{"id":5632,"date":"2026-01-23T10:08:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T14:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/?p=5632"},"modified":"2025-02-27T05:46:43","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T09:46:43","slug":"cairine-reay-mackay-wilson-from-ottawa-the-story-of-canadas-first-female-senator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/cairine-reay-mackay-wilson-from-ottawa-the-story-of-canadas-first-female-senator","title":{"rendered":"Cairine Reay MacKay Wilson from Ottawa: The Story of Canada\u2019s First Female Senator"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>She made history as the <strong>first Canadian woman<\/strong> to become a senator. <strong>Cairine Reay MacKay Wilson<\/strong> was appointed Senator for Ontario in 1930, a position she held until March 1962, when she passed away. <a href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/uk\/\"><strong>Ottawa Yes<\/strong><\/a> takes a closer look at her life story, political ambitions, and personal journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_76 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a0d52225aa8b\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a0d52225aa8b\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/cairine-reay-mackay-wilson-from-ottawa-the-story-of-canadas-first-female-senator\/#Personal_Life\" >Personal Life<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/cairine-reay-mackay-wilson-from-ottawa-the-story-of-canadas-first-female-senator\/#Moving_to_Ottawa\" >Moving to Ottawa<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/cairine-reay-mackay-wilson-from-ottawa-the-story-of-canadas-first-female-senator\/#A_Long-Awaited_Appointment\" >A Long-Awaited Appointment<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/cairine-reay-mackay-wilson-from-ottawa-the-story-of-canadas-first-female-senator\/#Cairine_Wilsons_Defining_Moment\" >Cairine Wilson\u2019s Defining Moment<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/cairine-reay-mackay-wilson-from-ottawa-the-story-of-canadas-first-female-senator\/#The_United_Nations_General_Assembly\" >The United Nations General Assembly<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/cairine-reay-mackay-wilson-from-ottawa-the-story-of-canadas-first-female-senator\/#The_End_of_Cairine_Wilsons_Story\" >The End of Cairine Wilson\u2019s Story<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Personal_Life\"><\/span><strong>Personal Life<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Born into an affluent, socially influential family of Scottish Canadians in Montreal, <strong>Cairine<\/strong> grew up with strong ties to the <strong>Liberal Party<\/strong> of Canada. Her father, <strong>Robert Mackay<\/strong>, served on the boards of several successful Canadian companies and owned both the Bank of Montreal and the Canadian Pacific Railway. In 1901, he was appointed to the Senate, where he served until his death in 1916. Cairine was one of nine children, and little is known about their upbringing; available information suggests that the parents were strict and traditional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a teenager, Cairine attended the private <strong>Trafalgar School<\/strong> for Girls. After finishing school, she was introduced at a government <a href=\"https:\/\/ottawanka.com\/uk\/eternal\/istoriyi-baliv-u-ottavi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ball<\/a> in 1905 to her future husband by <strong>Zo\u00eb<\/strong>, wife of Sir Wilfrid Laurier. Four years later, Cairine married <strong>Norman Wilson<\/strong>, a Liberal Member of Parliament for Russell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the first ten years of her marriage, <strong>Cairine Wilson<\/strong> raised eight children and managed the household. Before Norman\u2019s death, the couple, along with their eight children, moved to Cumberland, Ontario. On July 14, 1956, Norman passed away following a severe decline in health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ottawayes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/02\/ad_4nxdxz4xomi3_aj_eu-xlgd6nygthfhfjso8hizyt1yu4m2itpknush4ekuyyyw3fhh9djznlcgqroycx3wupaucvugwdqqpjdnp491cnwoxfibh_0ie9xonqyn6xwatumikqtniskeyo5ze-nyykgtnpq2h7jokp4qw.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Moving_to_Ottawa\"><\/span><strong>Moving to Ottawa<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1918, the family relocated to <strong>Ottawa<\/strong>, where Cairine Reay MacKay Wilson took on various volunteer roles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Providing support to <strong>disadvantaged children<\/strong>, the poor, and refugees<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Leading political organizations focused on women with children, including the <strong>Victorian Order of Nurses<\/strong> and the <strong>Young Women\u2019s Christian Association<\/strong>. These groups supported women with political aspirations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Cairine\u2019s active involvement led to the founding of the <strong>Twentieth Century Liberal Association<\/strong>. Thanks to her, the <strong>National Federation of Liberal Women<\/strong> was also established. She served as president of both organizations for ten years (from 1938 to 1948).