Celebrating BC's First 100 Women Members of the Legislative Assembly
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Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Celebrating BC’s First 100 Women Members of the Legislative Assembly Approaching the 100th anniversary of the election of BC’s first woman Member of the Legislative Assembly in 2018, the author reflects on some of the achievements of the first 100 women MLAs elected in the province. She notes that these women have often proven to be excellent role models for young people aspiring to a career in politics and public service. Hon. Linda Reid, MLA n 2013 British Columbia achieved an important th I would like to take this milestone as an opportunity milestone with the election of its 100 woman to celebrate the strength, character, and contributions Member of the Legislative Assembly. We are also of some of these remarkable provincial leaders. I th approaching the 100 anniversary of the by-election victory of Mary Ellen Smith, the first woman elected Mary Ellen Smith to BC’s Legislative Assembly, in 1918. Born and raised in England, Mary Ellen Smith immigrated to British Columbia with her husband Between 1891 and 1914, 16 women’s in 1891. Smith had been a passionate activist suffrage bills were introduced and on the drive for women’s suffrage in the defeated in British Columbia’s province in the decades leading up to Legislative Assembly. In April the successful 1916 referendum, so 1917, following a referendum it was perhaps fitting when she on the issue undertaken in was called upon to run in her conjunction with the province’s husband’s vacated seat following 1916 general election, British his sudden death in 1917. First Columbia became the fourth elected as an “Independent province in Canada to grant Liberal,” she was re-elected women who qualified as in 1920 and 1924 under the British subjects the right to banner of the Liberal party of vote in provincial elections the day. and to stand for provincial office. While this legislation As an MLA, Smith continued heralded a great step forward her advocacy work on behalf for women’s rights, the voting of women, children and the franchise would not become underprivileged, introducing a universal in BC until 1949, when it bill calling for a minimum wage for was finally broadened to include women that remained in effect until First Nations women and men, 1972. She is additionally recognized as and women and men of Japanese Mary Ellen Smith the first female member of cabinet and the first background. woman to preside over parliamentary proceedings as an acting Speaker anywhere in the British Empire. The Hon. Linda Reid is Speaker of the BC Legislative Assembly. She is chair of the Canadian Regional branch of Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians. 2 CANADIAN PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW/SPRING 2015 Nancy Hodges In addition to being recognized as the first visible minority woman elected to the BC Legislative In 1950 British Columbia marked another first Assembly, Brown was also the first African-Canadian when Nancy Hodges was appointed as Speaker of the woman — and only the second woman, after Mary House — the first woman Speaker in any jurisdiction Walker-Sawka in 1967 — to run for the leadership in the Commonwealth. Hodges grew of a national party in Canada, finishing second in up in London, England, before the 1975 New Democratic Party leadership relocating to Kamloops, BC, in campaign. In 1986, after serving three 1912 to facilitate her husband’s terms as an MLA, Brown left provincial tuberculosis convalescence. politics, returning to work in academia, The couple moved to with international aid organizations, Victoria in 1916, where and as head of the Ontario Human she served as women’s Rights Commission. editor for the Victoria Jenny Wai Ching Kwan and Times newspaper and Ida Chong developed a strong reputation as a women’s MLAs Jenny Wai Ching Kwan and rights advocate. Ida Chong were both first elected in BC’s 1996 general election, almost 50 Hodges won a seat in the years after a 1947 law extended the Legislative Assembly in 1941, voting franchise to women and men of and served as a Liberal member Chinese and South Asian backgrounds. of the Liberal-Conservative Kwan and Chong became the first Chinese- coalition that governed the province Canadians elected to BC’s Legislative Assembly, until 1951. She campaigned for the rights Nancy Hodges as well as the first and second Chinese-Canadian of women workers and women’s property cabinet ministers in the province. rights before her appointment as Speaker. After losing her seat in the 1953 provincial general Born in Hong Kong in 1967, election, Hodges was appointed to the Senate of Jenny Wai Ching Kwan Canada, becoming the first BC moved to Vancouver woman to sit in Canada’s with her family when upper chamber. she was nine years old. She became Rosemary Brown Vancouver’s A generation youngest city later, another councillor in pioneering 