22:
171:
Smith also supported anti-Asian and eugenicist politics in
British Columbia, including the Women and Girls’ Protection Act of 1923, which restricted their employment by Asians. She also advocated the sterilization of the feeble-minded lest their reproduction contribute to ‘race suicide’. She accepted
167:
for women of $ 12.77 per week. Smith helped enact laws establishing juvenile courts, allowing women to sit as judges, and passing laws protecting women in the workplace. She also worked to pass the
Mothers' Pension Act in 1924, later renamed the Mothers' Allowances Act in 1937. This act provided
172:
the racial science of her day that justified legislation efforts to "protect our own race." (as cited in Kerwin, 1999, p. 95). By embracing racism and eugenics within her feminism, Smith reflected the ideals of feminists of her era.
127:. He returned to the BC legislature, and became British Columbia's Minister of Finance in 1916. Mary Ellen Smith helped her husband's political career by campaigning for him and making speeches on his behalf when he was unavailable.
223:
Smith's work to promote the rights of women and girls has been commemorated in feminist literature and in the public after her death, but her links to eugenics and anti-Asian policies were largely downplayed until recent decades.
84:, a widower, coal miner and unionist, in 1883. The couple had five children together, one daughter and four sons. She moved with him to British Columbia in the early 1891 shortly after their marriage, settling first in
100:
She was an activist as a member of the
Suffrage League of Canada, member of the Dominion Board of Mental Hygiene, president of the Women's Canadian Club and of the Women's Forum, regent of the
723:
238:
recognizing her as the first female MLA in
British Columbia, the first female to be appointed a minister without portfolio in the British Empire, and as a campaigner for women's rights.
194:
728:
142:. She ran as an "Independent Liberal" on the slogan "Women and children first". She was elected by a wide margin, becoming the first woman in the BC Legislature.
135:
227:
In 2007, Smith was named a
National Historic Person by the government of Canada. In Nanaimo the street Mary Ellen Drive, located between Dover Bay Road and the
345:"Smith [née Spear], Mary Ellen (1863–1933), suffrage activist, politician in British Columbia, and first female cabinet minister in the British empire"
108:. She also raised money for war veterans, and helped establish factories to employ blind children. She founded the "Laurier Liberal Club", and was an active
201:
that brought down the
Liberal government. For that election, she left her Vancouver riding and ran instead in the riding of Esquimalt on Vancouver Island.
261:
733:
179:
326:
235:
41:
718:
198:
157:
153:
101:
600:
577:
554:
518:
471:
419:
364:
310:
288:
738:
344:
145:
She said in a speech in the
Legislature that "Not only did the women of my fair city stand behind me... but the men were there, too."
131:
37:
205:
81:
215:
She served as president of the BC Liberal Party in the early 1930s until her death due to a stroke in 1933 at the age of 72.
149:
124:
613:
703:
176:
183:
120:
496:
168:
divorced, deserted or widowed wives with guaranteed monthly income to raise children under the age of sixteen.
698:
656:
492:
713:
708:
45:
302:
Sterilized by the State: Eugenics, Race, and the
Population Scare in Twentieth-Century North America
356:
197:, the first woman to hold the position of Speaker in the British Empire. She was defeated in the
187:
105:
49:
596:
591:
573:
568:
550:
545:
514:
509:
467:
415:
360:
306:
284:
279:
21:
462:
301:
635:
510:
The
Struggle for Social Justice in British Columbia: Helena Gutteridge, the Unknown Reformer
352:
33:
439:
327:"Mary Ellen Smith: First Female Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia"
228:
53:
692:
164:
163:
As a legislator, she introduced the
Minimum Wage Act of 1918, a law establishing a
532:
Their own history: women's contribution to the labour movement of British Columbia
674:
531:
190:
restricted her independence and she was never assigned to a dedicated portfolio.
139:
116:
130:
Ralph Smith died in February 1917, and Mary Ellen Smith ran to succeed him as
535:. United Fishermen & Allied Workers Union/CAW Seniors Club; 2002. p. 53.
414:. Toronto, Canada: Heritage House Publishing Company Ltd. pp. 118–124.