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Contemporary press reports noted that the bilingual mother of eight and her husband lived at <strong>192 Daly Avenue<\/strong> in Ottawa while their old <strong>Keefer Estate<\/strong> in Rockcliffe was undergoing renovations. The family also owned a summer residence in St. Andrews, New Brunswick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ottawayes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/02\/ad_4nxeb1lykmblpdlmckv6yhfc3wbract7rws-jdz06qrqhlk5nsj0jhciv_1zui3fpovhnu1gh5svlunp3tgh7yabeh-cnpshe5ahba6veghk1iavfuvsucov1iav5najsjh6tt3mv1gkeyo5ze-nyykgtnpq2h7jokp4qw.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Long-Awaited_Appointment\"><\/span><strong>A Long-Awaited Appointment<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As mentioned earlier, <strong>Cairine Wilson<\/strong> became <strong>Canada\u2019s first female senator<\/strong> in <strong>1930<\/strong>, at the age of 45. This was a major milestone, happening only four months after the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council\u2019s decision in the \u201cPersons Case,\u201d also known as <strong>\u201cEdwards v. Canada.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That landmark 1929 constitutional case ruled that <strong>women had the right<\/strong> to sit in the Senate of Canada. The case was brought by the government in response to lobbying by a group of women known as <strong>\u201cThe Famous Five,\u201d<\/strong> which included Henrietta Edwards, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Emily Murphy, and Irene Parlby. Edwards was listed first as the lead appellant because her name appeared first in alphabetical order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With Cairine Wilson\u2019s appointment, the long-standing practice of <strong>excluding women<\/strong> from Senate appointments came to an end. Previously, women were not recognized as \u201cqualified persons\u201d under the BNA Act. Cairine\u2019s example inspired many women, demonstrating that they, too, could hold high political office and make significant decisions on behalf of the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ottawayes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/02\/ad_4nxdgnvmg07fin7a_d6ild9jgdtcxjwjo5k1-xofdlsbbkze9b2j50rusflckwg-cdw77t3vekhfehr6hcn-_cq49_b3wwmaf5gaywfm_xs1zsm1ctljhg5zhnpbwlboil8weuk8sagkeyo5ze-nyykgtnpq2h7jokp4qw.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Cairine_Wilsons_Defining_Moment\"><\/span><strong>Cairine Wilson\u2019s Defining Moment<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On <strong>February 20, 1930<\/strong>, at 3:30 p.m., two newly appointed Canadian senators were introduced to the public: <strong>Robert Forke<\/strong> of Pipestone, Manitoba, and <strong>Cairine MacKay Wilson<\/strong> of Ottawa. Formally, there was nothing extraordinary about this process\u2014senators were traditionally appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister whenever seats became vacant. Yet the occasion was unique because, for the <strong>very first time<\/strong>, a woman took a seat in the Canadian Senate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although her name was discussed and there were doubts\u2014her husband openly opposed her taking a paid position, even telling the Governor General she would refuse\u2014Cairine surprised everyone by <strong>accepting immediately<\/strong>, despite her husband\u2019s protests. At the time, press coverage emphasized her personal qualities and family connections, rather than her qualifications, praising her poise, tact, and easy manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some strongly disagreed with the decision, arguing that she was a mother of eight children, or that a representative of <strong>The Famous Five<\/strong> should have been selected instead, or simply that the seat should remain with a man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nonetheless, <strong>Cairine Wilson<\/strong> went on to have a long and truly remarkable career in the Senate. Notably, it took the federal government four more years to appoint a second woman, <strong>Iva Fallis<\/strong>, in 1935 under Conservative Prime Minister R. B. Bennett. As for the Famous Five, their role was honoured in 2009, when they were made senators posthumously\u2014an important symbolic gesture recognizing their vital work in the struggle for women\u2019s rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ottawayes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/02\/ad_4nxcvgznh_wqe3qcqgmokajajrzedjj7c4n938rlupmxno6hc_hnfzmkyd0lutmbsdqd9hsiozmiycv0a1rdqh52b1tjpjrvkxdyllovl9x0ytvyjstnhenp_zaxej8k-to7-adfzdgkeyo5ze-nyykgtnpq2h7jokp4qw.