October 30th, 2025
Notable commissionaire, famous Calgarian and pioneering military leader, Mary Dover was born in 1905, the same year Alberta joined the Confederation. It was a fitting coincidence that foreshadowed the impact she would have on Canada.
Mary came from a lineage deeply tied to Alberta’s history. She was the daughter of Alfred Earnest Cross, one of Alberta’s “Big Four” businessmen who founded the Calgary Stampede in 1912, and Helen “Nell” Rothney Macleod, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel James Macleod, who helped establish Fort Calgary in 1875.
In the 1920s, she spent time as an actress and performed as a stunt rider in “His Destiny”, one of the first Hollywood films shot on location in Calgary.
She married Grant Melville Dover in 1930 and throughout the decade, they travelled all over Southeast Asia, eventually settling in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), where they had their son, David.
With the approach of the Second World War in 1939, Mary and her son returned home to Calgary while Grant remained with the military in Ceylon.
At that time, a woman’s participation in the military was still limited to nursing or volunteering with organizations such as the Red Cross and the Young Women’s Christian Association.
Mary chose to volunteer for the Red Triangle, an organization that provided host homes to Allied soldiers stationed in Canada for training.
As the war progressed and men were sent to the front lines, women sought to do more and began campaigning for the creation of formal military organizations for women.
It finally came to fruition in 1941. Women were allowed to serve Canada in uniform for the first time in history. With that, the Canadian Women’s Army Corps (CWAC) was established, and Mary joined as a recruiting officer, making her most vital contributions to Canada’s military.
One challenge was recruiting women who still adhered to traditional gender roles in society. As one of the first female officers, she was sent on a speaking tour to raise awareness on the essential role women were playing in the forces.
In 1942, she sailed with the first CWAC contingent posted to the United Kingdom, where she served during the Blitz.
Later, she was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and became the Commanding Officer of No. 3 CWAC Training Centre in Kitchener, ON.
After retiring from the CWAC in 1945, she immersed herself in community service, serving as president of the Women’s Canadian Club and vice president of the Alberta Legion. Her commitment to public service soon extended into municipal politics, where she served on Calgary’s city council from 1945-1953 and again from 1956-1960, championing mental health support, pedestrian safety and urban planning.
In 1952, she broke new ground again, becoming Commissionaires’ first female board member, bringing her wisdom and experience to the Southern Alberta Division.
Over the years, she received significant recognition for her impact, including the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her military service, the Order of Canada (OC), and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Calgary. The YWCA Mary Dover House and the community of Dover in Calgary were both named in her honour.
Mary Dover passed away in 1994 at the age of 88, leaving behind a legacy of service that continues to inspire Canadians and commissionaires to this day.
Sources: