Trailblazers

The position of women in Canadian society has changed dramatically from the days of gender discrimination when women's rights and freedoms were curtailed not only by prejudice, but by law. Today, women enjoy and expect to be active and respected members of society and the workforce. The social revolution that brought about these changes was the direct result of a fearless and determined battle fought by women, for women, something not always acknowledged.

Now thirty-six women tell their stories, of the role they played in blazing a trail, knowingly or not, and how they became part of the force that created Canadian society as we now know it. There are stories from Monique Bégin, the first female Quebec MP; Maureen Kempston Darkes, the first woman president of GM Canada; Corinne Sparks, Canada's first black judge; Justine Blainey, the first woman to win the legal right to play hockey on boys' teams; Rosella Bjornson, the first woman captain for a major airline; and many more.