From the Timmins Museum: National Exhibition Centre:
In December 1939, while the Second World War was occupying the headlines and minds of Canadians, Timmins was preparing for its annual municipal election.
Among the candidates was Ellen Terry, principal of the Timmins Business College which she opened in 1921 after the success of her business college in Sudbury which she began in 1915.
Despite her keen knowledge of business and financial matters, there were still many doubts about the role of women in politics at the time, over 20 years after women had been granted the vote in Ontario.
In the face of such prejudice, Terry stated to a reporter at the Porcupine Advance “these are serious times when we must forget all petty narrowness and childishness - we must work together as one unselfish body in a sane manner for the good of our country.”
Terry campaigned primarily to reduce taxes for Timmins’ residents during the war, believing that the city’s finances could be spent in a more responsible manner in order to reduce the burden on the taxpayers. Clearly her spiritedness was successful as Terry was elected to council on Dec. 4 with the largest number of votes ever given to any council candidate in the history of Timmins to that point.
She was a member of Timmins town council for seven years, and served as finance chairman for five years and on the welfare and waterworks committees for one year each.
Each week, the Timmins Museum: National Exhibition Centre provides TimminsToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past.
Find out more of what the Timmins Museum has to offer at www.timminsmuseum.ca and look for more Remember This? columns here.
