Elsie MacGill
Elsie MacGill
Honour an extraordinary woman whose life and achievements are among the most exceptional and noteworthy Canadian stories of the 20th century with our collectable coins and keepsakes.
Elsie MacGill
Honouring Elsie MacGill
Aeronautical trailblazer, champion of women’s rights, inspiration to us all. The 2023 $1 commemorative circulation coin celebrates Elsie MacGill, whose accomplishments, as well as her exemplary desire to uplift others, were driven by her unrelenting belief that we can all soar higher.
Elizabeth “Elsie” MacGill (1905 – 1980) was a person of brilliant mind and unconquerable spirit. A woman of many firsts, she led a trail-blazing career in aeronautical engineering and was a passionate and effective advocate for gender equality in the workplace and beyond.
Although her path wasn’t the easiest route to take, Elsie always persevered and demonstrated excellence despite adversity. Not one to let setbacks affect her trajectory, Elsie shot for the stars and elevated others along the way—making her one of the most exceptional and noteworthy Canadians of the 20th century.
Photo: Portrait of Elsie Gregory MacGill
Source: Library and Archives Canada/Elsie Gregory MacGill fonds/e006611177
Photo: Elsie Muriel Gregory MacGill, chief engineer at Canadian Car and Foundry Co. Ltd.
Credit: Ingenium 16035
Photo: The First Canadian-made Hawker Hurricane.
Credit: Ingenium 17962
Photo: Construction of Hawker Hurricane aircraft
Credit: Ingenium 14720
Honouring Elsie MacGill - Commemorative Collector Keepsake Card (2023)
$24.95 CAD
2023 Commemorative Collector Keepsake Collection
From
$24.95 CAD
per product
Hawker Hurricane
During World War II, Elsie supervised the production of over 1,450 Hawker Hurricane aircraft. This earned her the nickname “Queen of the Hurricanes.”
Blueprints
These blueprints represent Elsie’s creativity, ambition, and her impact on the fields of engineering and aviation throughout her career.
Maple Leaf Trainer II
During her time at the Canadian Car and Foundry, Elsie became the first woman in the world to design an aircraft—the Maple Leaf Trainer II.
Lapel Pin
As a women’s rights advocate, Elsie dedicated herself to the Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs—both as a member and later as the provincial and national president.
Engineer’s Iron Ring
In 1938, Elsie became the first woman to be elected to the Engineering Institute of Canada.
How does ambition take flight? Discover the story behind one of Canada’s most inspiring trailblazers of the 20th century.
Early Years & Education
Photo: Elizabeth Gregory MacGill "Elsie" - Aeronautical engineer and Feminist
Source: Library and Archives Canada/Elsie Gregory MacGill fonds/a148380
Young Life & Influences
Elizabeth Muriel Gregory “Elsie” MacGill was born on March 27, 1905 in Vancouver, BC. Descending from a lineage of women’s rights advocates, Elsie was raised with feminist values. Her maternal grandmother and mother were suffragists—and her mother, Helen Gregory MacGill, believed in a woman’s right to equal participation in education. Leading by example, Helen obtained multiple post-secondary degrees and, in 1917, was the first woman in British Columbia to become a Juvenile Court judge.
Her mother’s influence played an important role throughout Elsie’s life.
Photo: University of Toronto:Charlie Morrison, Elsie MacGill, Ross Spital, Tommy Bingham
Source: Library and Archives Canada/Elsie Gregory MacGill fonds/e006611178
Electric Undergrad
Following in her mother’s footsteps, Elsie pursued post-secondary education. She first attended the University of British Columbia and, in 1923, Elsie enrolled in the electrical engineering program at the University of Toronto—which had its roots in the same university her parents had attended. She was not only the first woman accepted into the program, but also became the first woman in Canada to graduate with an undergraduate degree in this discipline.
Photo: Portrait of Elsie Gregory MacGill
Source: Library and Archives Canada/Elsie Gregory MacGill fonds/a200745
Unstoppable Elsie
Next, Elsie pursued her master’s degree in aeronautical engineering at the University of Michigan after working as a mechanical engineer in the United States. Unfortunately, just as graduation was around the corner, she contracted polio. The disease left her bedridden and unable to walk.
