Louise C. McKinney 1868-1931

Photo by Alan L Brown - Posted March, 2006

Plaque Location

The United Counties of Leeds & Grenville
The Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley
In Frankville, on the east side of Road 29
at street number 271

Coordinates: N 44 43.364 W 75 57.845

Plaque Text

Born on a nearby farm, Louise Crummy taught school in Leeds County and in 1896, married James McKinney. In 1903 they settled at Claresholm, Alberta. A leader in the temperance movement and strong advocate of female suffrage, she was elected as an Independent member of the Alberta legislature in 1917. She thus became the first woman in the British Empire to gain a parliamentary seat. In 1929 five leaders in the struggle for female emancipation, Louise McKinney, Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Henrietta Edwards and Irene Parlby, presented a petition to the Privy Council which gained for women the right of appointment to the Canadian Senate.

Related Ontario plaques
Nellie Mooney McClung 1873-1951
Emily Ferguson Murphy

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Women Reformers

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Posted May 10, 2010
how did the famous five create change...

Posted April 6, 2010
louise McKinney was a ver smart and brve person :)

Posted March 11, 2009
Louise Crummy McKinney was chosen by Emily Ferguson Murphy (both Ontario-born) about 1927 to make up the 5 names required to petition the Imperial Privy Council Law Lords in what became known as the Persons Case. The petition went in in the name of Henriette Muir Edwards, because Judge Murphy use alphabetical order when sending her letters round robin. McKinney had made her own mark, that's why Murphy asked for her support. Google her name and read it separately, then read about the case itself. Avoid feminist history hype sites - this was Constitution history. Murphy wanted a seat in Senate for herself, but didn't get it as they were afraid she would not be easy to handle They didn't talk poor me, and struggles if you read books like Firing the Heather re Mrs.McClung. Huge sense of humour, men couldn't deal with it!. As another Ontario born member of the Alberta Five wrote, Let them howl and get the job done. Be sure to check their ages in October 1929 when the favourable decision came down in the UK. Old ladies in corsets, not bra burners. 80th anniversary coming up, the Case within living memory. Murphy was known to us out west as just someone's grandmother - until years later when we looked her up in books, and found a photo in our family album. PS the lawyer who led the Case to the UK, Rowell, was ancestor to Hal Jackman. Need an Ontario plaque to WN Rowell!!

Posted February 19, 2009
what were some of louise Mckinney's struggles

Posted May 27, 2008
um...where did Louise McKinney started to be one of the Famous Five?

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