Ellen MacKinnon (April 27, 1926 – February 12, 2001) was a

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada. She was a New Democratic member of the

Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA, french: Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by ...

in the southwest Ontario riding of Lambton from 1990 to 1995.

Background

MacKinnon was born near

Sarnia Sarnia is a city in Lambton County, Ontario, Canada. It had a 2021 population of 72,047, and is the largest city on Lake Huron. Sarnia is located on the eastern bank of the junction between the Upper and Lower Great Lakes where Lake Huron fl ...

to a farming family. Due to the depression she was forced to quit school after Grade 8. She worked as waitress, house servant and in a factory during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. She was married near the end of the war and she moved to a farm in Lambton County. She raised seven children, two daughters and five sons while tending the farm while her husband was away working for a Sarnia oil company. Her husband died in 1980.

Politics

She was a county councillor for the township of Plympton from 1977 to 1979 and served as a school trustee on the

Lambton County Lambton County is a county in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is bordered on the north by Lake Huron, which is drained by the St. Clair River, the county's western border and part of the Canada-United States border. To the south is Lake Saint Cla ...

public school board from 1988 to 1990. MacKinnon ran as the New Democratic candidate in the provincial election of 1990 in the south-western Ontario riding of Lambton. During the campaign, MacKinnon spoke out against shipping

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

area garbage to the Sarnia region. She said, "No garbage. Not here. Not now. Not ever." MacKinnon learned later that many voters appreciated her simple answer to a complex issue. She defeated Progressive Conservative candidate Bob Langstaff by 1,024 votes. The incumbent

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

David Smith placed third. MacKinnon was 64 at the time of her win and was the oldest member of the NDP caucus. When she arrived at Queen's Park after the election she was awe-struck by the experience. She said, "I'm wondering what I'll do for an apartment, what you do for furniture and how many clothes do I bring here, and how many do I leave at home." The NDP won a majority government in this election and she served as a backbench supporter of

Bob Rae Robert Keith Rae (born August 2, 1948) is a Canadian diplomat and former politician who is the current Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations since 2020. He previously served as the 21st premier of Ontario from 1990 to 1995, leader of the ...

's administration for the next five years. In 1992, she suffered a tragic loss when one of her daughter's died due to cancer. In 1994, she voted for the party's bill on benefits for same-sex couples despite receiving death threats. Someone parked a wagon near her constituency office in

Petrolia, Ontario Petrolia is a town in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is part of Lambton County and is surrounded by Enniskillen Township. It is billed as "Canada's Victorian Oil Town" and is often credited with starting the oil industry in North America, a ...

with a sign on it that read, "Hey Ellen, it's Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve." MacKinnon said, "I think that it's a very, very poor reflection on (a) beautiful community." The bill was eventually defeated 68-59 on a free vote. Due to health reasons, she did not seek re-election in 1995.

Death

MacKinnon died February 12, 2001. On April 23 of that year, the Ontario legislature paid her an official tribute. NDP leader

Howard Hampton Howard George Hampton (born May 17, 1952) is a politician who was a member of Provincial Parliament for the province of Ontario. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada, from 1987 to 1999 in the electoral district of Rainy Ri ...

spoke about her and quoted William Irvine:

"I will not acquiesce to that which is. If it must be, I meet it with rebellion. With passion, love and life destroyed, my soul shall stand upon the wreck and challenge all."

Hampton said, "I think that describes Ellen MacKinnon to a T."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:MacKinnon, Ellen 1926 births 2001 deaths 20th-century Canadian women politicians Ontario New Democratic Party MPPs Women MPPs in Ontario