412:
Flourishing and Free, More Stories of Trailblazing Women of Vancouver Island
119:
leader. He was elected to the BC legislature in 1898. He was elected to the
109:
89:
65:
262:"Canada 150: Mary Ellen Smith was first woman elected to B.C. legislature"
85:
73:
209:
76:. Her mother was Mary Spear and father, Richard Spear, was a copper
77:
69:
20:
569:
British Columbia Murders: Notorious Cases and Unsolved Mysteries
186:, but resigned after eight months as she felt that the rules of
32:(October 11, 1863 – May 3, 1933) was a politician in
592:
Politics, Policy, and Government in British Columbia
204:
In 1929, she was appointed Canada's delegate to the
549:. Oxford University Press, USA; 24 September 2010.
724:Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada)
636:"Smith, Mary Ellen Spear National Historic Person"
483:The Victoria Daily Times, 1 Mar 1918, Fri ·Page 4
546:The Oxford Handbook of the History of Eugenics
463:Harbour City: Nanaimo in Transition, 1920-1967
305:. Cambridge University Press; 26 August 2013.
80:. She became a school teacher before marrying
234:Mary Ellen Smith is also commemorated by the
8:
52:and the first woman cabinet minister in the
357:10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.90000382467
193:On February 22, 1928 she served as Acting
25:Mary Ellen Smith, from a 1918 publication.
433:
431:
405:
403:
401:
115:Her husband, Ralph Smith, was a moderate
399:
397:
395:
393:
391:
389:
387:
385:
383:
381:
257:
255:
253:
251:
236:Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
42:Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
729:20th-century Canadian women politicians
349:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
247:
466:. Heritage House Publishing Co; 2006.
102:Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire
48:minister and the first female Acting
7:
614:"Mary Ellen Spear Smith (1863-1933)"
343:Messamore, Barbara J. (2024-02-08),
321:
319:
572:. Heritage House; 1 February 2011.
195:Speaker of the Legislative Assembly
64:Smith was born Mary Ellen Spear in
36:, Canada. She was the first female
132:Member of the Legislative Assembly
38:Member of the Legislative Assembly
14:
734:20th-century Canadian politicians
206:International Labour Organization
104:, and an executive member of the
616:. Parks Canada. 29 November 2016
440:"B.C. Heroes: Mary Ellen Smith"
719:Women MLAs in British Columbia
513:. UBC Press; 1 November 2011.
280:Mainstays: Women who Shaped BC
1:
268:, Stephen Hume, March 8, 2017
283:. TouchWood Editions; 1998.
44:, and both the first female
739:English emigrants to Canada
351:, Oxford University Press,
755:
231:, is named in her honour.
184:minister without portfolio
175:She joined the cabinet of
121:House of Commons of Canada
497:The Canadian Encyclopedia
148:She was re-elected as a
410:Healey, Haley (2021).
158:1924 general elections
30:Mary Ellen Spear Smith
26:
675:"Historical Timeline"
125:1900 federal election
24:
595:. UBC Press; 1996.
88:and then moving to
16:Canadian politician
704:Canadian feminists
657:"Mary Ellen Smith"
589:R. Kenneth Carty.
493:"Mary Ellen Smith"
188:cabinet solidarity
138:in a January 1918
106:Canadian Red Cross
27:
601:978-0-7748-0583-4
578:978-1-926936-14-7
555:978-0-19-537314-1
519:978-0-7748-4287-7
472:978-1-894974-20-2
421:978-1-77203-353-3
366:978-0-19-861412-8
311:978-1-107-43459-2
289:978-0-920663-62-2
152:candidate in the
746:
683:
682:
671:
665:
664:
653:
647:
646:
644:
642:
632:
626:
625:
623:
621:
610:
604:
587:
581:
566:Susan McNicoll.
564:
558:
542:
536:
528:
522:
505:
499:
490:
484:
481:
475:
458:
452:
451:
449:
447:
435:
426:
425:
407:
376:
375:
374:
373:
340:
334:
333:
331:
323:
314:
298:
292:
277:Cathy Converse.
275:
269:
259:
34:British Columbia
754:
753:
749:
748:
747:
745:
744:
743:
689:
688:
687:
686:
673:
672:
668:
655:
654:
650:
640:
638:
634:
633:
629:
619:
617:
612:
611:
607:
588:
584:
565:
561:
543:
539:
529:
525:
506:
502:
491:
487:
482:
478:
459:
455:
445:
443:
442:. Vancouver Sun
438:Bellet, Gerry.
