, effectively legalizing same-sex marriage in Canada.
• Among her more controversial decisions was her ruling in R. v. Seaboyer, where she struck down the rape shield law because it violated the right to a fair trial of those accused of sexual assault.

www.scc-csc.gc.ca

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverley_McLachlin

www.canadaonline.about.com

4. Louise Arbour
Supreme Court Judge from 1999-2004

• Fourth woman appointed to the position of Justice on the Supreme Court of Canada.
• Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
• Former justice of the Court of Appeal for Ontario and a former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
• Serves as President and CEO of the International Crisis Group since 2009.
• Has published in the area of criminal procedure and criminal law, in both French and English. Has served as an editor for the Criminal Reports, the Canadian Rights Reporter, and the Osgoode Hall Law Journal.
• Best known as a chief prosecutor for tribunals into the genocide in Rwanda and human rights abuses in Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Arbour
http://www.crisisgroup.org

5. Marie Deschamps
Supreme Court Judge since 2002

• Fifth woman appointed to the position of Justice on the Supreme Court of Canada.
• Called to the Quebec Bar in 1975.
• Adjunct professor in the Université de Sherbrooke’s law faculty since 2006.
• Frequent speaker and has also written a number of legal commentaries.
• appointed to the Quebec Superior Court on March 29, 1990, to the Quebec Court of Appeal on May 6, 1992 and to the Supreme Court of Canada on August 7, 2002.
• Has broken ranks over some of the most contentious social issues the court has dealt with in recent years, including spanking, marijuana, and the validity of separation agreements after divorce.

http://www.scc-csc.gc.ca

www.canadianjusticereviewboard.ca

6. Rosalie Silberman Abella
Supreme Court Judge since 2004

• Sixth woman appointed to the position of Justice on the Supreme Court of Canada.
• First Jewish woman appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada.
• Was called to the Ontario Bar in 1972.
• Was the sole Commissioner of the 1984 federal Royal Commission on Equality in Employment, creating the term and concept of "employment equity".
• Has written over 80 articles and written or co-edited four books.
• Has been awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law; the Distinguished Service Award of the Canadian Bar Association (Ontario); the International Justice Prize of the Peter Gruber Foundation; the Human Relations Award of the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews; the Honourable Walter S. Tarnopolsky Human Rights Award; the Bora Laskin Award for Distinguished Service in Labour Law; and 30 honourary degrees.

http://www.scc-csc.gc.ca

7. Louise Charron

Supreme Court Judge since 2004

• Seventh woman appointed to the position of Justice on the Supreme Court of Canada.
• First franco-ontarian appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada.
• Received a B.A. from Carleton University in 1972 and an LL.B. from the University of Ottawa in 1975.
• Served as Assistant Crown Attorney for the Judicial District of Ottawa-Carleton from 1978 to 1988, holding this position on a full-time basis from 1980 to 1985.
• Was a lecturer in the French common law section of the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law from 1978 to 1985, when she joined the Faculty as Assistant Professor, a position she held until 1988.
• Was appointed a District Court Judge and Local Judge of the High Court of Ontario in Ottawa in 1988 and Judge of the Ontario Court of Justice (General Division) in 1990. 

http://www.scc-csc.gc.ca
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Charron

Bertha Wilson

Lawyer, judge
First woman on the Supreme Court of Canada

Born in 1923 in Kirkcaldy, Scotland; moved to Ottawa in 1949; died in Ottawa in 2007.

Was the first woman appointed a partner in a major Canadian law firm in 1959.

Was the first woman appointed to the Ontario Court of Appeal in 1975.

Was the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada in 1982. Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada from 1982-1991.

Well known as the author of the Supreme Court decision overturning Criminal Code of Canada restrictions on abortion in 1988 and for her acceptance of the battered-wife syndrome as self-defense in R. v Lavallée, 1990.

http://canadaonline.about.com
http://www.scc-csc.gc.ca