Canada’s First Legal Victory for Women: The Right to Vote

Sara Santos-Vigneault
Apr 23
3 min read

Political Equality League Presents Petition, 1915. Presentation of petition by the Political Equality League for the enfranchisement of women, 23 December 1915. Clockwise from top left: A.V. Thomas, F.J. Dixon, Amelia Burritt, Dr. Mary Crawford (courtesy Archives of Manitoba, Events 173/3, N9905). Archives of Manitoba — Political Equality League Presents Petition, Manitoba, 1915

Every movement for equality begins with a legal crack in the wall of exclusion. For women in Canada, that first break came in the form of the right to vote in federal elections — a hard-won legal milestone that redefined citizenship, voice, and visibility in public life.

This article explores how that legal victory came about, the people behind it, and what it meant for Canadian women, many of whom had spent decades agitating for recognition under the law.

The Wartime Elections Act (1917): When Sacrifice Became Leverage

In the thick of World War I, the Canadian government passed the Wartime Elections Act — the first federal law to allow women to vote. But this wasn’t a sweeping act of emancipation. It was a strategic wartime decision aimed at securing votes for conscription.

The law granted the vote to:

Women who were British subjects,
21 years of age or older, and
Had a close male relative serving in the military overseas.

Real-Life Impact: Nursing Sisters and “War Widows”

For women like Nursing Sister Margaret MacDonald, the highest-ranking woman in the Canadian Army Medical Corps, the act was both symbolic and personal. MacDonald, who had overseen nursing units across Europe, represented thousands of women whose wartime service reshaped public perceptions of women’s capabilities and sacrifices.

Similarly, women who had lost sons or husbands in the war were seen as having “earned” their political voice through grief and patriotism. This reinforced the idea that women’s legitimacy in law was tethered to male sacrifice — a limitation that would later be challenged.

Election workers in Montréal hold metal ballot boxes, as they wait outside their local election office in 1953. The Montreal Gazette, Library and Archives Canada, e011200968 — Election workers in Montréal wait outside their local election office in 1953.

The Canadian Elections Act (1918): A Broader, But Not Equal, Right

The following year, a more inclusive — but still imperfect — legal shift occurred. On May 24, 1918, the Canadian Elections Act was amended to grant most women the federal vote, as long as they were:

British subjects, and
At least 21 years old.

This act extended the franchise beyond military families and formally enshrined voting as a right, not just a wartime privilege.

Key Figures: Nellie McClung and the “Mock Parliament”

This legal progress didn’t happen in isolation. It was the result of decades of activism, led by figures like Nellie McClung, part of the “Famous Five” who would later secure the legal recognition of women as “persons” under the British North America Act.

In 1914, McClung famously staged a satirical “Mock Parliament” in Manitoba, flipping the gender script to ridicule the idea that women were too emotional or illogical to vote. It captured national attention and helped build momentum for legal reform.

Exclusions That Lasted Decades

Despite the milestone, the 1918 act did not mark full equality under the law.

Indigenous women and men were still denied the vote unless they renounced their Indian status under the Indian Act. This disenfranchisement continued until 1960.
Asian Canadians, especially Chinese and Japanese women, remained barred from voting in many provinces until after World War II.
Black women, while technically enfranchised federally after 1918, often faced local and informal suppression tactics, particularly in provinces like Nova Scotia.

These exclusions remind us that Canada’s first legal victory for women was a partial one, filtered through colonial and racial hierarchies.

Why This Legal Milestone Mattered

Though limited, the 1917 and 1918 laws created a legal foothold that women could build upon. They redefined political identity, planting the idea that women were not just moral guardians of the home, but also rightful participants in the nation’s governance.

This victory gave women legal recognition as citizens with political agency. It set a precedent for future rights — including access to public office, equality in the workplace, and reproductive freedoms.

Legal Terms Explained

Suffrage: The right to vote in public elections.
Franchise: A legal term referring to the right to vote.
British subject: Before 1947, Canadians were legally considered British subjects under the British Empire.