Know Nellie...
The Winnipeg version of “A Women’s Parliament”
was held on January 28, 1914 at the Walker Theatre
(now the Burton Cummings). The owners of
the theatre, Corliss and Harriet Walker, were also
involved in the play.
Know Nellie...
To add legitimacy to the event, the planners of
The Women’s Parliament put their own spin on
parliamentary traditions: the hat of the Speaker of
the House (worn by the Speaker who is sitting) had
feathers added and the mace (carried by the speaker
to show authority) was decorated with flowers and
ribbons.
Know Nellie...
Because her imitation skills were well-known, Nellie’s
role within the Women’s Parliament was to imitate
then-premier Sir Rodmond Roblin. Roblin was a
heavy smoker and tended to snap his suspenders
while talking; so when Nellie imitated him in the
play, she wore suspenders and smoked a cigar.
Know Nellie...
The yellow candle represents light in the darkness.
In this case, it is shedding light onto women’s rights
and letting people know about the injustice of not
allowing women to vote.
Know Nellie...
Know Nellie...
There were 3 mother-daughter pairs within the
cast: Nellie (The Premier) and her daughter
Florence (a parliamentary page), Harriet Walker
(Minister of Public Works) and her daughter Ruth
(a parliamentary page) and Mrs. Francis Graham
(Speaker of the House) and her daughter Alma (a
clerk).
Nellie was born in Ontario in 1873 and died in
British Columbia in 1951. She was married to
Wesley McClung (whose mother was one of the
first suffragists) and together they raised five children
who were all involved in her work in various ways.
Know Nellie...
Know Nellie...
The Winnipeg version of “A Women’s Parliament”
was held on January 28, 1914 at the Walker Theatre
(now the Burton Cummings). The owners of
the theatre, Corliss and Harriet Walker, were also
involved in the play.
Because her imitation skills were well-known, Nellie’s
role within the Women’s Parliament was to imitate
then-premier Sir Rodmond Roblin. Roblin was a
heavy smoker and tended to snap his suspenders
while talking; so when Nellie imitated him in the
play, she wore suspenders and smoked a cigar.
Know Nellie...
To add legitimacy to the event, the planners of
The Women’s Parliament put their own spin on
parliamentary traditions: the hat of the Speaker of
the House (worn by the Speaker who is sitting) had
feathers added and the mace (carried by the speaker
to show authority) was decorated with flowers and
ribbons.
Know Nellie...
Know Nellie...
There were 3 mother-daughter pairs within the
cast: Nellie (The Premier) and her daughter
Florence (a parliamentary page), Harriet Walker
(Minister of Public Works) and her daughter Ruth
(a parliamentary page) and Mrs. Francis Graham
(Speaker of the House) and her daughter Alma (a
clerk).
The yellow candle represents light in the darkness.
In this case, it is shedding light onto women’s rights
and letting people know about the injustice of not
allowing women to vote.
Know Nellie...
Nellie was born in Ontario in 1873 and died in
British Columbia in 1951. She was married to
Wesley McClung (whose mother was one of the
first suffragists) and together they raised five children
who were all involved in her work in various ways.