1917: 'Birth of a Nation' - Remembering Vimy Ridge 100 Years After Historic Victory

Nellie was a committed fighter for human rights and social reform in Canada at a time when women were expected to stay at home and have babies. Nellie is most remembered for her fight to get women the vote. In 1914, she and other members of the Political Equality League staged a mock parliament that turned the tables, satirizing the dangers of allowing men the right to vote. The play was entertaining and effective; it began a turn of the tide for the government of the day in the province. In 1916, Manitoba was the first province to grant women the right to vote, the rest of Canada soon followed.