Despite her condition, Elsie added another “first” to her growing list of accomplishments. In 1929, she became the first woman in North America to earn a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering.
But Elsie was just getting started. After three years of rehabilitation with her family in British Columbia during which she kept busy drafting, writing articles for popular magazines, and keeping up with the field of aviation, Elsie was back on her feet (with the help of two canes) and ready to take on her next challenge—her career.
Engineering
Photo: A Fairchild Super 71, tested by Elsie MacGill
Credit: Ingenium 01097
A Soaring Start
After further studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Elsie kicked off her career in the aviation industry. In 1934, Elsie was hired by Fairchild Aircraft. At their Longueuil, QC facility, she contributed to various aviation projects including the Fairchild Super 71 (the first aircraft designed and built in Canada to feature a metal fuselage), the Fairchild 82 (a bush plane), and the Fairchild Sekani.
“Engineering in industry holds out the greatest promise for any engineer. Industry in the main is progressive; energy and initiative are rewarded in terms of salary and advancement, and advancement may be very rapid. Convention and public opinion exert little pressure.”
Four years later, Elsie was elected to the Engineering Institute of Canada and once again made history as their first woman member.
Photo: L. to R.: David Boyd, Brian Sheaver, Elsie MacGill and Mary Boyd watching flight of Hurricane aircraft at Canadian Car and Foundry Co. flying field
Source: Library and Archives Canada/Elsie Gregory MacGill fonds/a148465
Photo: Hawker 'Hurricane' I aircraft of the R.C.A.F. at Canadian Car and Foundry Ltd
Source: Library and Archives Canada/Robert A. Joss collection/a072436
Queen of the Hurricanes
In 1938, Elsie was hired as the Chief Aeronautical Engineer at the Canadian Car & Foundry (Can Car) in Fort William, ON (now Thunder Bay). Here, she became the first woman in the world to design an aircraft—the Maple Leaf II Trainer.
During World War II, Elsie contributed to the retooling of the plant—enabling the mass production of the Hawker Hurricane. She even engineered adaptations to winterize the plane, which sought to make it suitable for cold-weather conditions. Under her supervision, over 1,450 Hawker Hurricane aircraft were produced.
“War effort is something, which is as microscopic in the unit as the individual, but as mighty in the sum total as an army."
Elsie became so well-known for her wartime engineering work that, in 1942, she was featured in the comic book series True American Comics and dubbed “Queen of the Hurricanes”—a moniker that has stuck ever since.
Photo: Elsie MacGill in front of the Maple Leaf II trainer.
Credit: Ingenium 04947
Photo: Maple Leaf II, a training aircraft designed by Elsie MacGill, in production.
Credit: Ingenium 12819
Wind Beneath Her Wings
Elsie’s work at Can Car ended in 1943, but her career was far from over. She moved to Toronto, launched her own consulting firm and, in 1946, was the first woman to serve as Technical Advisor for the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Elsie’s many achievements, extraordinary talents, and lasting legacy in the field of aviation did not go unnoticed. She was awarded the Canadian Centennial Medal in 1967, became an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1971, achieved Fellowship with the Engineering Institute of Canada in 1972, and was awarded the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario’s Gold Medal in 1979. Elsie was later inducted into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame in 1992.
Equality
Photo: Queen of the Hurricanes / Elsie MacGill
Source: Library and Archives Canada/Elsie Gregory MacGill fonds/c147741k
A Tribute to a Lasting Legacy
Elsie MacGill was a force to be reckoned with. She excelled despite adversity, embraced what made her unique, broke new ground in both engineering and the fight for equality, and still, to this day, continues to be an inspiring role-model for all Canadians.
“All of us, be we nine years old or fifty-five, have a stake in the future because we live in it. You who are young have the greatest stake for you have the longest time there: HOW WILL YOU USE YOUR EXTRA TIME?”
We honour and celebrate Elsie MacGill with the 2023 $1 commemorative circulation coin—a tribute to the lasting legacy of her life’s work.
