Agnes Campbell Macphail seen here on May 14, 1934 in Yousuf Karsh's Ottawa studio. Yousuf Karsh, CC ( December 23 1908 &ndash July 13 2002) was a Canadian photographer of Armenian Source: Library and Archives Canada

Agnes Campbell Macphail (March 24, 1890 – February 13, 1954) was the first woman to be elected to the Canadian House of Commons, and one of the first two women elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Library and Archives Canada (in French: Bibliothèque et Archives Canada) is a Canadian federal government department responsible for the collection Events 1401 - Mongol emperor Timur sacks Damascus. 1603 - James VI of Scotland Year 1890 ( MDCCCXC) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1258 - Baghdad falls to the Mongols, and the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) The House of Commons (Chambre des communes is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign (represented by the Governor General) and See also Politics of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (also known as Ontario Legislative Assembly or OntLA) is the Legislature Active throughout her life in progressive Canadian politics, Macphail worked for two separate parties and promoted her ideas through column-writing, activist organizing, and legislation. Progressivism is a term that refers to a broad school of international social and political philosophies. The politics of Canada function within a framework of Constitutional monarchy and a federal system of parliamentary government with strong democratic

Agnes Macphail was born to Dougald McPhail and Henrietta Campbell in Proton Township, Grey County, Ontario on March 24, 1890. Southgate is a township in western Ontario, Canada, in the southeast corner of Grey County. Grey County is a County and Census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. Events 1401 - Mongol emperor Timur sacks Damascus. 1603 - James VI of Scotland Year 1890 ( MDCCCXC) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common In the early years of her life, Agnes was called "McPhail", but after visiting Scotland on a trip this changed. She rediscovered her familial roots and the traditional spelling of "Macphail" (with no capital 'P' as in MacPhail).

Attending the teachers college in Stratford, she taught in schools in southwest Ontario. Stratford is a city on the Avon River in Perth County in Southwestern Ontario, Canada with While working in Sharon, Macphail became active politically, joining the United Farmers of Ontario (UFO) and its women's organization, the United Farm Women of Ontario. See also Sharon Middlesex County Ontario Sharon is a former village which has been incorporated into the municipality of the Town of The United Farmers of Ontario (UFO were a Political party in Ontario, Canada. She also became a columnist for the Farmers' Sun around this time.

After amendments to the Elections Act by the Conservative Party government in 1919, Macphail was elected to the House of Commons as a member of the Progressive Party of Canada for the Grey Southeast electoral district (riding) in the 1921 federal election. Canada Elections Act (2000 c 9 is an Act of the Parliament of Canada respecting the Election of members of parliament to the Canadian The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. The Progressive Party of Canada was a political party in Canada in the 1920s and 1930s For the current|defunct federal|provincial electoral district see Grey Southeast (electoral district ---> Grey Southeast was a federal A constituency is any cohesive corporate unit or body bound by shared structures goals or loyalty The Canadian federal election of 1921 was held on December 6, 1921 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 14th Parliament She was the first woman Member of Parliament (MP) in Canada. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Macphail was re-elected in the 1925, 1926, and 1930 federal elections. The Canadian federal election of 1925 was held on October 29 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 15th Parliament of Canada. The Canadian federal election of 1926 was held on September 14 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 16th Parliament of Canada. The Canadian federal election of 1930 was held on July 28, 1930 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 17th Parliament

As a radical member of the Progressive Party, Macphail joined the socialist Ginger Group, faction of the Progressive Party that later led to the formation of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF). The Ginger Group was not a formal political party in Canada, but a faction of radical Progressive and Labour Members of Parliament The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF (French Fédération du commonwealth coopératif, then Parti social démocratique du Canada) was a Canadian She became the first president of the Ontario CCF in 1933. The Ontario New Democratic Party, formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a Social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada However, she left the CCF in 1934 when the United Farmers of Ontario pulled out due to fears of Communist influence in the Ontario CCF. Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. While Maphail was no longer formally a CCF member, she remained close to the CCF MPs and often participated in caucus meetings. The CCF did not run candidates against Macphail in her three subsequent federal campaigns.

In the 1935 federal election, Macphail was again elected, this time as a United Farmers of Ontario–Labour^[1]MP for the newly formed Grey—Bruce riding. The Canadian federal election of 1935 was held on October 14, 1935 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 18th Parliament For the current|defunct federal|provincial electoral district see Grey—Bruce (electoral district ---> Grey—Bruce was a federal electoral She was allowed to use the party's name, even after it stopped being a political organization in 1934. She was always a strong voice for rural issues. Another one of Macphail's issues was penal reform; her efforts led to the formation of the investigative Archambault Commission in 1936. The Archambault Report was an influential study of the penitentiary system in Canada that was tabled in 1938 Macphail's concern for women in the criminal justice system led her, in 1939, to found the Elizabeth Fry Society of Canada, named after British reformer Elizabeth Fry. The Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies ( CAEFS) is an association of groups operating under the Elizabeth Fry Society banner The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Elizabeth Fry (née Gurney 21 May 1780 &ndash 12 October 1845 was an English Prison reformer Social reformer and as a Quaker, a Christian

Causes she championed included pensions for seniors and workers' rights. Social security primarily refers to a Social insurance program providing social protection or protection against socially recognized conditions including poverty old Macphail was also the first Canadian woman delegate to the League of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, where she worked with the World Disarmament Committee. The League of Nations was an International organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920 Geneva (Genève is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French -speaking Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Although a pacifist, she voted for Canada to enter World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