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_United_Nations_General_Assembly\"><\/span><strong>The United Nations General Assembly<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At the request of Louis Stephen St. Laurent\u2014a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as Canada\u2019s <strong>12th Prime Minister<\/strong>\u2014<strong>Cairine Wilson<\/strong> became Canada\u2019s <strong>first female delegate<\/strong> to the UN General Assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As head of the <strong>Canadian Refugee Committee<\/strong>, she worked extensively to help people seeking asylum in Canada. Her commitment to child refugees was so significant that, in <strong>1950<\/strong>, she was awarded the Chevalier Cross of the <strong>Legion of Honour<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In <strong>1955<\/strong>, <strong>Cairine Wilson<\/strong> became the first woman in Canada to serve as <strong>Deputy Speaker<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_End_of_Cairine_Wilsons_Story\"><\/span><strong>The End of Cairine Wilson\u2019s Story<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>She passed away on <strong>March 3, 1962<\/strong>, from a heart attack. Three weeks prior, she had been hospitalized at the Ottawa Civic Hospital due to complications from a hip fracture. Her funeral took place at St. Andrew\u2019s Presbyterian Church in Ottawa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the years, <strong>Cairine Wilson<\/strong> led several important organizations, reflecting both her influence and the respect she garnered. She believed in supporting young people\u2019s drive to develop leadership skills. A true polymath, she made her mark in many fields, never hesitating to shoulder responsibility and bring her ideas to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although her life story has ended, her legacy lives on. She remains the <strong>first woman<\/strong> to hold crucial political positions in Canada, and her name endures in places like <strong>Cairine Wilson Secondary School<\/strong> in Orl\u00e9ans, Ontario. This English-language school in the eastern suburb of Orl\u00e9ans\u2014located near the Ottawa River\u2014opened in <strong>1975<\/strong> and continues to build on her enduring legacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ottawayes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/02\/ad_4nxcslt1m2bu01d99k6oyztked_yvk59zjq-wpyvdm-xcxfuxmehq6suvc6vozfbemnrf3ppn3odllbckqs7kvaklzpvgki6qwf7kt_zvuda7_nwy37iaury6lhyxkxmdesojzjyugkeyo5ze-nyykgtnpq2h7jokp4qw.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>She made history as the first Canadian woman to become a senator. Cairine Reay MacKay Wilson was appointed Senator for Ontario in 1930, a position she held until March 1962, when she passed away. Ottawa Yes takes a closer look at her life story, political ambitions, and personal journey. Personal Life Born into an affluent, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":419,"featured_media":5651,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[490],"tags":[2475,2481,2474,2478,2473,2483,2076,2485,2484,2476,2479,2482,2480,2477,2472],"motype":[491],"moformat":[93],"moimportance":[100,101,104],"class_list":{"0":"post-5632","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-pro-polituky","8":"tag-canadas-first-female-senator","9":"tag-canadian-history","10":"tag-history-of-canadas-first-female-senator","11":"tag-karen-mackay-wilson-of-ottawa","12":"tag-liberal-party-of-canada","13":"tag-moving-to-ottawa","14":"tag-personal-life","15":"tag-philanthropist","16":"tag-political-ambitions","17":"tag-politician","18":"tag-senatorial-position","19":"tag-social-change","20":"tag-volunteer-work","21":"tag-women-in-politics","22":"tag-womens-leadership","23":"motype-eternal","24":"moformat-longrid-korotka","25":"moimportance-aktualna-bilshe-roku","26":"moimportance-golovna-novyna","27":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatory"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5632","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/419"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5632"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5632\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5648,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5632\/revisions\/5648"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5651"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5632"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5632"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5632"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=5632"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=5632"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=5632"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}