Canadian HerStory
She was a civil rights activist from Nova Scotia. She is most famous for refusing to leave a whites-only section of a theatre. This earned her a place on the new ten dollar bill.
Viola Desmond has become the face of the Canadian civil rights movement. She championed for equal rights for black people in Nova Scotia.
This British monarch was part of Girl Guides as a girl. She continued her involvement during World War II.
Queen Elizabeth II is the longest reigning British monarch having ascended to the throne at the age of 26 in 1952. As a girl during World War II she continued her involvement with Girl Guides including camping and learning to repair cars. Her sister, Princess Margaret, remained the President of Girl Guides UK until her death.
The first female Prime Minister of Canada or the first female Prime Minister of Britain?
Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1979, 14 years before Canada got our first (and so far only) female Prime Minister.
She was Canada’s first female astronaut and an honourary life-time member of Girl Guides of Canada
Clue: a) Roberta Bondar
b) Julie Payette
Roberta Bondar was one of the original six Canadian astronauts. She is a neuro-scientist and used her time in space to study the effects space flight has on the human body. Two of the personal items she brought into space with her were her Brownie wings and a box of Girl Guide cookies.
What sport made Hayley Wickenheiser a household name?
Clue: she went to the winter Olympics five times, winning four gold medals and a silver.
Hayley Wickenheiser has five Olympic medals, she played on professional men’s hockey teams in Europe and is currently the Assistant Director of Player Development for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
She is famous for walking 20 miles during the War of 1812 to warn British forces in Canada of an American invasion.
Clue: she has a chocolate company named after her
In 1813 Laura Secord overheard two American officers discussing an invasion of Canada. She walked 20 miles through American occupied territory to warn the British forces of the attack.
Who was Cleopatra?
a) An Egyptian Pharaoh
b) a female warrior during the Roman Empire
Cleopatra was the last active Pharaoh of the Ancient Egyptian Empire. Cleopatra reigned of the kingdom for 21 years, from 51 BC until her death in 30 BC.
Women were granted the right to vote in Canada or in the United States of America?
Women in Canada were granted the right to vote in federal elections in 1918, two years before women in the United States.
This young women survived being shot in the head by the Taliban. She now speaks all over the world about girls’ rights.
a) Greta Thunberg
b) Malala Yousafzai
Malala was shot in the head by a member of the Taliban when she was 15 while riding a bus back from taking a school exam. She has written a book about her experiences and has spoken all over the world. In 2014 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her advocacy of girls rights, especially the right to education. She is the youngest Nobel Award recipient.
Lucy Maud Montgomery is famous for creating what hot tempered red-head girl from PEI?
Lucy Maud Montgomery published the first Anne of Green Gables book in 1908. In all there are eight books in the series that chronicle the life of Anne Shirley from age 11 to in her 50s. The books have been published in at least 36 languages and has sold over 50 million copies. It has also been turned into multiple movies and tv shows.
This woman was a suffragette whose campaign earned women in Manitoba the right to vote, making it the first province to do so
Clue: a) Nellie McClung?
b) Emily Murphy?
In 1916 women in Manitoba were given the right to vote and hold public office. This was thanks to Nellie McClung and her followers. Manitoba was the first to grant women the vote in provincial elections. Women would get the vote in federal elections in 1918.
This teen was an advisor to French leaders during the Hundred Years War. After helping to win the war she was burned at the stake for heresy.
a) Mary Queen of Scots
b) Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc is a national heroine of France. Born a peasant, she became a military leader while just a teenager. As a teenager Joan claimed that the voices of saints commanded her to drive the English out of northern France. She succeeded but was captured by the British and burned at the stake for heresy against the church. She was made a saint by the Catholic Church in 1920.
Canadian women can serve in combat in the Armed Forces or Canadian women can join the RCMP?
The first female RCMP recruits were trained in 1974. Although women had served in the Armed Services in support roles for decades, they were not allowed in combat roles until 1986.
Who is Dr. Theresa Tam?
a) The creator of insulin
b) Canada's Chief Medical Officer
Doctor Tam has been one of the main medical advisors to the Government of Canada. She is also the scientific face of the COVID 19 response team.
Which female singer organized the ‘One World: Together at Home’ concert which raised over $35 million for COVID 19 relief?
Clue: she is known for her outrageous outfits
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (aka Lady Gaga) organized the concert that aired Friday, April 17th. She focused on asking large companies for donations instead of individuals who may be going though hard times.
This women aviator ferried planes between air stations, factories and bases during World War Two. She flew over 700 hours during the war.
Clue: a) Amelia Earhart
b) Marion Orr
Marion Orr was part of the Air Transport Auxiliary. She helped moved planes between factories, squadrons and units. She logged over 700 hours in the air during World War II. In 1986 she was awarded the Order of Canada.
She hid in an attic to escape the Nazis during World War II.
Anne Frank was a young Jewish girl in WWII Netherlands. She and her family hid in secret rooms of a friend’s house for just over two years. In August of 1944 the house was raided and her family was arrested and take to concentration camps. She died at age 15.
The first woman to sail across the Atlantic Ocean solo or the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean solo?
Amelia Earhart made her trans-Atlantic solo flight in 1932. Ann Davison sailed from Plymouth, England to the Dominica in 1952.
Why is Greta Thunberg famous?
Clue: she is passionate about the planet
Greta started her climate strike by herself by sitting outside the Swedish Parliament with a sign instead of going to school one day. The media covered it and her idea spread quickly through Sweden and then the world. She has spoken to the UN about climate change and has been nominated for a Nobel Prize twice.
From what city was the ladies amateur basketball team that won against Cleveland ‘world champs’ in 1923?
Clue: other teams from the city include the Oilers and the Eskimos
The Edmonton Grads remained amateur world champs for twenty five years. James Naismith, inventor of the sport of basketball, called the Grads ‘the finest basketball team that ever stepped out on a floor’
Why is Kim Campbell is significant in Canadian politics?
a) she lobbied for women to get the vote
b) she was Canada's first woman Prime Minister
Kim Campbell became our first women Prime Minister in 1993. She took over when Brian Mulroney resigned. She held the office for five months before an election took place.
She pioneered investigative journalism by having herself committed to an insane asylum for ten days.
a) Nellie Bly
b) Harper Lee
Nellie Bly heard rumours of bad conditions in a women’s insane asylum. In 1887 she convinced a newspaper to let her find out by going under cover. She got herself committed and stayed in the asylum for ten days before the paper pulled her out. Her article caused massive reforms in the institution and launched a new era of investigative journalism.
The first Canadian woman to win a summer Olympics gold medal or first Canadian woman to win a gold at the winter Olympics?
In the 1928 summer Olympics Ethel Cathelwood won a gold medal in high jump. The women’s 4x100 relay team won gold the same year. Twenty years later in 1948 Barbara Ann Scott won the gold medal in figure skating at the St Moritz winter Olympics.
This women’s activist is best known for being married to the first African American US president. Her own causes focused on education and physical and mental health.
Michelle Obama is a former First Lady and a lawyer. While First Lady she led a number of initiatives including ones focused on nutrition, active living and metal health. She also held a Girl Scout camp on the White House front lawn!
Along with her ice dance partner, Scott Moir this figure skater has won five Olympic medals and is a three time world champion.
Clue: her last name means a quality in a person that is morally good
Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir completed for 10 years together in Ice Dance. They have five Olympic medals and seven world championship medals, including three gold. They retired from the sport in 2018.