Description
Mary Irene Marryat Parlby (1868-1965) was the first woman in Alberta and second woman in the British Empire to serve as a cabinet minister. Parlby was born in England and came to Alberta in 1897. After helping to establish the women’s auxiliary of the United Farmers’ of Alberta (UFA), she became the provincial president of the United Farm Women of Alberta in 1916. From 1921 to 1935 Parlby was a member of the provincial legislature in the UFA government. She served on the Board of Governors of the University of Alberta from 1919 to 1921 and was the first woman to receive an honorary doctorate of laws degree from the University of Alberta. Parlby was a member of the “Famous five” who, in 1929, won the “Person’s Case” before the Privy Council of England, granting women the right to hold a seat in the Canadian Senate. She was named to the Canadian delegation that attended the League of Nations at Geneva in 1930. The Irene Parlby Park has an area of 3.7 ha.
Feature Type
Park
Designation Year
1991