INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY MARCH 8, 2024

March 8th, 2024 is International Women’s Day and Mother’s Day is on the horizon. This is a good time to reminisce about the bad old days of inequality of the sexes.

Canada inherited the longstanding British tradition that every family needed a single head of the household and that was a man. At election time it was inconceivable that husband and wife could both vote. Why, they may even cancel each other out. And politics was not women’s business anyway.

For all our claims to be a democracy, we barred both women and the indigenous citizens from voting. Our neighbours to the south added to that by disenfranchising black residents. This system prevailed generally until about 100 hundred years ago, when women got sick of it and decided to raise a little hell.

That was not well received. The idea that girls should be trained for their domestic role was embedded in the minds of the men of the house. Change would take a lot of effort and a lot of time. In the twenties there was a lot of scoffing from the men.

And you had to ask! Were the girls after something more that equality? What would the world look like when they get their way?

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All’s well that ends well but it surely took time. Ontario ‘gave’ women the vote in 1917, so did British Columbia. The next three years saw the Yukon and the Maritimes added to the list. Quebec held out until 1940 and the North West Territories until 1951.

First Nations status Indians first voted in 1924 but only if they were veterans. Japanese veterans had to wait to 1931 and Quebec women couldn’t vote in Provincial elections until 1941. South Asian men and women waited until 1947. In theory race was no longer to be a bar to voting when the Federal Elections Act was amended in 1948 but in Ontario, Status Indians were kept waiting until 1964.

Whatever the timeline on paper, men continued to dominate politics for years after these changes. It wasn’t until 1964 that Quebec saw its first female in its legislature. She championed the bill that at last declared that married women could have full ‘legal status’ and could act as they wished without their husband’s approval.

Our first and only female Prime Minister was Kim Campbell who on June 25th, 1993 inherited the wreckage of the Progressive Conservative Party only to inevitably be defeated at the polls a few months later.

So how did Marmora do in all this?

Jean Hanley became our first elected female Councillor in 1979. Our one and only female head of a local Council was Wilma Brady Bush, until our present Mayor was twice elected.  Did we miss anyone?

 Nevertheless, it appears our local progress on women’s political rights and power is likely no better than the nation’s.   

WOMEN'S WEEK IN THE HISTORY OF MARMORA

Celebrating and addressing the importance of social, economic, cultural and political achievement and well-being of women & girls.           

THE FOLLOWING LIST HONOURS THE MARMORA WOMEN WHO HAVE INSPIRED, PAVED THE WAY AND GIVEN HOPE TO SO MANY. 

      WE INVITE YOU TO ADD TO THE LIST.  SEND US YOUR NOMINEES,                                                YOUR STORIES AND YOUR PHOTOS.  JUST CLICK HERE

Dr. Iona Victoria Wellman was born at Harold, Ontario on November 9, 1907 daughter of Arnold Wellman and Nancy Woodward. She graduated in medicine at the University of Toronto in 1932 and took post graduate studies in Toronto and Chicago. Dr. Wellman worked most of her career as a psychiatrist in the Ontario Hospital service until her retirement at D’ArcyPlace, Cobourg. She was recipient of the Centennial Medal, a life member of the Ontario psychiatric association and a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. Dr. Iona Victoria Wellman died at Cobourg on December 30, 1993 aged 86.

Dr. Wellman's two brothers,  both born in Harold,  were also doctors.  

HELENA BENEDICTA McCALLUM was born in Marmora in 1878. She received her schooling here and continued her education as a graduate of Saint Michael's Hospital, Toronto.  Upon graduation Helena enlisted in the Royal Canadian Women's Army Corps and went overseas in 1915 to serve as a Nursing Sister at Salonica and France making her,  along with Victoria Eastwood,  the first women from Marmora to serve their country during WW1.

VICTORIA EASTWOOD:  Nursing sister , Victoria Eastwood,  was a nurse that sailed off to Europe for WW1 with Helena McCallum.  She received a special citation from Sir Douglas Haig for "gallant and distinguished conduct."  (Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, KT, GCB, OM, GCVO, KCIE, ADC was a senior officer of the British Army. During the First World War he commanded the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front from late 1915 until the end of the war.)

Marmora Herald May 6, 1915 Miss Victoria Eastwood of Marmora and Miss Helena Benedicta McCallum (1878-1951) of Deloro will sail for Europe with a party of Canadian trained registered nurses from McGill University, Montreal. They have all volunteered their services with the Canadian Army in France.

Marmora Herald June 15, 1916- Miss Victoria Eastwod, a former Marmora girl who went to the front early in the war as a nurse, is among the list of those receiving special mention from Sir Douglas Haig for gallant and distinguished conduct.

ANNE PHILPOT has worn many hats since arriving in Marmora. She was a founding member of the board of the Children's Nursery Centre, a position she held for many years.  She was the driving force behind the purchase and development of Nayler's Common Wetland and Trails. Anne started the Crowe Lake Sailing School and was the first woman to chair Marmora SnoFest.
Anne was a founding member of the Marmora Historical Foundation and is still very involved in the day to day running of it and now in her spare time has become an accomplished artist.

JO-ANN REID was the first woman to become a manager of the Toronto Dominion Bank in Marmora in 1986. Jo-Ann broke the male dominance of 17 men that came before her, opening the doors for other women to follow in her footsteps.

CATHERINE REYNOLDS was not the youngest person to join the Marmora Fire Depart- ment but the fact that she was a woman certainly was a first in the history of Marmora.   She was selected by the department, her name was then approved by the joint fire committee and finally approved by Marmora Village council in 1993. Catherine took her place alongside 20 men and in so doing became Marmora's first woman firefighter.

MISS MABEL CAMPBELL was the first woman to assume the position of principal of one of our local schools. This position had always been filled by a man but in 1925 Miss Campbell was the principal of Marmora Continuation School.

WILMA BUSH ran uncontested for the position of Reeve of the Village of Marmora, making her the first woman of occupy that position in 1997.
Wilma served 9 years on council before assuming this position. She served on joint services committee, sat on the board of Dr. Parkin Living Centre and was chairperson of the local library board.  is an active member of the Seniors and Lions Club.

MARTHA DALE attended the first public school in Marmora, which was an old stone structure on the east side of the river.  She was a practical nurse long before there were many trained nurses in smaller centres such as Marmora and up until her death in 1934 she helped usher countless babies into the world. Martha was highly esteemed by all her knew her.