437:
436:
429:
422:
409:
408:
379:
371:
369:
367:
342:
341:
337:
329:
325:
324:
317:
299:
295:
276:
272:
260:
249:
244:
221:
98:
62:
17:
12:
11:
5:
752:
750:
742:
741:
736:
731:
726:
721:
716:
711:
706:
701:
699:BC United MLAs
691:
690:
685:
684:
666:
648:
627:
605:
582:
559:
537:
523:
507:Irene Howard.
500:
485:
476:
460:Jan Peterson.
453:
427:
420:
377:
365:
335:
315:
293:
270:
246:
245:
243:
240:
229:Island Highway
220:
217:
208:conference in
97:
94:
61:
58:
54:British Empire
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
751:
740:
737:
735:
732:
730:
727:
725:
722:
720:
717:
715:
712:
710:
707:
705:
702:
700:
697:
696:
694:
680:
679:www.leg.bc.ca
676:
670:
667:
662:
661:www.leg.bc.ca
658:
652:
649:
637:
631:
628:
615:
609:
606:
602:
598:
594:
593:
586:
583:
579:
575:
571:
570:
563:
560:
556:
552:
548:
547:
541:
538:
534:
533:
527:
524:
520:
516:
512:
511:
504:
501:
498:
494:
489:
486:
480:
477:
473:
469:
465:
464:
457:
454:
441:
434:
432:
428:
423:
417:
413:
406:
404:
402:
400:
398:
396:
394:
392:
390:
388:
386:
384:
382:
378:
368:
362:
358:
354:
350:
346:
339:
336:
328:
322:
320:
316:
312:
308:
304:
303:
297:
294:
291:. p. 119–120.
290:
286:
282:
281:
274:
271:
267:
266:Vancouver Sun
263:
258:
256:
254:
252:
248:
241:
239:
237:
232:
230:
225:
218:
216:
213:
211:
207:
202:
200:
199:1928 election
196:
191:
189:
185:
181:
178:
173:
169:
166:
161:
159:
155:
151:
146:
143:
141:
137:
133:
128:
126:
122:
118:
113:
111:
107:
103:
95:
93:
91:
87:
83:
79:
75:
71:
67:
59:
57:
55:
51:
47:
43:
40:(MLA) in the
39:
35:
31:
23:
19:
678:
669:
660:
651:
639:. Retrieved
630:
618:. Retrieved
608:
590:
585:
567:
562:
544:
540:
530:
526:
508:
503:
488:
479:
461:
456:
444:. Retrieved
411:
370:, retrieved
348:
338:
300:
296:
278:
273:
265:
233:
226:
222:
214:
203:
192:
174:
170:
165:minimum wage
162:
147:
144:
129:
114:
99:
63:
29:
28:
18:
714:1933 deaths
709:1863 births
641:26 November
620:25 November
446:25 November
182:in 1921 as
180:John Oliver
140:by-election
117:trade union
82:Ralph Smith
693:Categories
603:. p. 103–.
580:. p. 110–.
557:. p. 531–.
521:. p. 115–.
372:2024-02-25
242:References
134:(MLA) for
60:Early life
474:. p. 38–.
313:. p. 99–.
136:Vancouver
110:Methodist
92:in 1911.
90:Vancouver
66:Tavistock
177:Premier
150:Liberal
123:in the
86:Nanaimo
74:England
50:Speaker
46:cabinet
599:
576:
553:
517:
470:
418:
363:
309:
287:
219:Legacy
210:Geneva
96:Career
330:(PDF)
78:miner
70:Devon
643:2021
622:2021
597:ISBN
574:ISBN
551:ISBN
515:ISBN
468:ISBN
448:2021
416:ISBN
361:ISBN
307:ISBN
285:ISBN
156:and
154:1920
495:at
353:doi
695::
677:.
659:.
430:^
380:^
359:,
347:,
318:^
264:.
250:^
212:.
160:.
112:.
72:,
68:,
56:.
681:.
663:.
645:.
624:.
450:.
424:.
355::
332:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
