Every small town has a story. We've mapped990of them.

Agnes Macphail | Politician

Sending
User Review
0 (0 votes)
Agnes macphail

From Proton Township, Grey County, Ontario (now Dundalk, Ontario)

The face from the new $10 banknote
 

Agnes Campbell Macphail was the first Canadian woman elected to parliament.

  • Born in 1890 in Proton Township, Grey County, Ontario (now Dundalk, Ontario)

  • Died in 1954 in Toronto, Ontario

Agnes Macphail was born in a farming family of Scottish descent in Proton Township, one of the wettest areas in South Grey County. After graduation, she taught at a number of schools in Ontario and Alberta. She became increasingly active in the Ontario agricultural co-operative movement.

Family farm

In 1921, Macphail was nominated to represent South-East Grey County in the Canadian House of Commons. She was elected to the House of Commons from 1921 to 1940.

From 1943 to 1945 and again from 1948 to 1951 she was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

  Macphail was a founding member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (the forerunner of the New Democratic Party) and was an advocate for prison reform. As a member of the Ontario legislature, she championed Ontario’s first equal pay legislation (1951).
Agnes Macphail: Heritage Minutes

Dundalk was incorporated as a village in 1887. In 2000, it was amalgamated with the Township of Proton (where Agnes Macphail was born).

Early settlers began arriving in the Township of Proton in 1857. These early settlers originated from Scotland, Ireland, Germany and England. Industries found in Proton Township included general stores, hotels, blacksmith shops, shoemakers, carpenters, sawmills, barrel making, wooden mills, grist mills, cheese factories, brick and lumberyards.

Read other people stories

Featured Megan Oldham | Olympic Freestyle Skiing Champion
📍 Parry Sound, Ontario
Megan Oldham | Olympic Freestyle Skiing Champion
Parry Sound's newest Olympic champion — gold in big air, bronze in slopestyle, and the whole town showed up to welcome her home.
Read the story →
Mike Babcock | Hockey Coach
📍 Manitouwadge, Ontario
Mike Babcock | Hockey Coach
From Manitouwadge, Ontario Michael “Mike” Babcock Jr. is a Stanley Cup and Olympic Gold Medal Winning Hockey Coach. Born in 1963 in Manitouwadge, Ontario Mike…
Read the story →
Willard Boyle | Nobel Laureate
📍 Amherst, Nova Scotia
Willard Boyle | Nobel Laureate
From Amherst, Truro NS An “electronic eye” co-inventor, Nobel laureate (2009) Willard Boyle was a Canadian physicist. Born in 1927 in Amherst, Nova Scotia. Died in 2011…
Read the story →
logo 1000 (900 x 180 px) (300 x 300 px)

♥ There’s a small town in all of us

Even if you’ve never lived in a small town, you’ve been shaped by one — through a grandparent’s stories, a childhood visit, or a place that just felt like home. We’d love to hear your story.

#TheSmallTownInMe

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get more people stories in your inbox

Who Are You?

Any changes to the place info will be reviewed by 1000 Towns of Canada.