Queen Elizabeth the Second

Since 1952, Queen Elizabeth has received over 387,700 awards and honors towards her assistance to her country. She is a great world figure, known and respected throughout the globe, and by being Queen of Canada, she endows Canadians with that international prestige. Just recently a new medal was created to mark the 2012 celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s rise to the Throne as Queen of Canada. Under Elizabeth’s rule, the idea that woman could assume a higher power has been solidified. She has been a major part of Canadian politics and the most important event which happened in Canada with the Queen was perhaps when she was in Ottawa in 1982, signing the new Canadian Constitution into law, which gave Canada complete independence. Her greatest achievement to date is that she has held her position as queen for sixty years and still stands strong.

http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1286996248156

Irene Parlby

Irene Parlby

                            Irene Parbly was one of the most influential Canadians because of the attention she brought to her potentials. Not only did she make it clear that a woman could be successfully in power, she was also the first woman to prove it by receiving an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Alberta in 1935.  Irene Parlby was only the second woman in the British Empire to hold ministerial office, and she has, through her history, become the best known member of “The Famous Five.” Even if her contributions aren’t well known, she’s on the fifty dollar bill for a reason. Mrs. Parlby supported 18 bills passed to improve the plight of women and children, six of which she introduced herself. She was a mother, the first president of the United Farm Women of Alberta and a staunch advocate for rural Alberta women and distance education. Irene Parlby represented Canada at the League of Nations in Geneva in 1930. The statue that presents the famous five has a plaque that reads all of Parlby’s achievements. Although all five women were named honorary senators in 2009, it seems that their efforts have still been largely in vain. Only 37 women sat in the 40th Canadian Parliament, a mere 12 per cent. However, female politicians can still look to the statues as a symbol in the ongoing struggle for equality.

http://canadaonline.about.com/cs/historywomen/p/ireneparlby.htm