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OTTAWA,
October 12, 2000 -- The impact of a seven decades-old legal
decision that broke new ground for the rights of women will be the
topic of a special public panel discussion at the National Archives of
Canada.
A cross section
of political figures and legal experts will examine and debate the
constitutional, political and international legacy of the
"Persons" Case, a 1929 court ruling which legally declared
women as persons under the British North America Act and made
them eligible for appointment to the Canadian Senate. The case, which
was launched by five pioneering Alberta women activists known
collectively as the "Famous 5", opened the door to fuller
participation by women in the political process both in Canada and
throughout the Commonwealth.
The panel
discussion will take place on Tuesday, October 17, 2000 from 9:30 a.m.
to 11:30 a.m. in the Auditorium of the National Archives of Canada,
395 Wellington St. in Ottawa. Admission is free and the public is
invited to attend.
Panel members
will include the Honourable Hedy Fry, Secretary of State
(Multiculturalism, Status of Women); Senator Joyce Fairbairn; Senator
Gérald Beaudoin; and Michèle Falardeau-Ramsay, Chief Commissioner,
Canadian Human Rights Commission. Mary Dawson, Associate Deputy
Minister (Constitutional Affairs) at the Department of Justice Canada
will moderate the event.
The panel is one
of a series of special events around Ottawa that will coincide with
the unveiling on Parliament Hill of a monument to commemorate the
Famous 5. It is sponsored by:
The National
Archives of Canada preserves the recorded memory of Canada, including
the essential records of the government of Canada. By opening these
records to Canadians, it contributes to the protection of the rights
of all Canadians and enhances their understanding of Canada. This
serves Canadians by connecting them to the sources of their past, and
with their personal and collective stories.
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Biographical
notes are available on request to members of the media.
For more
information, please contact:
Pauline Portelance
Media Relations Officer
Telephone: (613) 996-6128
E-mail: media@lac-bac.gc.ca
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