Sarah Ramsland
Encyclopedia
Sarah Katherine Ramsland, née McEwen (July 19, 1882 - April 4, 1964) was a Canadian
politician, the first woman ever elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
.
She was born in Minnesota
, the daughter of a member of the Minnesota State Senate. Trained as a schoolteacher, she later married Max Ramsland
and moved to Buchanan, Saskatchewan
. Max Ramsland was elected to the Legislative Assembly in the 1917 provincial election
as the Liberal
MLA for Pelly
, but died in 1918 in the Spanish flu
epidemic, and Sarah Ramsland was elected to succeed him in the resulting byelection.
Ramsland was reelected in the 1921 election
, and served until 1925. A backbench MLA, she was not prominent in the government until her final day in the legislature, when she introduced a resolution calling for an amendment to federal divorce
laws that would permit women to apply for divorce on the grounds of a spouse's adultery
, a privilege which was then only available to men.
She was defeated in the 1925 provincial election
by Progressive
candidate Charles Tran. She subsequently worked for the provincial library and for a number of women's organizations.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician, the first woman ever elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
The 25th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan was in power from 2003 until November 20, 2007. It was controlled by the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party under premier Lorne Calvert.-Members:-By-elections:...
.
She was born in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, the daughter of a member of the Minnesota State Senate. Trained as a schoolteacher, she later married Max Ramsland
Max Ramsland
Magnus Ramsland was a Canadian politician. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan in the 1917 provincial election as the Liberal MLA for Pelly, but died of the Spanish flu in 1918 after less than a year in office....
and moved to Buchanan, Saskatchewan
Buchanan, Saskatchewan
-External links:* *...
. Max Ramsland was elected to the Legislative Assembly in the 1917 provincial election
Saskatchewan general election, 1917
The Saskatchewan general election of 1917 was the fourth provincial election in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 26, 1917, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
as the Liberal
Saskatchewan Liberal Party
The Saskatchewan Liberal Party is a liberal political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.-Early history :The party dominated Saskatchewan politics for the province's first forty years providing six of the first seven Premiers, and being in power for all but five of the years between the...
MLA for Pelly
Canora-Pelly
Canora-Pelly is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, Canada. The constituency was created by the Representation Act, 1994 out of the former districts of Canora and Pelly....
, but died in 1918 in the Spanish flu
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
epidemic, and Sarah Ramsland was elected to succeed him in the resulting byelection.
Ramsland was reelected in the 1921 election
Saskatchewan general election, 1921
The Saskatchewan general election of 1921 was the fifth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 9, 1921 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
, and served until 1925. A backbench MLA, she was not prominent in the government until her final day in the legislature, when she introduced a resolution calling for an amendment to federal divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
laws that would permit women to apply for divorce on the grounds of a spouse's adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
, a privilege which was then only available to men.
She was defeated in the 1925 provincial election
Saskatchewan general election, 1925
The Saskatchewan general election of 1925 was the sixth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 2, 1925 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
by Progressive
Progressive Party of Canada
The Progressive Party of Canada was a political party in Canada in the 1920s and 1930s. It was linked with the provincial United Farmers parties in several provinces and, in Manitoba, ran candidates and formed governments as the Progressive Party of Manitoba...
candidate Charles Tran. She subsequently worked for the provincial library and for a number of women's organizations.