Bertha Wilson
A Scottish-born legal pioneer who broke the marble ceiling of Canada's Supreme Court, forever changing how the law sees women and people.
1923–2007 (age 84)·First woman judge on Supreme Court of Canada·Birthday: September 18·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Bertha Wilson arrived in Canada as a minister's wife from Scotland, her formidable intellect initially channeled into church work. She entered law school at thirty, a mature student who would soon shatter precedent at every turn. At the firm of Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt, she became its first female partner and innovated by creating its first in-house research department. Appointed to the Ontario Court of Appeal and then, in 1982, to the Supreme Court of Canada, her presence alone was historic. Her judgments were transformative. She wrote with a keen awareness of how laws affected real lives, championing Charter rights, advancing equality, and insisting that a 'reasonable person' must account for diverse experiences, including those of women. Wilson’s tenure was a quiet revolution, embedding a deeper sense of context and fairness into Canadian jurisprudence.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Bertha was born in 1923, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bertha Was Born
The biggest hits of 1923
#1 Movie
The Covered Wagon
Bertha's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1923Born
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1928Started school
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1936Became a teenager
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1939Could drive
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1941Could vote
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1944Turned 21
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1953Turned 30
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 40
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 50
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 60
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 70
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 80
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2007Died at 84
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
Key Achievements
- Became the first woman appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada in 1982.
- As a law firm partner, she created the first in-firm legal research department in Canada.
- Authored the landmark 1988 *Morgentaler* decision that struck down Canada's abortion law.
Did You Know?
She did not begin her law degree at Dalhousie University until she was 30 years old.
Before studying law, she worked as a secretary and was deeply involved in her husband's Presbyterian ministry.
She was the first woman to partner at a major Canadian law firm (Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt).
“The law must be sensitive to the reality of people's lives if it is to be just.”
