The Women Are Persons! exhibit, presented by the Famous 5 Foundation, is now on display at Chestermere City Hall, offering residents a chance to reflect on one of the most pivotal moments in Canadian history and its continuing relevance today.
To mark the opening, the City of Chestermere is inviting the public to a Pink Tea Opening Reception on Friday, January 16, 2026, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. The event will celebrate the exhibit while creating space for conversation about equality, leadership, and the role women continue to play in shaping communities.
The exhibit is part of the provincial F5 Maquette Trailblazers Tour, which travels across Alberta to introduce communities to the Famous 5 and their enduring impact. The Famous 5 were five Alberta women who challenged the legal definition of “persons” under Canadian law. Their efforts culminated in the landmark 1929 Persons Case, which confirmed that women were eligible to be appointed to the Senate of Canada.
Central to the exhibit is a maquette designed to resemble a traditional Pink Tea. Historically, Pink Teas were not merely polite social gatherings. They were carefully organized events that allowed women to discuss suffrage and political reform at a time when such organizing was often discouraged or actively opposed. By meeting under the guise of afternoon tea, women were able to strategize, build alliances, and push for social change.
The Women Are Persons! maquette uses this symbolism to place visitors at the heart of that moment in history. It highlights the courage and determination required to challenge entrenched systems and reminds viewers that progress often begins in quiet, determined acts of resistance.
Visitors to the exhibit will learn how the Famous 5 not only helped secure the right for women to vote and seek elected office, but also paved the way for women to serve as Senators. Their legal challenge ultimately reached the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in Britain, which overturned Canada’s Supreme Court ruling and affirmed that women were indeed “persons” under the law.
That decision also established the constitutional principle known as the “Living Tree,” which holds that Canada’s Constitution is not fixed, but capable of growth and adaptation as society evolves. This concept continues to influence Canadian law and human rights decisions today.
The Pink Tea Opening Reception will bring together women from Chestermere and the surrounding area to share stories and perspectives, connecting past struggles with present realities. Light refreshments will be served, and attendees are encouraged to reflect on how far equality has come and how much work remains.
The Women Are Persons! exhibit will remain on public display at Chestermere City Hall until February 13, 2026.
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