Nellie McClung, An Amazing Woman Who Changed History

Women's History Month: Nellie McClung

Nellie McClung was one of Canada’s most famous suffragists. She was an author, politician, and social activist who was instrumental in gaining women the right to vote in Canada. Let’s learn more about this remarkable woman.

Roots of a Reformer: The Early Years

Nellie McClung was born in Chatsworth, Ontario, on October 20, 1873. She was the youngest of six children.

Her father had inherited some farmland, but the soil was so poor that the family struggled to grow enough food. So, in 1880, they moved to Souris River Valley.

Shortly after graduation, Nellie got a teaching certificate and moved to Manitou to teach. There, she got married and had five children. It was her mother-in-law who introduced Nellie to the suffragist movement.

From Author to Activist

Shortly into their marriage, Nellie’s husband sold his pharmacy business. To make money, Nellie started writing and selling short stories to local magazines and newspapers.

In 1908, she published her first book, Sowing Seeds in Danny, about people living in a small western town struggling to make ends meet. It became a national bestseller and launched Nellie’s career as a public speaker.

McClung would go on to write sixteen books in her career, including two autobiographies, many poems, and several short stories.

In 1912, Nellie and fourteen other women formed the Women’s Political Equality League. Their work focused on gaining women the right to vote.

The group petitioned the government to allow women to vote in the upcoming election in 1914 but was denied. Nellie would continue her campaign over the next two years.

Nellie put on a play that poked fun at the parliament’s decision to deny women the right to vote. The play received much attention and helped keep the spotlight on the suffragist movement.

Finally, in 1916, their work paid off, and Manitoba became the first province in Canada to grant women the right to vote in public elections.

From Ballot Box to the Courtroom

Following this monumental victory, McClung was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in 1916. She was one of only two women elected and would serve until 1921. Nellie McClung lost reelection partly because she often crossed party lines to support issues that benefited women.

In 1927, five women, including McClung, petitioned the courts to clarify the term “persons” in the British North America Act 1867. This act defined the Government of Canada, including how it operated and who could hold certain positions.

This became known as the Persons Case. It went to the Supreme Court of Canada, which ruled that women were not “qualified persons” and thus unable to serve in the Senate. This ruling was appealed, and the decision was overturned in 1929.

McClung's Final Years

In 1933, the family moved to Victoria, British Columbia, where Nellie’s health began to decline. But she continued her fight for women’s rights. In 1936, she became the first woman appointed to the board of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), which was in charge of national and regional radio and TV networks.

Two years later, McClung was asked to be a delegate to the League of Nations in Geneva. The League of Nations’ mission was to promote worldwide peace.

McClung always felt women were superior to men and better suited for politics and government positions due to their maternal instincts.

In addition, her sympathy for the poor and less fortunate is evident in her writing and activism.

Nellie McClung will always be remembered as one of the most influential people responsible for gaining women the right to vote in Canada. Her fight for more changes can still be felt today.