Olympic Plaza
I chose this location as my Virtual Reward Cache because I had a cache here for many years as part of the City Parks 100 year celebration. The first container for the cache was missing before publication. The second didn't last much longer. We then revamped the design, and it lasted for longer periods of time, however seemed to go missing just before major events in the Plaza. Finally, had to archive the cache with nearly 100 favorites.
I am glad to be able to bring cachers back to this location.
About the Park:
Olympic Plaza was built in 1988 for the Olympic Winter Games in Calgary as the site of the medal presentation ceremonies and now hosts many special events & festivals throughout the year. It is also a wonderful place to sit and enjoy your lunch during the noon hour. Winter Ice Skating at Olympic Plaza is free, typically open mid November to mid March.
While visiting Olympic Plaza, please remember that the following are not permitted: * Bicycles, skateboards or rollerblades * Dogs or other pets * Smoking * After hours activities.
Park Features:
* Reflecting pond * Ice skating * Famous Five sculpture * Large seating area * Stage * Waterfalls * Geocache * Washroom (year round) * Seasonal concession (independently operated) * Olympic bricks, sold to the public to commemorate the 1988 Olympics * Maps of individual brick locations are available at the Information Kiosk in City Hall.
Now, THE FAMOUS FIVE:
At one end of the park is a very unique set of five more than life size statues. Artist Barbara Paterson has created realistic portraits that capture a sense of the personality of each of the figures. The sculpture was commissioned by the Famous 5 Foundation and was spearheaded by Calgarian Francis Wright. There is an identical installation in Ottawa on Parliament Hill.
When women were campaigning for the right to vote in the early 1900s, their suffrage meetings were frequently disrupted by angry opponents. Many women were forbidden by their husbands and fathers to attend these meetings, and others simply did not have the confidence to do so because of the strong, chaotic opposition. Pink Teas were developed as a subversive way for women to gather and discuss various issues of importance, including suffrage. Only women were invited, and frilly decorations and many pink doilies and ribbons festooned the tea tables. If opposition appeared, the organizer would simply change the subject.
Section 24 of the British North America Act (at that time, Canada’s constitution, the source of its highest laws) said that only "qualified persons" could be appointed to the Canadian Senate. The Canadian government had consistently interpreted this phrase as meaning men only. This was based on historical precedent; when the law was written, it had been intended to mean men and should continue to refer only to men.
Naturally, suffragists like Emily Murphy were outraged. This interpretation suggested women were not "qualified persons". Determined and ready to fight, Emily found a way. She discovered a little known provision in the Supreme Court of Canada Act that said any five persons acting as a unit could petition the Supreme Court for an interpretation of any part of the constitution. So on a fine summer’s day on August 27, 1927, she invited four of the brightest and most determined women activists she knew to her Edmonton home. On Emily’s veranda, the Famous Five signed a letter petitioning the Supreme Court to look into the matter of whether the government could appoint a female senator.
The matter quickly became known as the "Persons" Case. It was debated on March 14, 1928, with the Supreme Court eventually ruling that women were not “qualified persons” as it related to Section 24 of the BNA act. One woman, Mary Ellen Smith from British Columbia, reacted to the news saying, “The iron dropped into the souls of women in Canada when we heard that it took a man to decree that his mother was not a person.” The Famous Five, however, were not daunted.
At the time, there was one authority even higher than the Supreme Court of Canada: The Privy Council in England. So they petitioned the Privy Council to rule on the matter. On October 18, 1929, Lord Sankey arrived to a packed courtroom in London to read the Privy Council’s judgement. To the relief and joy of the Famous Five and women across Canada, the Privy Council said that yes, women were indeed persons and could become Senators. Sankey took things one step further, saying, “The exclusion of women from all public offices is a relic of days more barbarous than ours.” This had reverberations throughout the British Empire (later the Commonwealth), for it clearly asserted that anti-suffragists could no longer suppress women’s rights through clever legal arguments and prejudiced traditions.
TO CLAIM THIS VIRTUAL CACHE: All you need to do is post a picture in your log on this page of yourself, sitting on the chair with Emily's Statue behind you at the listed coordinates (or at least very close to the listed coordinates)!
Logs not containing a photo which includes the chair and/or Emily may be deleted. Do not post pictures from previous trips to this location to claim your find, YOU MUST VISIT AGAIN AFTER THE PUBLICATION DATE OF THIS LISTING.
If your picture is attached to another cachers log (group photo etc..) please be sure to put that in your log when logging the find. Groundspeak's rules say that you do not have to show your face, but I would appreciate it if you do so.
Virtual Reward - 2017/2018
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.
While you're here, and up for a challenge, my "City Hall Plaza - Calgary Parks 100" Cache is located near this location, and has several interesting artworks nearby.