Walking in Annie Jackson's Shoes: Sharing the Stories of Edmonton's Historic Women

By Lauren Comba, Volunteer

So the saying goes, you don’t know a person until you have walked a mile in their shoes. 

While I will never be able to attend one of Mrs. Mattie Rutherford’s at-home teas, be photographed by Gladys Reeves, or interviewed by Gertrude Balmer Watt, volunteering at Fort Edmonton for the past decade has let me meet historic women by walking in their footsteps. One of the figures I stepped into the shoes of was Constable Annie May Jackson, Edmonton’s first “policewoman”. 

Me posing as Annie Jackson (August 2017) - photo taken by Kat Eliason. 

Notice the silver police badge on my lapel - Annie Jackson was not issued a uniform beyond this badge.

Annie Jackson was hired as a constable in October of 1912, in a time when society expected women to be the moral compass for the community. Despite being in a public role, Jackson’s duties were rooted in expectations of domesticity and motherhood. So touted the front cover of the London-based Daily Mirror newspaper in August 1913, “her special duty is to look after the morals and manners of Edmonton’s young girls.” 

Front page of the Daily Mirror, August 8, 1913.

By today’s standards, Constable Jackson’s role might seem contradictory - was she challenging the status quo of the time to break new ground for women, or was she reinventing the Victorian image of middle-class women’s domestic work? 

I love telling the story of constable Annie Jackson because the answer is, frankly, both. The deeply ingrained social norms of the time pushed women into certain types of work, but innovation within those roles was significant. Women, like Constable Jackson, were trailblazers in their own right, but the system they were working in reinforced the idea that women were meant to be caregivers—whether in the home or as a staff member with the Edmonton Police Department. Annie Jackson, like many women in early Edmonton and Western Canada, worked around and within the social limits of gender of the time where women were to “mother” society as a way to improve it. For Constable Jackson, this “mothering” involved protecting women immigrating to Edmonton from exploitation and assisting with what we would today call child-welfare casework.

Over the past decade volunteering at Fort Edmonton, as I’ve walked in the footsteps of historic Edmontonians like Constable Jackson, I can’t help but feel gratitude for these women who came before me. They remind me that, when things seem impossible and uncertain, you must have the courage to take steps forward where and how you can. The push for equality is an ongoing story that every woman, no matter her role or title, can contribute to. Whether a policewomen in early Edmonton or a historical interpreter working in 2025, all of us can use our individual and collective strength to foster a community that is inclusive, diverse, and empathetic.

At a re-enactment 1914 suffrage rally at the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in June, 2016. Pictured with volunteer Renee Ouelette (left). 

While Constable Jackson’s connections to the Alberta suffrage movement are not known, many of the contemporaries she worked alongside (namely Police Magistrate Emily Murphy) were vocal suffragists.

This International Women’s Day, I will be reflecting on Constable Annie Jackson, and how she has shaped me personally so long after her time in the police force. Her work paved the way for future generations of women in law enforcement and beyond. It’s through remembering and honoring these trailblazers that we continue to shape a future that values equality and opportunity for all. 

So, this summer, when you walk 1905 street and learn more about the remarkable women like Constable Jackson who helped build this city, take a moment to reflect on how you, too, can take a step toward making history!

Start planning your next visit today with a Fort Edmonton Park Membership!