In the 1940 election, she was defeated. The Canadian federal election of 1940 was the 19th general election in Canadian history With the death of United Reform MP for Saskatoon City, Walter George Brown, a few days after the election, Macphail was recruited by the United Reform Movement to run in the by-election to fill the seat. The United Reform Movement or United Reform was an attempt in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, to create a left wing farmer-labour coalition Walter George Brown ( September 6 1875 – April 1 1940) was a Presbyterian Church in Canada minister who opposed the formation On August 19, she was defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Alfred Henry Bence. Events 43 BC - Octavian, later known as Augustus compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul. The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada ( PC) ( Parti progressiste-conservateur du Canada) ( 1867 – 2003) was a Canadian Alfred Henry Bence ( October 18, 1908 in Lanigan Saskatchewan, Canada – 1977 was a Canadian Politician and Barrister He received 4,798 votes, while Macphail placed second with 4,057 votes. ^[2] It was her last federal campaign as a candidate.

Out of office, she wrote agricultural columns for the Globe and Mail newspaper in Toronto. The Globe and Mail is a Canadian English language nationally distributed Newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities Following a family tragedy in her home town, Macphail moved to the Toronto suburb of East York, Ontario and rejoined the Ontario CCF in 1942 becoming its farm organizer. East York was formerly a semi-autonomous Borough within the overall municipality of Metropolitan Toronto before East

Unveiling of commemorative bust of Agnes Macphail

In the 1943 provincial election, Macphail was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a member of the Ontario CCF representing the suburban Toronto riding of York East. The Ontario general election of 1943 was held on August 4, 1943, to elect the 90 Members of the Legislative Assembly (Members of Provincial Parliament See also Politics of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (also known as Ontario Legislative Assembly or OntLA) is the Legislature York East was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons at different times and a provincial electoral district She and Rae Luckock were the first women elected to the Ontario Legislature. Margaret Rae Morrison Luckock ( October 15 1893 - January 24 1972) known as Rae Luckock was a feminist social justice activist peace She was the first woman sworn in as an Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP). A Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP is an elected member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. Although defeated in the 1945 provincial election, she was elected again in the 1948 election. The Ontario general election of 1945 was held on June 4, 1945, to elect the 90 members of the Legislative Assembly (Members of Provincial Parliament or The Ontario general election of 1948 was held on June 7, 1948, to elect the 90 members of the Legislative Assembly (Members of Provincial Parliament or Macphail was responsible for Ontario's first equal pay legislation, passed in 1951, but was unable to continue her efforts when she was defeated in elections later that year. The Ontario general election of 1951 was held on November 22, 1951, to elect the 90 members of the Legislative Assembly (Members of Provincial Parliament At that time, Macphail was barely able to support herself through journalism, public speaking and organizing for the Ontario CCF.

Macphail never married. She died February 13, 1954, aged 63, in Toronto, just before she was to have been offered an appointment to the Canadian Senate. Events 1258 - Baghdad falls to the Mongols, and the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario The Senate of Canada (Le Sénat du Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the sovereign (represented by the governor general She is buried in Priceville, Ontario, with her parents and Gertha Macphail, one of her two sisters. Priceville is a Village in Grey County, Ontario, Canada. Priceville is located on Grey Road 4 east of Durham and southwest of Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Her tombstone is incorrectly spelled "McPhail".

A prestigious public speaking contest is held in her name annually in East York, Toronto, Ontario. East York was formerly a semi-autonomous Borough within the overall municipality of Metropolitan Toronto before East Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec There is also an apartment building in Windsor, Ontario named after her ("Agnes Macphail Manor" at 860 Mercer Street). Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and lies at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City-Windsor Corridor.

In a contest run by former Ontario MPP Marilyn Churley, Agnes Macphail was voted as the Greatest Ontario Woman. Marilyn Churley (born May 7, 1948 in Old Perlican, Newfoundland) is a Canadian politician who represented the riding of Toronto—Danforth On June 24 2006, a cairn commemorating Agnes Macphail's life was unveiled in Hopeville, Southgate Township, Grey County, Ontario. Events 972 - Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces takes place Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. A cairn ( carn in Irish is an artificial pile of stones often in a conical form Southgate is a township in western Ontario, Canada, in the southeast corner of Grey County. Grey County is a County and Census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. Signs, at the boundaries of the Grey Southeast riding that Miss Macphail represented from 1921 to 1940, have been placed on Grey County road signs, reminding travellers of the woman who was Canada's first woman MP and the people and area she represented. In 1981, a public school in Scarborough, Ontario was named after her. Scarborough (ˈskɑrˌbəroʊ ( 2001 Census 593297 is the area that forms the eastern part of the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada ^[3]

Reference and notes

1. ^ Candidates (HTML). History of Federal Elections since 1867. Elections Canada. Elections Canada is an independent non-partisan agency reporting directly to the Parliament of Canada. Retrieved on 2007-05-06. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance.
2. ^ By-Elections: SASKATOON CITY (1940/08/19) (HTML). History of Federal Elections since 1867. Elections Canada. Elections Canada is an independent non-partisan agency reporting directly to the Parliament of Canada. Retrieved on 2007-05-06. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance.
3. ^ Agnes Macphail PS (HTML). Schools. Toronto District School Board (2007). Toronto District School Board, also known as TDSB, is the English -language public school board for Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Retrieved on 2007-09-20. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 451 - The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France. A public school in the TDSB is usually a school that goes from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8.

External links

• Celebrating Women's Achievements - Agnes Campbell Macphail
• Federal Political Experience
• The Heritage Foundation History Minute film about Macphail's efforts at penal reform
• Agnes Macphail Website and Digital Collection