Province recognizes contributions of women war veterans

News Release
Prov. Govt.

The Ontario government is celebrating the contributions of women veterans to the history and growth of the province and promoting their role in educating Ontario’s youth about the significance of women’s wartime and peacekeeping experiences.
“Women veterans helped change the course of history,” said Minister Responsible for Women’s Issues, Sandra Pupatello, at a reception in honour of women veterans of the Second World War. “By educating Ontario’s youth about the consequences of these wartime contributions, women veterans will continue to shape the course of history.”
“It is an honour for me to help celebrate the unique contributions women veterans have made to military and peacekeeping efforts,” said Minister Responsible for Seniors, Jim Bradley, who co-hosted the reception. “The women of Ontario made unprecedented sacrifices during the Second World War, both at home and abroad, and on behalf of all Ontarians, I would like to thank them.”
Several of the women veterans who attended the reception contribute to the Memory Project, an initiative led by the Dominion Institute with the support of the government of Ontario. The Memory Project brings history alive for students by inviting veterans to visit classrooms and communities, and to share experiences in an online forum.
The reception was held on Persons Day, which commemorates the landmark 1929 legal decision that formally recognized Canadian women as “persons” under the law.
“The Persons Case was a significant milestone in our history, allowing women for the first time all of the privileges and rights enjoyed by men under the constitution,” said Pupatello. “The contribution of women during the Second World War had just as strong an impact on our history.”
The Ontario Women’s Directorate has developed online resource material to promote greater awareness of the contributions of women veterans. The resource material is available at: www.ontariowomensdirectorate.gov.on.ca.