• Represented the University of Alberta in four intercollegiate sports: badminton (1949-53), basketball (1949-53), golf (1951 and 1952), and volleyball (1952).
• While a student herself, she was elected by the students as Coordinator of Intramural Sports, and she set up programs in tennis, badminton, basketball, and volleyball.
• Received the Bakewell Trophy in 1953 as the University's most outstanding female athlete.
• In 1975, the Southern Family opened Spruce Meadows, a world-class equestrian facility in Calgary.
• Held executive positions on provincial and national equestrian governing bodies, and was named a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2007.

Margaret Southern grew up in Calgary and after an active and successful academic and sports career in high school, she pursued her post secondary education at the University of Alberta. Besides being involved in intercollegiate basketball and badminton from 1949 to 1953; the golf team in 1951 and 1952, and the volleyball team in 1952, she was elected by the students as Coordinator of Intramural Sports and set up programs in basketball, badminton, tennis and volleyball.

Always a leader and an outstanding performer, she completed her university career in 1953 by winning the Bakewell Trophy awarded to the Outstanding Female Athlete at the University of Alberta. Not only was she one of the first Physical Education graduates of this University, she became a charter member of the first physical education staff at the University of Calgary.

A growing interest in equestrian sports had a profound influence on the Southern family. They were able to establish a first class equestrian facility in Calgary and after five years of hard work, the world class Spruce Meadows was opened in 1975. In addition to being President and General Manager of Spruce Meadows Farm, Marg holds executive positions in the Canadian Equestrian Federation and Alberta Equestrian Federation. In addition to all this, she has volunteered her time as a director to a number of Canadian corporations.