International women’s day is a time to celebrate the numerous women have left their mark on the Kingston area.
When it comes to politics and longevity, that title would go to Flora MacDonald. She served the riding of Kingston and The Islands for 16 years as a member of parliament. MacDonald also became Canada’s first female foreign affairs minister, she passed away in 2015.
On the municipal front, Helen Cooper was elected as a city councillor in 1980 and she became Kingston’s first female mayor eight years later.
“Some people were really nervous about this whole thing and the city didn’t fall apart, I’m happy to say, I think I feel confident we made progress on a number of fronts,” Cooper said.
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But Cooper says it wasn’t always smooth sailing. Being the first, the Queen’s University graduate says there were a number of obstacles to overcome.
“I dealt constantly with overt and covert sexist comments, there was no doubt about that. Questions about my ability, my capacity to manage in difficult circumstances were always questions that were raised with me.”
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A highlight during her time as mayor was the Royal Visit in 1991 when Prince Charles and Princess Diana came to town.
Cooper now enjoys time with her family especially her grandchildren. She served as mayor from 1988 until 1993.
Isabel Turner had similar firsts in Kingston Township. Her political life began in the late 1970s. Turner also became the 2nd female mayor of Kingston in 2000.
Women who made a positive impact on the Kingston sports scene include hockey players Cookie Cartwright and Jayna Hefford and swimmer Vicki Keith.
It’s not hard to find women from Kingston who’ve made a definite difference.
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