Women's Suffrage in the North | The Canadian Encyclopedia
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Women's Suffrage in the North

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  1. May 20, 1919

    Yukon 

    Yukon Women Get Vote

    Yukon women won the right to vote and seek elected office.

  2. June 12, 1951

    Northwest Territories 

    Northwest Territories Women Get Vote

    Women in the Northwest Territories won the right to vote and stand for office.

  3. September 11, 1967

    Yukon 

    First Woman Elected to the Yukon Territorial Council

    Jean Gordon became the first woman elected to the Yukon Territorial Council.

  4. December 21, 1970

    Northwest Territories 

    First Woman Elected to the Northwest Territories Council

    Lena Pedersen became the first woman elected to the Northwest Territories Council.

  5. January 20, 1979

    Northwest Territories 

    First Female Territorial Commissioner

    Ione Christensen became the first female territorial commissioner (Yukon).

  6. June 02, 1997

    Nunavut 

    First Inuit MP Elected

    Liberal Nancy Karetak-Lindell was elected the first Member of Parliament for the newly-created riding of Nunavut, and became the first Inuit woman elected to the House of Commons.

  7. February 15, 1999

    Nunavut 

    First Woman Elected to the Nunavut Legislative Assembly

    Manitok Thompson became the first woman elected to the Nunavut Legislative Assembly.

  8. April 17, 2000

    Northwest Territories 

    First Female Premier of the Yukon

    Patricia (Pat) Duncan became the Yukon’s first female premier at the head of the territory’s first Liberal government.

  9. November 14, 2008

    Nunavut 

    Aariak Becomes First Female Premier of Nunavut

    Eva Aariak, the MLA for Iqaluit East and Nunavut's former languages commissioner, defeated Paul Okalik to become Nunavut’s second premier and the territory’s first female premier. She was, however, the only woman in the legislature.

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