ABOUT US
The Famous 5 Ottawa Committee - a volunteer group - was instrumental in persuading the government to place the Women Are Persons! Monument on Parliament Hill to commemorate the efforts of Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Irene Parlby, Henrietta Muir Edwards and Louse McKinney. They also worked to ensure the new $50 bill recognized women as nation builders.
Famous 5 Ottawa now offers a luncheon series through the generous sponsorship of Enbridge featuring speakers who emulate the Famous 5 - strong, determined outspoken women. Committed women who through their leadership and courage have advanced the cause of equality for all in ways that have enriched their communities and their country. They are our contemporary Nation Builders.
Famous 5 Ottawa Core Committee 2009/2010
| Chair | Isabel Metcalfe |
| Secretary | Trish Dechman |
| Treasurer | Mary Jessop |
| Manager | Joanne McDonald |
| Communications | Sylvie Powell and Rosemary Thompson |
| Selection/Criteria | Beatrice Keleher Raffoul |
| Outreach | Crystal Gillis |
Join the Famous 5 Ottawa Committee
……….. learn, grow and make a difference
Work with some of Ottawa's most experienced women! Learn Leadership Skills! Recruit Volunteers for a Relevant Project!
The Famous 5 Ottawa Committee is looking for young women - young builders - to join and help work with them in many capacities. The Famous 5 Ottawa Committee sponsored by Enbridge organizes three luncheons a year.
In October the Governor General's Persons' Case Award Recipients speak at area high schools to encourage young men and women to be Nation Builders like the Famous 5. We need young volunteers to manage and work on this Outreach Program.
In March timed with International Women's Day Famous 5 Ottawa honours an individual that has contributed in a worldly capacity. And in June an outstanding female with a diverse background is honoured.
Work with leaders to gain valuable organizational, leadership and networking skills.
To join the Famous 5 Ottawa Committee simply call Isabel Metcalfe, Chair, 613-292-2306 or the Famous 5 Ottawa Manager, Joanne McDonald, 613-271-2713 or joanne@jmaeventplanning.com
Henrietta Muir Edwards, (1849-1933), journalist, suffragist and organizer, fought for equal rights for wives, mothers’ allowances and women’s rights. She started the Working Girls’ Association in Montréal in 1875, a forerunner of the YWCA. Later, while living in Alberta she compiled two works on Alberta and federal laws affecting women and children. Proposed design for the Henrietta Muir Edwards commemorative postal stamp, 1981, by Muriel Wood and Dennis Goddard. "This decision [the Person's Case] marks the abolition of sex in politics. . . . Personally I do not care whether or not women ever sit in the Senate, but we fought for the privilege for them to do so. We sought to establish the personal individuality of women and this decision is the announcement of our victory. It has been an up-hill fight.-Henrietta Muir Edwards |