‘We have to continue to tell the story of women’s success’

“Saskatchewan women can claim remarkable successes in many fields over more than a century. Their pursuits have included public service, education, athletics, the arts, military adventures, and other areas where women’s presence was absent or rare. Their stellar achievements, often accomplished in the face of adversity, continue to enrich Saskatchewan and contribute to greater gender equality.” – Chancellor Emerita Vera Pezer

On March 7, join members of the University of Saskatchewan (USask) community in celebrating Saskatchewan Superwomen: Challengers and Champions, a new book written by Chancellor Emerita Dr. Vera Pezer (BA’62, MA’64, PhD’77).

The book is being launched at an event at 7:30 pm in Convocation Hall on the eve of International Women’s Day. Through her research and writing, Pezer has aimed to shine a light on accomplished Saskatchewan women who have been leaders in a wide variety of fields—and who have often overcome significant personal and societal obstacles on their paths to success.

“Women have had huge challenges over time,” Pezer said. “Have we made progress? Yes, we have. Are we at the destination yet? No, we’re not—in a lot of different fields. And so, we have to continue to tell the story of women’s success, and that’s what I’ve decided to do.”

Many of the Saskatchewan women included in Pezer’s book have strong connections to USask or are USask alumni, such as Raynell Andreychuk (BA’66, LLB’67), the first Saskatchewan woman appointed to the Canadian Senate; Michelle Brass (LLB’97), who has served as a lawyer, judge, teacher, and mentor; Hilda Neatby (BA’24, MA’28, LLD’71), who taught at USask and became the first woman in Canada to serve as the head of a history department; Diane Jones-Konihowski (BEd’75, LLD’02), a pentathlete and Olympian; Rita Bouvier (BEd’75, MEd’84), a Métis teacher, poet, and activist; Dorothy Knowles (BA’48), one of Canada’s most distinguished landscape artists; Margaret Brooke (BHSC’35, BA’65, PhD’71), a geologist and the first woman to have a Canadian navy ship named after her; Heather Kuttai (BA’94, MSc’09), a Paralympian, author, and advocate; and many more.

Pezer, who is originally from Meskanaw, Sask., is herself a superwoman of Saskatchewan, having made significant contributions to USask, to athletics, and to the wider community. A three-time USask graduate, Pezer first joined the university as an employee in 1966 in Student Counselling Services and as a part-time instructor in the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Science. She later became the director of student counselling, an assistant professor of psychology, an assistant dean in the College of Arts and Science, and USask’s associate vice-president student affairs. Under her leadership, student retention and academic success were enhanced and USask’s first offices dedicated to student emergency financial assistance, disability services for students, and Indigenous student support programs were established.

After retiring from USask in 2001, Pezer went on to serve as USask’s 13th chancellor from 2007 to 2013—the third woman to hold the position. Post-retirement, she has published four books: The Stone Age: A Social History of Curling on the Prairies (2003); Smart Curling (2007); The Little Community That Could (2019); and now Saskatchewan Superwomen (2025).

The idea to write Saskatchewan Superwomen came to Pezer during the COVID-19 global pandemic as she was reading The Book of Gutsy Women: Favorite Stories of Courage and Resilience by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton. Learning about the women profiled in the book—such as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Mary Ritter Beard, Harriet Tubman, Edith Windsor, and Malala Yousafzai—inspired Pezer, and she thought about the accomplished women she knew at home.

“I’m reading this, and I’m thinking, ‘What about Saskatchewan? Somebody should do a book on Saskatchewan women.’ So that was the idea,” she said.

Pezer began working on her book during the height of the pandemic when many businesses and activities were shuttered, and social connections were limited. She found conducting online research and searching archives to be a welcome distraction and a therapeutic endeavor during a time of uncertainty.

“I was kind of isolated and I knew I needed something because I didn’t want to just sit and vegetate,” she said. “So, this, it became my therapy during COVID.”

For Pezer, one of the best parts of writing the book was learning more about well-known Saskatchewan women—both past and present—and uncovering, through her research, fascinating stories that weren’t as well known. That includes the story of Regina-born Joan Bamford Fletcher, who performed a dangerous mission during the Second World War.

“I certainly got to write about women I knew quite well, but I accidentally uncovered some amazing stories,” Pezer said.

Pezer is grateful for the support and assistance she has received throughout the project, including from Kathryn Warden, special advisor to the vice-president university relations and the vice-president research at USask; Cheryl Avery (BA’82, ARTS’85), archivist, University Archives and Special Collections, and a USask graduate; Cathy Berg, an employee at the University Library who provided graphic design support; and editor Charlene Dobmeier (BEd’80, BA’88), who is also a USask graduate.

Pezer emphasizes that her book offers a sample of Saskatchewan superwomen and isn’t an exhaustive list. Rather, it is intended to be a starting point that will spark further thought and discussion among readers. She looks forward to fascinating conversations about the superwomen in her book, and others.

“One of the things I am going to be talking about is, ‘This is a sample. It’s the best sample I could come up with, but you will have a sample as well—and you just add to the narrative,’ ” she said.

The book launch event, sponsored by the President’s and Chancellor’s offices, will be held on Friday, March 7, 2025, at 7:30 pm at Convocation Hall in the Peter MacKinnon Building at the University of Saskatchewan. Please register online in advance of the event. A reception with refreshments will follow the launch.

Books will be available for purchase at the launch on March 7 and afterward at the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union (USSU) kiosk in Place Riel, at Saskatoon’s McNally Robinson bookstore, and online through the USask Bookstore. Proceeds from the book will support student initiatives at USask. McNally Robinson will host a book signing event on May 11.