| Louise McKinney | |
|---|---|
| A statue of Louise McKinney | |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta | |
| In office 7 June 1917 – 18 July 1921 |
|
| Preceded by | William Moffat |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Milnes |
| Constituency | Claresholm |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Louise Crummy 22 September 1868 Frankville, Ontario |
| Died | 10 July 1931 (aged 62) Claresholm, Alberta |
| Political party | Non-Partisan League |
| Other political affiliations |
United Farmers |
| Occupation | Women's rights activist and politician |
Louise McKinney née Crummy (22 September 1868 – 10 July 1931) was a provincial politician and women's rights activist from Alberta, Canada. She was the first woman sworn in to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and the first woman elected to a legislature in Canada and in the British Empire. She served that position from 1917 to 1921 sitting with the Non-Partisan League caucus in opposition.
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McKinney ran for a seat to the Alberta Legislature in the 1917 Alberta general election. She won the electoral district of Claresholm as a candidate for the Non-Partisan League by defeating Liberal incumbent William Moffat in hotly contested race.[1]
McKinney believed in temperance education, stronger liquor control, women's property rights and the Dower Act. She was one of two woman sworn into the Alberta Legislative Assembly on 7 June 1917, the other being Roberta MacAdams. McKinney became one of "The Famous Five" (also called "The Valiant Five"), along with Irene Parlby, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Emily Murphy and Nellie McClung
She ran for a second term in the 1921 Alberta general election, running under the United Farmers banner. She was defeated and lost her seat to Independent Farmer candidate Thomas Milnes in a hotly contested race.[2]
Among other honours, in October 2009 the Senate voted to name McKinney and the rest of the Five Canada's first "honorary senators".[3] She died at Claresholm, Alberta, in 1931.[4]