Bonnie Ford, one woman in our group, chose to write about Agnes MacPhail, the first woman elected to Parliament. Agnes went to Ottawa to take her seat in 1921. Here is what Bonnie wrote:

A Famous Lady
by Bonnie Ford

I think Agnes MacPhail had magic in her voice,
When men talked back she put them in their place.
When she spoke, people listened
and they woke up.
She cared for farm people,
She care for people in prisons,
She also cared about women,
And that is why I relate to her.

When I was a child I went with my dad to farm meetings,
I heard her name.
She had the power to move things, to get things for farmers.
I have that power too, but it scares me.
I wonder if she was scared like me?

Find Out about Women from Your Province
Find out about a woman from your area. There may be a woman or a group of women from your area that has done something remarkable in the past who should not be forgotten. If you do not know of anyone, ask at the local library or museum. Or talk to some of the older people.
How much can you find out about her? Can you find any pictures?

• What is her name?
• When was she born?
• When did she die?
• What did she do that was special?

Help to make her story part of your local herstory!

Other Things You Can Do to Celebrate Herstory

Watch a Video about Women from the Past. Have a film night at your program. The National Film Board has a whole list of films on women from the past. You may also find one at your local video store. Phone numbers for the NFB are at the end of this chapter.

Write a Play. Write a short play about one day in the life of a woman from history. You might choose the day the vote was won for women, or the day Pauline Johnson first read her poetry in front of a crowd. You could perform it for others during October, Women's History Month.

Make a Herstory Display. October is Women's History Month in Canada. Ask your library or program to order some books about women from the past and make a display every October. Or make a display about your favorite woman from history to share with the rest of the program.

At the end of the chapter there is an address to get free information about Women's History Month.

Visit the Local Museum. Plan a trip to your local museum. Call ahead for someone to give you a tour. Ask to see what they have about women from the past. Think about whose lives are being shown: Is the exhibit about First Nations women, poor women, wealthy women, and women of color or was it mostly about what men did? Ask your tour guide how they chose what went into the collection.

After your visit, write down what the museum told you about women from the past. If there was something or someone missing, write a letter to the museum and tell them. They like to hear what people think.