The Museum of Northern British Columbia is showcasing the belongings of Elainne Roberge Schlageter, one of the first female pilots in Canada who paved the way for future generations.
The aviatrix was born in Prince Rupert in 1909, and in 1932, she became the fourth woman to get a commercial flying licence in the country when the industry was fully male-dominated. Roberge passed her flying test in 1930 when she was 21 B次元官网网址� making her the 21st overall woman to have passed it.
B次元官网网址淪he grew up in what Rupertities called 'the castle' and some of her personal possessions... show her aesthetic and sophistication at a time when Prince Rupert was still in its infancy,B次元官网网址� said Susan Marsden, curator at the Museum of Northern BC.
The display features 41 items, including RobergeB次元官网网址檚 study table, bamboo chairs, a wooden dresser, a magic lantern slide projector, and eyeglasses. It also showcases everyday objects such as her perfume bottles, a silver nail buffer, a hairbrush, ceramic buttons, a metal iron, and more. Roberge was well-off.
B次元官网网址淧rince Rupert has a history of strong successful women, such as, among several others, Ruth Harvey, after whom the MuseumB次元官网网址檚 Art Gallery is named, and Bernice Liu, whose father owned the Imperial Palace, and who is now a famous movie actress in Hong Kong. Elianne Roberge Schlageter, the 21st female pilot in Canada, was probably the first of such successful women,B次元官网网址� said Marsden.
A pilot in making
Jen Eggleston, a B.C.-based illustrator and history buff researched the lives of the first 100 women to earn private pilot licences in Canada and compiled this information . She was inspired by Shirley RenderB次元官网网址檚 book, B次元官网网址淣o Place for a Lady: The Story of Canadian Women Pilots 1928-1992B次元官网网址�.
She found that RobergeB次元官网网址檚 motherB次元官网网址檚 husband in 1920 owned the Knox Hotel in Prince Rupert and was known for being flamboyant and a bootlegger.
Roberge and her sister were recorded twice in the 1921 census B次元官网网址� once with their mother but also as boarders at St. JosephB次元官网网址檚 Academy.
When Roberge was a schoolgirl, L Morton BachB次元官网网址檚 plane came through Prince Rupert while attempting to fly from Mexico to Siberia. Strong winds damaged the plane, and many children took pieces of fabric from the wings. Roberge faked a bathroom excuse to grab a large piece, keeping some and selling the rest in pieces for one cent each.
Her mother emphasized the importance of education, leading Roberge to move to Montreal to stay with her grandparents and attend 脡cole des Beaux-Arts. There, she learned to drive and joined the Montreal Light Aeroplane Club.
In 1930, Roberge realized her passion for flying by becoming a pilot. However, the first time her mother saw her flying, she crashed.
Roberge worked as a commercial artist and stayed in Montreal for about five years.
After that, she moved to Vancouver, joined the Aero Club, and became secretary and dispatcher for Yukon Southern Air Transport to pursue an aviation career.
She was trained on all the companyB次元官网网址檚 planes and frequently served as co-pilot on search-and-rescue and fire-fighting missions with Grant McConachie, a Canadian bush pilot and businessman who later became the CEO of Canadian Pacific Airlines.
The Fying Seven
Roberge joined B次元官网网址淭he Flying SevenB次元官网网址� when it was formed in 1936. It was the first and only all-female pilot club in B.C.
The website, , says the press called them the B次元官网网址淪weethearts of the AirB次元官网网址� or B次元官网网址淔lying FlappersB次元官网网址� or, simply, B次元官网网址淎ngelsB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� and they made it their mission to promote the inclusion of women in aviation.
There was also an article published in the famous Chatelaine Magazine that wondered whether women were B次元官网网址渟trong enoughB次元官网网址� to fly.
B次元官网网址淎re they fitted temperamentally to operate aircraft?B次元官网网址� the article asked.
The Flying SevenB次元官网网址檚 goal was simple: to prove that a womanB次元官网网址檚 place was in the air.
During the height of the Second World War, the Flying Seven attempted to enlist in the military but were promptly rejected; it would take decades before the Royal Canadian Air Force accepted any female pilots.
However, this did not stop them from contributing to the war effort. In 1940, as air raid sirens blared across the city, the Sweethearts of the Air flew over Vancouver, distributing 100,000 pamphlets. One stated, B次元官网网址淪mash the Nazis!B次元官网网址� while another urged, B次元官网网址淕ive dimes or dollars to buy our boys more planes!B次元官网网址�
This demonstration raised $100,000 from the cityB次元官网网址檚 residents, enough to fund the purchase of eight new planes for the Aero Club of B.C., VancouverB次元官网网址檚 new flight school B次元官网网址� one that notably accepted women as students.
After studying various subjects, from flight theory to aircraft maintenance, the schoolB次元官网网址檚 graduates went on to find jobs at many companies, including Boeing and other major aircraft manufacturers.
Although from 2010 to 2023, the number of pilot licences issued to Canadian women grew by 79 per cent in the commercial sector and 58 per cent overall, women acquired just 12 per cent of all pilot licences issued by Transport Canada last year.
