Famous Canadian Women's Historic Timeline - 2000-2005

Return to Timeline introduction

2000 AD to 2005 AD
Events listed relate to Canadian women with a few extra items added to give the timeline perspective.

This timeline is not all inclusive.

The timeline was fun to prepare and hopefully it will be fun to read. Perhaps it will even be useful.

Events listed are drawn from various sources including those listed on other areas of http://famouscanadianwomen.com

If you wish more information on the women listed in this timeline be sure and check out the birthdays listed in
"Do you share a birthday with a famous Canadian woman?"

LAST UPDATED March 2008

DATES	EVENTS
2000	*January 17 -* Canada Post issues a commemorative stamp honouring Dr Maude Abbott (1869-1940) an internationally acclaimed expert in the human heart. *Maryse Carmichael,* a captain with the Canadian Air Force, is the first female pilot to fly with the Canadian Forces' national aerobatic team, the Snowbirds. Nycole Turmel becomes the first woman (and first Francophone) president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. Source Canada Women's Foundation. History of the women's movement: selected moments of importance in the history of Canadian women , 2004 http://cdnwomen.org. January 7 - Beverly McLachlin (1943- ) is the first woman to become Chief Justice of Canada. Catriona Le May Doan (1970- ) becomes the first Canadian individual to successfully defend a gold medal at any Olympic Games. Canadian women's Hockey team wins Olympic Gold medal. April 17 - Pat Duncan (1960- ) is elected Premier of the Yukon. June 20 - Betty Kennedy (1926- ) is appointed to the Senate of Canada. October - Famous Five monument is unveiled . It is located near the Senate entrance of the Canada's Parliament Buildings, Ottawa, Ontario. Employment Insurance benefits are expanded to allow payments for up to a year for natural and adoptive parents. The Chief of the Maritime Staff of the Canadian Forces announces that women may now serve in submarines. Source "Women throughout Canadian military history." in Canadian Forces Personnel Newsletter Issue 2/05 23 February 2005. Margaret Atwood wins the coveted BOOKER Prize in literature for her book The Blind Assassin. National Nursing History Collection is established in agreement with the Canadian Nurses" Association, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Canadian War Museum and the National Archives of Canada. Source : http://www.canadiannursesfoundation.com/ (accessed June 2004) Television advertisements for birth control pills appear for the first time. Source : Canuck Chicks and Maple Leaf Mamas : women of the Great White North by Ann Douglas Toronto, McArthur and Co., 2002. Shawandithit (ca 1801-1829) is designated a National Historic Person by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. Deaths: January 22- Died Anne Hébert (1916-2000) award winning poet, playwright , and novelist. February 21 - Died Violet Archer (1913-2000) musician and award winning composer. March 2 - Died Sandra Schmirler (1963-2000), World and Olympic Champion curler. March 9 - Died Jean Coulthard (1908-2000) Composer and educator awarded the Order of Canada.
2001	Women in the Canadian armed services are permitted to serve in submarines.Source: Women in the Military. The Canadian Encyclopedia Online http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com The Hon. Iona Campagnolo (1932- ) is the first woman Lieutenant-Governor of the province of British Columbia. Statistics Canada, when factoring both paid and unpaid work loads, reveals that a typical Canadian woman outworks a typical Canadian many by 80 hours a year. Source : Canuck Chicks and Maple Leaf Mamas : women of the Great White North by Ann Douglas Toronto, McArthur and Co., 2002. pg. 21 Carrie Serwetnyk (1965- ) international soccer star is inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame. Source: Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame Accessed March 2007. The population of Canada is 30.75 with 250,000 immigrants arriving this year. The overall birthrate is declining. *Flores Le Due, (1883-1951) World Champion Trick and Fancy Rider ( first of three titles was won in 1912) is inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, the only Canadian resident to be inducted. Deaths:* March 8 - Died Frances Marr Adaskin (1900-2001) pianist.
