Farm wife Enid MacDonald did not just break through the proverbial glass ceiling in the December 1963 United Counties municipal elections. She smashed through it, shattering 100 years of exclusion. This was a time when the number of female members of Parliament or in the Ontario Legislature could be counted on one hand. MacDonald became the first female Lochiel deputy reeve and the first woman to serve on United Counties council where she was surrounded by 31 male reeves and deputy reeves.
In 1952, in Ottawa, the feisty Charlotte Whitton – called by one colleague a “Little package of dynamite” – became the first elected female mayor of a major Canadian city. Mary Mack became Cornwall’s first female councillor in 1947.
When MacDonald joined United Counties council, there were just four females in the House of Commons (today there are 103).
To say MacDonald’s win was decisive would be an under statement. She claimed the deputy reeve post polling more than her two male opponents – one the incumbent – combined.
In an editorial, The Standard-Freeholder praised her achievement. In calling her a trail blazer the paper said, “Mrs. MacDonald adds more emphasis to a development of which all have been aware for sometime: that women are coming into their own as candidates for public office.”
Two days after her historic election, she told the Standard-Freeholder “Somebody has to be break the ice.” A photo of MacDonald giving a victory salute while behind the wheel of the family farm tractor ran with the story.
Elaine MacDonald followed her aunt’s political path and is a long-serving Cornwall councillor and unwavering women’s rights advocate. Enid would say, ‘atta girl’.
DECEMBER 1963: Most people who appeared before Mag. H. Bruce Hunter tried to stay out of jail. But a Nova Scotia man, arrested on a charge of vagrancy (no means of support), tried to talk the magistrate into giving him a stay in the counties slammer. When the magistrate asked what kind of time he was looking at, the man, who said he was trying to make his way back to Nova Scotia, suggested 20 days, enough time to try and secure some funds from family back East and get a free Christmas dinner at the jail. “How about three weeks,” offered the judge. “Thank you, your majesty. That will be just fine.” So, it was off to jail and three squares a day. … In a letter to Mayor Nick Kaneb, a lawyer for CNR said the Brookdale Avenue level crossing, where four city teen-agers were killed when the car they were in was struck by a freight train, did not require “additional protection.” The crossing did not have signal lights. Just an advance warning sign. The mayor said he wasn’t giving up on having signals installed at the crossing. … With a new two-year contract in place, the 125 employees at the Brown Shoe Factory in Alexandria received a three-cent-an-hour increase. Lowest paid employees were bumped to $1 an hour from 90 cents. The company also agreed to continue the “generous” tradition of providing each employee with a 14-pound turkey at Christmas. … Cornwall native Robert Eamer became the first cadet posted to OPP District 11. He was assigned to Long Sault detachment. … Executive members of the Cornwall House Builders Association were Roland Bourbonnais, Gaetan Menard and Gerard Brunet. … The Richelieu Club celebrated its 15th anniversary. Formed in 1949, Fred Lefebvre was its first president. … Cornwall Royals battled to a 5-5 draw with Brockville Braves in an Ottawa-Hull and District Junior Hockey League game. NickDeschamps, two, Jean Payette, Ray Barnes and Mike Murray scored for the Royals. Ingleside-area native Duane Rutley had two goals and three assists for the Braves. … Cornwall’s Bob Charlebois of the Montreal Junior Canadiens was third in OHL scoring, behind team-mates Andre Boudrias and Yvan Cournoyer. … Three men were arrested in Hollywood and charged with kidnapping Frank Sinatra Jr., 19-year-old son of famous entertainer, Frank Sr. The $240,000 ransom paid by the father was recovered. … The world’s first human heart transplant patient died in South Africa, three weeks after Dr. Chris Bernard performed the history-making surgery in a Cape Town hospital.
THINGS YOU MIGHT REMEMBER: The Canada Steamship Lines warehouses on Water Street at the foot of Pitt Street. … The Augustus Street swing bridge. … Silver Bridge swimming spot. … Central Park bandshell. … The 3,000-seat grandstand at the Athletic Grounds. It was destroyed in a 1950 storm. … The 1/4-mile cinder track at the Grounds that was ripped out by short-sighted public officials to make room for the Bob Turner Memorial Centre. It was said to be one of the finest tracks in the province. … Rassler Whipper Billy Watson who was as popular in Canada as the Rocket and Gordie. … The Colonial Coach bus line terminal in the Cornwallis coffee shop next to Shirley’s Restaurant. … The Ontario Provincial Police detachment on Augustus Street. … The Queen Elizabeth ball room in the Cornwallis Hotel. … Watering venues called the Lafayette House, The Grand, St. Lawrence House, the Central and Benoit’s.
TRIVIA: What did Ralphie want for Christmas in “A Christmas Story”? 1) Basketball, 2) Red Ryder BB gun, 3) Train set, 4) Bicycle, 5) Transistor radio.
TRIVIA ANSWER: Santa had three reindeer whose names started with a ‘D’: Dasher, Dancer, Donner.
QUOTED: “When I hear somebody sigh, ‘Life is hard,’ I am always tempted to ask ‘Compared to what?” – Sydney Harris
ONE FINAL THING: Thoughts and prayers are with former Mohawk Council of Akwesasne (MCA) grand chief (2006-2009) Tim “Dooley” Thompson. He retired as a district chief in July. A wonderful, kind-hearted person who represented Akwesasne well.
