Louise McKinney

Louise McKinney (September 22, 1868 - July 10, 1931), born Louise Crummey, was the first woman sworn in to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and the first woman elected to a legislature in Canada and in the British Empire. The first woman elected to any government position was Hannah Gale, an Alderman in Calgary, Alberta.

McKinney won election in the 1917 Alberta general election by defeating Alberta Liberal Party incumbent William Moffat.

McKinney believed in temperance education, stronger liquor control, women's property rights and the Dower Act. The other woman sworn into the Alberta Legislative Assembly on June 7, 1917 was Roberta MacAdams. She was a feminist, one of "The Famous Five" (also called "The Valiant Five"), along with Irene Parlby, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Emily Murphy and Nellie McClung.

She served the legislature as a member of the Alberta Non-Partisan League, the precursor party to the United Farmers of Alberta. In the 1921 Alberta general election, running under the United Farmers of Alberta, banner she was defeated and lost her seat to Independent Thomas Milner.

References

* [http://www.abheritage.ca/famous5/achievements/louise_mckinney.html Alberta Heritage profile]
* [http://www.collectionscanada.ca/women/002026-832-e.html Library and Archives Canada profile]
* [http://www.elections.ca/eca/eim/article_search/article.asp?id=88&lang=e&frmPageSize=&textonly=false Elections Canada profile]