2002	Canadian Women's Hockey Team wins Olympic Gold! December 1 - World Aids Day. Women make up 50% of the 42 million people in the world infected with HIV-Aids. Source: CBC (Accessed November 26, 2002) Deaths: October 3 - Died Julie Frost ( -2002) pioneer in the Broadcaster Hall of Fame. November 26 - Died Isabel McLaughlin (1903-2002) early modernist painter. November 29 - Died Mary L. Richmond (1920-2002) teacher of nursing and nursing history advocate. December 10 - Died Ruth Gorman (1914-2002) lawyer and Officer of the Order of Canada
2003	*Lieutenant-Commander Marta Mulkins* is the first woman to serve as a captain of a Canadian warship, the HMCS Summerside. Source "Women throughout Canadian military history." in Canadian Forces Personnel Newsletter Issue 2/05 23 February 2005. Master Seaman Colleen Beattie of the Canadian Navy is the first woman to qualify as a sub Mariner. Source "Women throughout Canadian military history." in Canadian Forces Personnel Newsletter Issue 2/05 23 February 2005. October 1 - Canada Post issues a set of commemorative stamps honouring Canadian Astronauts including Roberta Bondar (1945- ), the first Canadian woman in space, and Julie Payette (1963- ) , the first Canadian woman to visit the Space Station. *Roberta Bondar* (1945- ) *is recognized by TIME* magazine as one of Canada's five best explorers. Source : http://www.robertabondar.ca/ Roberta Bondar (1945- ) is inducted into the International Women's Forum Hall of Fame.** Source : www.robertabondar.ca The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame is created and Mary Travers (La Bolduc) (1894-1941) is one of the first five popular song composers inducted. February - Eaton's department store, once a cornerstone of the city of Winnipeg is torn down. Deaths: July 10 - Died Zahra Kazeml (1949-2003) murdered photographer and documentalist. July 16 - Died Carol Shields (1935-2003) award winning author. July 31 - Died Barbara Smucker (1915-2003) noted children's author. September 5- Died Gisele Mackenzie (1927-2005) accomplished violinist, singer and star of TV and the movies. November 30 - Died Muriel Flexman (1912-2003) journalist and first woman to work at Canadian Press
2004	January - The RT. Hon. Kim Campbell (1947- ) is appointed Secretary General of the Club De Madrid , an organization with which she was a founding executive member, that is dedicated to democracy in the world. Source: Club de Madrid Kim Campbell www.clubmadrid.org (accessed January 2006) June - the Media Club of Ottawa celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Women's Press Club with a conference and a play "One Hundred Years of Daring : Day One" by Rosaleen Dickson. Lori-Ann Muenzer (1966- ) wins Canada first gold medal in Cycling at the Olympic Games, Athens, Greece. Lori-Ann Muenzer (1966- ) is Female Athelete of the Year (Canadian Press& Broadcast news) December 26 - One of the world's worst disasters, an earthquake and tsunami kills 100,000 people in Asia including Sri Lanka, and India. Deaths: April 14 - Died Micheline Charest (1953-2004) business woman in animation industry. May - Died Winnie Roach-Leuszler (1926-2004) acclaimed international swimmer who was the first Canadian woman to swim the English Channel. July 12 - Died Betty Oliphant (1918-2004) founder of the National Ballet School of Canada. August 8 - Died Fay Wray, (1907-2004) actress who is best remembered as playing oposite the ape in the movie, King Kong. October 22 - Died Cathy Kerr (1951-2004) social activist for the disabled November 13 - Died Ellen Louks Fairclough. (1905-2004) Hamilton, Ontario. First woman to be appointed to the federal Canadian cabinet. December 16 - Died Agnes Martin (1912-2004) one of the world's foremost abstract painter. December 26 - Died June Kander (1927-2004) educator and humanitarian.
