The Struggle for Suffrage in BC

by R9

For our project, we chose to research women’s suffrage in BC. We decided to display this information in the form of a radio play featuring fictional characters living in Victoria in 1916. Our goal is that someone listening to our audio files will learn something about suffrage in BC, and that their curiosity to learn more will be piqued.


Track 1
1In 1 playlists
By R9
The date is mid-September 1916, and the referendum for women being able to vote in BC (a referendum which women could not vote in) has just passed. Suffragists, including Rose and Elspeth, are celebrating that the bill for women's votes will be set in motion in January 1917, not knowing that this date will be pushed back until April.

Track 2
1In 1 playlists
By R9
Rose and Elspeth meet up with Gladys, an older woman who was witness to the birth of suffrage when the idea first took hold in BC in the 1890s. They discuss the evolution of suffrage in BC and how women's public reform groups fighting to start prohibition were the fore-mothers of the BC suffrage movement.

Track 3
1In 1 playlists
By R9
Timothy poses the question to Alfred of "why are you so opposed to women getting the vote?", to which Alfred, in all of his glorified ignorance, tells Timothy exactly why women are incapable of taking care of themselves, and why them getting the vote / being enfranchised would be a major detriment to society. 

Track 4
1In 1 playlists
By R9
An advertisement for a reenactment of the 1914 performance of 'Women's Parliament' held in Winnipeg, Manitoba at the Walker Theatre. This satirical play written by Lillian Thomas starred Nellie McClung as the Premier of Manitoba in an alternate world where women held all of the political power and men led sheltered lives. 

Track 5
1In 1 playlists
By R9
As Chinese women living in Victoria, Xin Lu (心露) and Lai Mei (李丽) have a lot to say on suffrage and how while British-Canadian women have nearly achieved the right to vote, they as Chinese-Canadian women can see no such future in sight, with them being subjected to both sexism and racism on a daily basis.

Track 6
1In 1 playlists
By R9
A dramatized recording of the speech Should Men Vote? performed by Nellie McClung at the 1914 mock parliament at the Walker Theatre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This speech is made by the Premier in this satirical play set in a 1914-world where women are the political leaders, and caused a huge amount of both positive and negative uproar from the public.