Let's celebrate women! Join us for a very special International Women's Day event at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre on Friday March 7 at 7:30 p.m.
For this event, we're teaming up with Backyard History's Andrew MacLean to share his story Only Men May Vote! - A Tale of Fredericton Women's Lost and Found Voting Rights, taken from his latest book, Rebellious Women of the Maritimes. Told as a staged reading, Andrew, with the help of several special guests including Mayor Kate Rogers, Fredericton Poet Laureate Fawn Parker, and Fredericton City Councillor Cassandra LeBlanc together with our friends (and local MLAs!) David Coon and Luke Randall, will share the amazing story of New Brunswick women's rights advocate and all around trailblazer, Muriel McQueen Fergusson.
Born in New Brunswick in 1899, Fergusson challenged numerous gender barriers throughout her career while fighting for increased participation of women in politics. In the 1930’s she became New Brunswick’s first female judge of a probate court and would later successfully petition for the right of all women in New Brunswick to vote in municipal elections. Soon after, she challenged the ban on women running for Fredericton City Council, eventually becoming the city’s first alderman. In 1953, she was appointed to the Senate of Canada and became the first woman Speaker of the Senate, a position she proudly held from 1972-1974 before retiring the following year.
Muriel McQueen Fergusson died in Fredericton on April 11, 1997 at the age of 97.
Following the reading, CBC’s Jeanne Armstrong will moderate a Q&A with our guests on the topic of political equality.
Andrew will also be signing and selling copies of his new book Rebellious Women of the Maritimes during intermission and after the event.
Tickets are on sale now!
Only Men May Vote! - A Tale of Fredericton Women's Lost and Found Voting Rights | Friday March 7 | 7:30 p.m. | Charlotte Street Arts Centre