1993 before immigrant campaigning to arrived in become the New Montreal. Democratic Rosemary Brown Party MLA for emigrated from Vancouver– Jamaica to attend Mount Pleasant McGill University in 1996. During her in 1951. After moving first term in office, west, she served as Kwan became BC’s ombudswoman for first Chinese-Canadian the Vancouver Status cabinet minister, holding of Women Council before portfolios in Municipal Affairs; Jenny Wai Ching Kwan Rosemary Brown becoming the first African-Canadian Women’s Equality; and woman elected to a provincial Community Development, legislature in Canada, as the New Cooperatives and Volunteers. Democratic Party MLA for Burrard in 1972. CANADIAN PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW/SPRING 2015 3 A daughter of a Chinese immigrant mother and Surrey municipal councillor — experience she would second-generation Chinese-Canadian father, Ida later put to good use as Minister of Municipal Affairs. Chong grew up in Victoria, BC. She spent close to Johnston was first elected as a Social Credit party MLA 20 years as senior partner in an accounting practice for Surrey in 1983. In addition to serving as Minister and one term as a municipal councillor prior to of Municipal Affairs, where she received plaudits for her successful 1996 campaign to her competent administration from colleagues across represent Oak Bay–Gordon the political spectrum, she also spent time as Minister Head as an MLA for the of Transportation and Highways, Minister of State Liberal party. for the Kootenay Region, and Deputy Premier. Johnston was appointed Premier on April 2, The novice MLA was 1991, after the Social Credit caucus selected appointed Official her to succeed Bill Vander Zalm. Opposition critic for Carole James Small Business and deputy critic for In 2003 the BC New Democratic Party Finance during her elected its first woman leader, Carole first term. After the James, who also made history by being the 2001 general election first woman to serve as provincial Leader of resulted in a Liberal the Official Opposition. James government, Chong has dedicated much held a variety of cabinet of her life to public positions, including service, holding Community, Sport and positions with the Cultural Development; Greater Victoria Science and Universities; School Board and Healthy Living and Sport; and Small Ida Chong as vice-president Business. of the Canadian School Boards In recent decades BC women have proven Association, themselves as leaders in virtually all of the province’s and she also top posts. Women have led all of the province’s major served an provincial parties. Four women have been elected unprecedented Speaker of the House, two have been appointed five terms as Lieutenant Governor, and two have served as President of the Premier of the province, with women BC School Trustees also maintaining a substantial Association. She and increasing presence at the was Director cabinet table. of Child Care Policy in the BC Rita Johnston government for two Carole James Canada’s first years, and served on the woman premier, Rita Greater Victoria Region Social Planning Johnston, was born Council, the City of Victoria Parks and in Saskatchewan and Recreation Committee, and the Task raised in BC’s Lower Force on Violence prevention. Mainland. Prior to entering politics, she spent years operating a successful small business in Surrey, BC, • Photo Credits: Mary Ellen Smith (B-01563), and served two terms as a Nancy Hodges (I-32485), and Rosemary Brown (1-32427) courtesy of the Royal BC Museum, BC Archives. All other photos Rita Johnston courtesy of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. 4 CANADIAN PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW/SPRING 2015 Christy Clark As of the time of writing, 31 of BC’s 85 MLAs are women, including eight of 20 cabinet ministers. At the British Columbia’s current Premier Christy Clark Legislative Assembly, four of eight active committees was first elected to the BC Legislative Assembly (including the Legislative Assembly Management on May 28, 1996 as a Liberal MLA. Following the Committee) are chaired by women. I am honoured 2001 general election, she was appointed to serve as Speaker, and the longest-serving current Deputy Premier and held portfolios MLA, at a time when the Speaker, the Lieutenant in Education, and Children and Governor and the Premier are women, and Family Development, before when both parties with official status in the deciding to take time away Legislative Assembly have been led by from public life to focus on women. her family. In 2011 she returned to politics to One of my greatest privileges as an successfully contest the elected MLA is to meet with students Liberal Party leadership and young people and speak with race following the them about how they can contribute departure of Premier to making BC a more prosperous Gordon Campbell. Clark and secure province. Our first was sworn in as Premier 100 woman MLAs provide a rich on March 14, 2011.