Became first female Speaker of the Canadian Senate

On February 8, 1972, Muriel McQueen Fergusson made history by becoming the first woman to be appointed Speaker of the Senate of Canada. This appointment placed her at the head of the upper chamber of Canada's Parliament, a position of considerable ceremonial and procedural authority that had, until then, been held exclusively by men since Confederation in 1867.

Fergusson had already broken ground as one of the earliest women appointed to the Senate in 1953, representing New Brunswick. Her elevation to the Speakership nearly two decades later was recognized as a milestone in the slow but steady progress of women into the highest echelons of Canadian governance.

As Speaker, she was responsible for presiding over Senate proceedings, maintaining order, and upholding parliamentary rules and traditions, all while serving as a visible symbol that women could hold the most senior institutional roles in the country's legislative bodies. Her tenure helped normalize the presence of women in positions of formal political authority in Canada and paved the way for future generations of women in Parliament.

Her appointment is frequently cited in Canadian political history as a key milestone in the broader movement toward gender equality within federal institutions, and she is remembered as a trailblazer who used her position to continue advocating for women's rights.