The First 100 Canadian Women Pilots
[Date above is last edited. First published: September, 12 2022]
In Shirley Render's wonderful book 'No Place for a Lady: The Story of Canadian Women Pilots 1928-1992', she investigates the lives and careers of the female pioneers in Canadian aviation. She even includes a helpful appendix, listing the first 100 women to get their private pilot licences.
The book was written in the early 1990s and the amount of work Mrs Render must have done is staggering - trawling through archives and interviewing hundreds of people. However, there were certain women she just couldn't find and they're marked on her list with an asterisk. I've decided to try filling out the list a bit more!
Click on the person's name for more info. And be sure to read 'No Place for a Lady'.
| # | Name | Province | Date of issue | Licence |
| 1 | Eileen M. Vollick | Ontario | March 22 1928 | 77 |
| 2 | Eileen Magill | Manitoba | October 24 1928 | 142 |
| 3 | Gertrude de la Vergne | Alberta | December 4 1928 | 157 |
| 4 | Dorothy Bell | Manitoba | February 16 1929 | 220 |
| 5 | * Louise Burka | Alberta | April 3 1929 | 243 |
| 6 | * Julia MacBrien | Ontario | August 14 1929 | 325 |
| 7 | Daphne Paterson | Quebec | August 15 1929 | 327 |
| 8 | Gladys Graves Walker (Mrs) | Alberta | September 27 1929 | 372 |
| 9 | Nellie Carson | Saskatchewan | October 12 1929 | 384 |
| 10 | Grayce Hutchinson | Saskatchewan | October 12 1929 | 387 |
| 11 | Elsie MacLean | Alberta | November 12 1929 | 423 |
| 12 | Edina Newlands | Saskatchewan | November 19 1929 | 429 |
| 13 | Jeanne Genier Gilbert (Mrs) | British Columbia | December 28 1929 | 479 |
| 14 | Marjorie Chauvin | Alberta | December 28 1929 | 480 |
| 15 | Grace "Tib" Goulding | Ontario | January 15 1930 | 495 |
| 16 | * G. Thomson (Mrs) | Unknown | January 22 1930 | 500 |
| 17 | * Alix Samarow | Quebec | March 3 1930 | 512 |
| 18 | * Florence E. Spencer | Ontario | May 5 1930 | 514 |
| 19 | * J.C. Webster (Mrs) | Quebec | May 20 1930 | 556 |
| 20 | * Marion Swaim | Alberta | August 15 1930 | 613 |
| 21 | Eliane Roberge | Quebec | October 18 1930 | 678 |
| 22 | * Clara Hooker | Alberta | November 12 1930 | 694 |
| 23 | * A.A. Camm (Mrs) | Ontario [added] | January 9 1931 | 755 |
| 24 | Margaret Rankin-Smith | Ontario | April 8 1931 | 811 |
| 25 | Jessica Jarvis | Ontario | August 21 1931 | 860 |
| 26 | Enid Norquay | Alberta | November 23 1931 | 928 |
| 27 | Betsy Flaherty (Mrs E) | British Columbia | December 19 1931 | 942 |
| 28 | Louise M. Jenkins (Mrs) | Prince Edward Island | March 8 1932 | 973 |
| 29 | * Wanda Brodowich | Manitoba | July 5 1932 | 1029 |
| 30 | * Margaret de N. Caldwell | Alberta | October 24 1932 | 1124 |
| 31 | Margaret Fane | Alberta | October 12 1933 | 1317 |
| 32 | Isobel Secord | Alberta | October 12 1933 | 1322 |
| 33 | * Edith Freeman | Quebec | October 12 1933 | |
| 34 | * F.E. Lundon | New Brunswick [added] | October 12 1933 | |
| 35 | * J.T. O'Brien-Saint (Mrs) | Ontario [added] | October 27 1933 | |
| 36 | Isobel Whitaker | British Columbia | December 7 1933 | |
| 37 | Alma Gaudreau Gilbert | British Columbia | April 7 1934 [fixed] | |
| 38 | * E.H. Vance | Ontario [added] | May 10 1934 [fixed] | |
| 39 | * E.M. Hall | Ontario [added] | September 26 1934 | |
| 40 | Margaret Clements | Saskatchewan | October 9 1934 | |
| 41 | * Mary A.M. Weber | Ontario | October 22 1934 | |
| 42 | Dorothy Renton | Saskatchewan | June 7 1935 | |
| 43 | Rolie Moore | British Columbia | October 7 1935 | |
| 44 | * Alice E. Blake | Saskatchewan | October 18 1935 | |
| 45 | * A.L. McNeil | Saskatchewan [added] | October 18 1935 | |
| 46 | * Rosie Campbell | Ontario | November 16 1935 | |
| 47 | Joan Bonisteel | Ontario | January 3 1936 | |
| 48 | Jean Pike | British Columbia | February 4 1936 | |
| 49 | Tosca Trasolini | British Columbia | August 12 1936 | 2151 |
