born March 24, 1890, Grey county, Ont., Can.
died Feb. 13, 1954, Toronto
Canadian politician.
Originally a schoolteacher, she entered politics to represent the farmers in her region. In 1921, the first year women could vote in national elections in Canada, she was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as its first female member; she served until 1940. She advocated prison reform and women's rights as well as a protective tariff. She was the first female Canadian delegate to the League of Nations . Elected to the Ontario legislature (194345, 194851), she sponsored the province's first equal-pay legislation.