2005	January 8 - Genevieve Simard wins Silver and Allison Forsythe wins bronze medal in Women's Giant Slalom in World Cup at Santa Caterina. Source: Ottawa Citizen. February 24 - a new play opens in Winnipeg featuring the life of former Ottawa Mayor, *Charlotte Whitton* (1896-1975). The play, Molly's Vail is written by Sharon Bajer. Source: Ottawa Citizen April 18 - Time Magazine has selected Canadian author Alice Munro as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Source: Time Magazine May 4 - The Registrar of Citizenship for the Government of Canada confirmed in Ottawa yesterday that there is no question: War Brides and their children are Canadian citizens. Source: Canadian War Brides http://canadianwarbrides.com/whatsnew.html (Accessed May 20, 2005) May 8 - Canada Post honours Canadian War Brides with a Commemorative envelope. Source: Canadian War Brides http://canadianwarbrides.com/whatsnew.html (Accessed May 20, 2005) May 16 - Ontario Legislature passes 'Sabrina's Law' in memory of *Sabrina Shannon,* a 13 year old Pembroke girl who died after eating french fries from her school cafeteria. The law will force Ontario schools to develop a policy for students with potentially life-threatening allergies. Source; Ottawa Citizen May 17, 2004. May 16 - Chantal Petitclerc is honoured with the 2005 Laureus world sport award for the top sportsperson with a disability. June - Actress Fay Wray (1907-2004) and singer Alanis Morissette are inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto. June 9 - Male university professors better paid than female colleagues . Statistics Canada reports that the difference in salaries averages S17, 575.00. Source: Ottawa Citizen June 10, 2005 Pg A9. summer - Vicki Keith Munro, (1961- ) retired marathon swimmer, "Queen of the Great Lakes" comes out of retirement to swim again to raise the awareness and funding for children with disabilities. August 4 - the Government announces the name of the new 27th Governor Michaelle Jean (1957- ) award winning journalist, broadcaster and humanitarian. Source web page of the Governor General www.gg.ca (accessed March 2007) September 27 - Michaelle Jean (1957-) award winning journalist and broadcaster is invested as Canada's 27th and first Afro-Caribbean Governor General. Source web page of the Governor General www.gg.ca (accessed March 2007) Sheila Watt-Cloutier (1953- ) environmental activist for the world's indigenous peoples, is awarded the Norwegian SOPHIE Award. Deaths: Died- Ruth Wilson (1919-20010 Ruth Wilson, basketball player. January 5 - Died Madeleine Hinchey (1922-2005) former secretary general to the National Research Council January 7 - Lois Hole (1929-2005) Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. February - Died Mae Harmon (1921 ? - 2005) social activist for seniors. March - Died Terry Litovitz (1949-2005) an accounting teacher who was concerned for her students. March 21 - Died Evelyn Horne (1907-2005) Caring Canadian Award recipient. April 7- Died Yvonne Vera award winning author. April 14 - Died Margaret Allemang (1914-2005) advocate of Canadian nursing history. April 25 - Died Kay Martin Snelgrove (1921-2005) heroine spy and code runner during World War ll. April 27 - Died Christine McCall (1935-2005) journalist, author and biographer of Pierre Elliot Trudeau. May 4 - Died Saida Gerrard (1913-2005) in the 1930's she made significant contributions to modern dance in Canada. May 9 - Died Dorothy Thomas (1938-2005) feminist and community social activist. May 22 - Died Sheila Agnes Egoff (1918-2005) librarian, award winning expert in Children's literature. July 23 - Died Edith Firth (1927-2005) librarian, bibliographer and author. September 5 - Died Elaine Gottschall ( -2005) she studying nutritional biochemistry & cellular biology & published her findings for others to use. October 6 - Died Doris Clark Ludwig (1905-2005) a social worker by education she became a journalist in her subject area. December 31 - Died Aiko Geraldine Suzuki (1937-2005) a sculptor, painter, printmaker, dance set designer, curator and teacher,.