Ephraim Frederick Singer (19 July 1889 — 10 January 1952) known as E. Frederick Singer was the first Jew elected to the

Ontario legislature 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 ...

. He represented the Toronto riding of

St. Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( grc-koi, Ἀνδρέᾱς, Andréās ; la, Andrēās ; , syc, ܐܰܢܕ݁ܪܶܐܘܳܣ, ʾAnd’reʾwās), also called Saint Andrew, was an apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is the brother of Simon Peter ...

in 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 ...

from 1929 to 1934 as a Conservative member. Singer's parents, Jacob and Annie Singer, immigrated to Canada from Austria. Jacob Singer was a successful jeweller who invested in real estate. E. Frederick Singer was born in 1889 in Toronto. He attended Harbord Collegiate Institute, and graduated from the University of Toronto in 1909 with a BA and in 1912 from Osgoode Hall Law School with a law degree. He entered the practice of law with his brother, Abraham, who was called to the bar in the same year. Singer was a founder and the first president of Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. He was nominated by the Conservative Party in the largely immigrant riding of St. Andrew for the

1929 Ontario general election The 1929 Ontario general election was the 18th general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on October 30, 1929, to elect the 112 Members of the 18th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ("MLAs"). The Ontario Conservative Pa ...

and was elected to the provincial legislature. In office, he was the first Jewish politician to promote anti-discrimination legislation. In 1931, he proposed an amendment to the ''Insurance Act'' that prohibited discriminatory practices from insurance companies. He introduced the measure after his own insurance policy was cancelled after he inquired about his insurance company charging higher premiums of Jewish clients, or refusing them policies outright. The law was passed in 1932 and was the first human rights legislation approved in Canada, however it proved to be unenforceable. He was defeated in the

1934 Ontario general election The 1934 Ontario general election was the 19th general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on June 19, 1934, to elect the 19th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ("MLAs"). The Ontario Liberal Party, led by Mitchell Hepbur ...

by Liberal candidate

John Judah Glass John Judah Glass (October 31, 1895 – September 21, 1973) was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He represented St. Andrew in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1934 to 1943 as a Liberal member. Background Glass was born in Lachva, Rus ...

Electoral results: St. Andrew

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singer, Ephraim 1889 births 1952 deaths Jewish Canadian politicians Ontario Liberal Party MPPs Osgoode Hall Law School alumni University of Toronto alumni Lawyers in Ontario Jewish Canadian history Canadian people of Austrian-Jewish descent Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario MPPs