First person

Cairine Wilson grew up in late nineteenth-century Montreal as one of nine children in a wealthy household. Her parents held firm Scottish Presbyterian faith and a fiercely independent liberal outlook. From an early age she followed public affairs closely, and her father's seat in the Senate brought her into contact with leading politicians of the day, Sir Wilfrid Laurier among them. Those encounters shaped her for life.

In 1930 Wilson became the first woman appointed to the Canadian Senate. The appointment drew both celebration and controversy, and it opened a long public career defined by determination, dedication and a drive for reform. She became especially known for her tireless efforts on behalf of refugees and other vulnerable people around the world. She sat in the Senate through some of the most turbulent years in the country's political history.

This biography follows a vivid and forceful politician who earned the respect of the country's highest officials. A sculpted likeness of her still stands in the foyer of the Senate of Canada.