Famous Five Statues on Parliament Hill Motion

Famous Five Statues on Parliament Hill Motion

Until 2002, there had been no presence of Women on Parliament Hill. The tradition had been that dead former prime ministers and monarchs were the only eminent who could qualify for a Hill statue. The exception was a handful of ancient statues of 19th Century Fathers of Confederation.

 

This had to be changed. In 1997, Jean, as Chair of the Women’s Caucus, worked to get that rescinded. Through parliamentary maneuvers over an entire day, she finally got a motion unanimously passed which led to the placement of the Famous Five Statues on Parliament Hill.

 

The statue of the five women reading about and celebrating their victory marks the first women to be honored with Parliament Hill statues. Among other things, they had fought for women’s legal rights, the right to vote, the right to own property and to hold the same positions as men. 

More information at: https://openparliament.ca/debates/1997/12/11/jean-augustine-1/only/