Famous Canadian Women Trivia Quiz

Answer: Shanawdithit

Shanawdithit died in captivity in 1829, and tragically she was the last of her people. With her death, in 1829, the Beothuks became extinct. They were a small, family orientated tribe; theirs was a hunter-gatherer society who had lived along the shores of Newfoundland Island.

When European settlers came to this area they began to hunt the Beothuks. When Shanawdithit was born in 1801 her people already were almost extinct, from disease and slaughter. Towards the end of her life Shanawdithit, along with two other women (the last three remaining people of an entire race), were captured and held in captivity.

The two other women died shortly after being captured. Shanawdithit was then taken into a private home where she helped document the life and traditions of her people. On June 6, 1829, she died of tuberculosis while still in captivity.

Answer: Madeleine de Vercheres

Apologies for not putting the accents on the French names.

In our society a young girl of fourteen is generally still considered a child. In the society that Madeleine grew up in, she would have been considered a young woman at fourteen, almost an adult. In 1699, at the age of fourteen Madeleine was left in charge of Fort de Vercheres. She was responsible for the fort and for the safety of a couple of soldiers, a servant, and her two younger brothers. It was during this time that Madeleine managed to hold and defend the Fort against attacking Iroquois. Due to this act of bravery a statue was erected at the site in her honour. In 1923 Madeleine de Vercheres was nominated a Canadian National Historic Person.

Answer: St. John's General Hospital School of Nursing

At the age of thirty-seven Mary Southcott travelled to London to begin her training, training that would fulfill her dream of nursing. Mary wanted to be a nurse at a time when many considered the profession to be for "poorly paid domestic servants". She made it her life's work to improve the working conditions of nurses and to provide them with better training.

She succeeded in fulfilling her dream. She also helped to make the nursing profession a more respectable, valuable branch of the medical society in Newfoundland.

In 1954 Mary Southcott was honoured by having a nurses' residence named for her. She was vital to the development of 'pre-Confederate Newfoundland'.

Answer: Webbwood

Barbara Hanley was elected mayor of a small town in Ontario on January 6, 1936. She won the election by a mere thirteen votes; however, it was enough to put her in the mayor's seat. Barbara Hanley was Mayor of Webbwood from 1936 to 1944. The town of Webbwood, to honour the first woman mayor, erected a large sign with her name and picture on it. Every person coming through and leaving the town can see and read of her accomplishments. Many believe that Charlotte Whitton was Canada's first female mayor, and my sister and I have written to many sites to correct this assumption. Charlotte Whitton was the first woman mayor of a large city, she was elected in 1951, and that is also quite an accomplishment for a woman of that era.

Answer: pilot's license

Eileen Vollick received her training at Jack V. Elliot's Flying School, located in Hamilton, Ontario. Eileen Vollick was required to submit her application for a pilot's license to the Department of National Defense. They decided that at that time a female must wait until she was nineteen years of age before she could receive her pilot's license, whereas a male could receive his at seventeen years of age. Eileen Vollick passed her tests and earned her private pilot's license.

Her license was number 77.

Answer: Arson

In 1999, Marie-Joseph Angelique's story was told by Michael Jarvis in the film titles "Angelique".
Marie-Joseph Angelique was a black slave who attempted to gain her freedom. In her bid for freedom she burnt her owner's home hoping to provide a distraction so that she could escape. The fire that Marie started spread to the other buildings and, unfortunately for her, she was caught. Marie never gained her freedom, instead she was hung until dead and then her body was burnt. Many historians believe that this act was a spark in the rebellion against slavery in early Canada.
"In honouring me, you honour forebears and icons like Marie-Joseph Angelique of Nouvelle-France, who struck a defiant blow against slavery back in 1734.", Dr. Esmeralda Thornhill.

Answer: Laure Gaudreault created a teacher's union in Quebec.

When I think of turn of the century educators I think of the story told by Laura Ingalls. However even in that story the working conditions were horrible. A teacher in most rural schools in the early 1900's was supposed to be: the teacher, the principal, the janitor, the librarian, the secretary, the yard monitor and, when the occasion called for it, also the nurse.

The one room little red school house on the hill may sound idyllic, but to the person working there, in those conditions it was probably drudgery. Laure Gaudreault ,while working in those conditions, was also working to improve the conditions.

In 1936 she created her first union for teachers which continues to work for improved conditions. She spent her entire life working for this goal, which she did fulfill along with many more.

Answer: Maude Abbott

Maude Abbott entered the field of medicine at a time period when women were just starting to be accepted in the medical profession. She started her practice in Montreal, Quebec. Her speciality was the heart. In the early 1900s she received the honour of having her work published in a "all-male Medico-Chirurgical Society" - a first for a woman. With her writings and work being recognized within the medical community, Maude went on to write several papers on the subject of congenital heart diseases. During her lifetime she published over 100 papers on the subject of the heart as well as having two books published.

Her work was and is widely accepted and respected within the profession that she chose.

Answer: She promoted nutrition and good sanitation in the home.

During her lifetime Adelaide did many things to promote the safety by means of good sanitation and good nutrition in the home. People living in this time period (1857-1910) were not as aware of the health risks in poor sanitation as we are. Adelaide had a young child die from drinking raw milk.

She believed that if she had known the benefits of pasteurizing milk that this tragedy would not have occurred. After this incident Adelaide threw herself into making sure the education was there for others. One of the ways that she did this was to campaign for the teaching of "Domestic Science" in schools. Adelaide also arranged for the 'Women's Institute' and the YWCA (Young Women's Christian Association) to teach rural women simple hygiene for their home and person.

These courses covered topics like "understanding of economic and hygienic value of foods". She didn't stop there and, with the assistance of Lady Aberdeen, she brought about the creation of the Victorian Order of Nurses. The early idea was that the nurses could go into rural homes to help and educate more women.

Answer: Physician

Dr. James Miranda Barry is believed to have been born Margaret Bulkley in 1795. As a young child she was educated by her uncle, James Barry. After the death of Margaret's uncle James in 1806 Margaret disappeared and James Miranda Barry enrolled in a medical school in Scotland.

After graduating from the University of Edinburgh Dr. Barry began to travel, studying and practising medicine throughout the world. Dr. Barry eventually settled in Montreal, Canada where he/she had a office until his/her retirement. Upon his/her death in London in 1865, Dr. James Miranda Barry's secret became known. If this person really was a woman than she was the first practising female doctor in Canada.