| 50 | * Mary A. Canfield (Mrs) | Ontario | October 7 1936 | |
| 51 | Joyce Bond | Saskatchewan | December 8 1936 | 2092 |
| 52 | * M. Skrypnyk | Ontario [added] | December 18 1936 | |
| 53 | * M.E. Holmes | Ontario [added] | January 14 1937 | |
| 54 | * M.C. Yates | Ontario [added] | March 17 1937 | |
| 55 | * Doris Manewell | Ontario [added] | May 14 1937 | |
| 56 | * M.M. Roberts (Mrs) | Ontario [added] | July 14 1937 | |
| 57 | Mary Spearing | Ontario | June 29 1938 | |
| 58 | * L.N. Rifler | Ontario [added] | July 19 1938 | |
| 59 | * C.E. Stock | Ontario [added] | August 2 1938 | |
| 60 | * A. Sinkins | Ontario [added] | August 3 1938 | |
| 61 | Margaret Littlewood | Ontario | August 3 1938 | |
| 62 | Marion Gillies | Ontario | August 3 1938 | |
| 63 | Connie Culver | Ontario | February 21 1939 | |
| 64 | Iva J. Coutts | Manitoba | June 6 1939 | |
| 65 | Joyce A. Reid | Ontario [added] | June 24 1939 | |
| 66 | * R.A. Fitzgerald | Unknown | July 12 1939 | |
| 67 | * M. McQueen | Unknown | August 2 1939 | |
| 68 | * M. Munn | Ontario [added] | August 24 1939 | |
| 69 | Ethel Higdon | Alberta | August 29 1939 | |
| 70 | M.E. Treau de Coeli | Ontario [added] | September 28 1939 | |
| 71 | * E. Fletcher | Alberta [added] | October 24 1939 | |
| 72 | Florence Elliott | Ontario | November 16 1939 | |
| 73 | Violet Milstead | Ontario | January 3 1940 | 3339 |
| 74 | Marion Powell | Ontario | January 5 1940 | 3338 |
| 75 | Gladys Smirle | Ontario [added] | January 15 1940 | |
| 76 | * Helen Julia Cowan | Ontario [added] | January 20 1940 | |
| 77 | * V.E. Harris | Alberta [added] | June 4 1940 | |
| 78 | * K.E. Kinman | Ontario [added] | June 20 1940 | |
| 79 | * M.A. Richards | Unknown | August 13 1940 | |
| 80 | * M. Honsinger | Ontario [added] | September 18 1940 | |
| 81 | Beryl Armstrong | British Columbia [added] | October 21 1940 | |
| 82 | * H.J. Walker | Unknown | October 31 1940 | |
| 83 | Margaret Carson | Ontario | November 4 1940 | |
| 84 | * M. Maxwell | Ontario [added] | January 9 1941 | |
| 85 | * L. Rashaw | Ontario [added] | April 7 1941 | |
| 86 | Elspeth Russell | Quebec | June 30 1941 | |
| 87 | * C. Connon | Unknown | September 16 1941 | |
| 88 | * P. Hecker | Unknown | September 23 1941 | |
| 89 | * P.A. Gray | British Columbia [added] | September 25 1941 | |
| 90 | * L.L. Treble | Ontario [added] | September 25 1941 | |
| 91 | Sally Kerton | Ontario | October 29 1941 | |
| 92 | * L. Richards | Unknown | November 12 1941 | |
| 93 | * I.M. Collins | Ontario [added] | November 27 1941 | |
| 94 | * M.B. Lang | Ontario [added] | January 28 1942 | |
| 95 | * C.F. Williams | Ontario [added] | February 19 1942 | |
| 96 | M.B. MacLeod | New Brunswick [added] | April 30 1942 | |
| 97 | Gloria Large | Prince Edward Island | June 4 1942 | |
| 98 | * O.M. Leach | Ontario [added] | October 3 1942 | |
| 99 | * M.L. Morkin | Manitoba | October 30 1945 [fixed] | |
| 100 | * E.C. Dawson | Manitoba | November 26 1945 |
Photo credits:
- Eileen Vollick (The Ottawa Citizen, June 17, 1927)
- Eileen Magill (The Winnipeg Tribune, January 25, 1929)
- Gertrude de la Vergne (Calgary Herald, November 7, 1928)
- Dorothy Bell (Calgary Herald, February 16, 1929)
- Louise Burka (Calgary Herald, April 20, 1929)
- Julia MacBrien (The Ottawa Citizen, August 14, 1929)
- Daphne Paterson (Canadian99s - http://canadian99s.com/daphne-paterson)
- Gladys Walker (Edmonton Journal, March 31, 1928)
- Nellie Carson (The Leader Post, October 5, 1929)
- Grayce Hutchinson (Star Phoenix, August 8, 1930)
- Elsie MacLean (The Edmonton Bulletin, August 2,1929)
- Edina Newlands (Saskatoon Daily Star, May 23, 1921)
- Jeanne Genier (Edmonton Journal, March 31, 1928)
- Marjorie Chauvin (The Ottawa Citizen, October 26, 1931)
- Grace "Tib" Goulding (The Ottawa Citizen, July 2, 1931)
- Alix Samarow (The Leader Post, July 5, 1930) - she was the 17th pilot, but I haven't found a photo of Mrs G. Thomson yet)