True Davidson
Encyclopedia
Jean Gertrude Davidson, CM
(1901 - September 18, 1978), the first mayor of the Borough of East York
, Ontario
, was one of Toronto’s most colourful politicians in a career spanning nearly 25 years. Fiery and independent, she was a peppery crusader in some of the biggest civic battles of the 1960s and was always quick to defend the interests of East York, a small post-war suburb often threatened with annexation. She had the hawk-like features to match her tenacious spirit, and was rarely seen in public without a colourful, exotic hat.
, Quebec
, in 1901. Her father, John Wilson Davidson was a Methodist
minister. Her mother Mary Elfeda Pomeroy was the daughter of a methodist minister. She had a younger sister named Marsh.
In 1917, she attended Victoria College
(now part of the University of Toronto
) when it was still in Cobourg, Ontario
, starting at the age of 16. She earned her B.A.
there and then went to the Regina Normal School where she obtained a teaching certificate. She taught English and History in Strasbourg, Saskatchewan
and Brandon, Manitoba
. In 1923, she returned to university in 1923 and received her M.A.
. After that she taught history at Havergal College
in Toronto.
Davidson wrote children’s books and for a time worked for textbook publisher J.M. Dent and Sons
as a salesperson, the first female publishing sales representative in Canada, visiting school boards across the country. She left J.M. Dent in 1930 and spent a year attempting to survive as a writer. During this time she wrote articles for The Globe and Mail
and Chatelaine
magazine. In 1931 she was hired by William Perkins Bull to coordinate the publication of a 12 volume edition of Canadiana
. She worked on the project for seven years. By the time it was completed she was in charge of a staff of 70 researchers.
In 1940, she moved with her parents to Streetsville, Ontario
. During the move she was in a motor vehicle accident that left her father seriously injured. He died four days later. Left destitute and caring for her invalid mother, she performed odd writing jobs until in April 1941, she was appointed Clerk and Treasurer of the Village of Streetsville. She was replacing someone who had gone overseas to fight in World War II
.
in 1934 after meeting J.S. Woodsworth and she worked briefly for Agnes MacPhail
who represented York East
in the Ontario legislature in the 1940s. She ran for the CCF in the 1953 Canadian federal election
in the riding of York East coming third behind Robert McGregor
. She also ran provincially in the 1951 Ontario election
again with a poor showing. Davidson long sided with the downtrodden, although she was adamantly opposed to endless handouts to people who were physically able to work. She became disenchanted with the party, especially with the increasing role in the party of trade union leaders and, in particular, the Ontario Federation of Labour
, which she saw as having a bureaucratic, anti-democratic and conservative influence. With Bill Temple
, Mary Ramsay and Avis McCurdy, she was a leader of the "Ginger Group", a group of dissident members of the Ontario CCF party who argued that the party's poor performance in the 1951 provincial election
was due to it moving away from taking clear socialist stands on issues and instead focussing too much on organizational issues. The group opposed what they saw as the "bureaucratization" of the CCF with salaried organizers and a greater emphasis on fundraising taking the place of grassroots volunteers and political education and discussion. Davidson, Temple and their supporters also argued that power was being increasingly concentrated in the hands of the party executive instead of the grassroots resulting in the squelching of democratic discussion and grassroots policy development and sought to rectify this by curtailing the powers of the provincial secretary. On April 12, 1952, at the 18th annual provincial convention, Temple nearly ran for leader against Ted Jolliffe
but withdrew at the last minute allowing Jolliffe to be acclaimed. Temple then ran for party president against establishment candidate Ted Isley, but was defeated 112 to 85. Davidson and Temple were then subsequently elected to the executive as vice-presidents. When the CCF merged with the Canadian Labour Congress
in 1961 to form the New Democratic Party
, she refused to join due to the predominance of labour in the new party.
Davidson moved to East York in 1947 after the death of her mother. Davidson was soon immersed in community issues with her establishment of a neighbourhood kindergarten
leading to her being elected as a school trustee in 1948. In 1952 she became the first woman to chair the East York Board of Education. In 1958, she was elected to East York's town council. In 1960 she ran for the position of Reeve
of the Township of East York against incumbent Jack Allen. The main issue at the time was uncontrolled development on land bordering the Don Valley
beside Bayview Avenue
. The development, later dubbed the Bayview Ghost
, was a rallying cry for her campaign. She beat Allen by a total of 5,065 votes to 3,458. Davidson was a dedicated politician, often attending many community meetings, up to 40 per month. She was also a formidable debater with an abrupt and abrasive style that annoyed her fellow council members. Yet the voters loved her and she was re-elected twice.
In 1966, East York was amalgamated with the Town of Leaside, and Davidson found herself pitted against Leaside mayor Beth Nealson in an election dubbed the “Battle of the Belles” to become the first mayor of the newly amalgamated Borough of East York. “If you want someone beautiful and elegant, or glamorous, I'm not that.” Davidson said during the campaign. Despite spending the final days of the campaign in a hospital recovering from a heart attack, she won the election handily.
Davidson had a reputation for never mincing words. She would always say what's on her mind. When she ran for reeve in 1960 she called one of her opponents Leslie Saunders
"bigoted, pigheaded and, in his attitude to women, a throwback to the stone age". During the East York mayoralty race in 1966 she called Beth Nealson a "wish-washy, prissy, sweetheart". She referred to Metro Chairman Albert Campbell as a "maundering chairman, inclined to regard other councillors as grade one dunces ruled by himself as schoolmaster." In one exchange with Campbell, she retorted "Don't be addled man. Don't talk stupid!". Nevertheless, she had her supporters. Fellow councillor, Bill Kilbourn spoke fondly of her. "Decent, fearless, independent. True was a thorn in the flesh of the smooth men at Metro (council)."
As mayor of East York, she sought to unite the new community by starting a centennial
project. Her goal was the restoration of Todmorden Mills
as a heritage museum. Despite mounting costs she reached her goal by skillfully raising funds from other levels of government. The museum was opened on May 22, 1967. She remained an honorary curator until her death. Davidson also started the East York Foundation in 1966. This organization was created to preserve cultural holdings and artifacts. Davidson served as the first director of the foundation.
In 1971 during her last term as mayor she made the surprising announcement that she wished to run as a Liberal
in the next provincial election
. She was nominated as the Liberal candidate in the riding of York East. During the election campaign she received a lot of press coverage but it focused on her age (then 70) and a certain parochial attitude. Her small town persona carried well in the municipal world but did not translate well to provincial politics. She lost badly to the Conservative incumbent Arthur Meen
.
. Davidson remained active right up until her death. She was diagnosed with cancer and died in hospital at the age of 76, just before her 77th birthday.
When she retired from East York politics the borough named a senior's residence after her, the True Davidson Acres. In 1971 she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Victoria College as a Doctor of Sacred Letters. Davidson was made a Member of the Order of Canada
in 1973, received the Queen’s Jubilee Medal
in 1977 and, just before her death in 1978, was awarded an honorary doctorate from York University
, where she had recently enrolled as a doctoral student in Canadian literature. After her death, the True Davidson Collection of Canadian Literature was established at York University, based on donation of her personal papers.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(1901 - September 18, 1978), the first mayor of the Borough of East York
East York
East York can refer to:*East York, Pennsylvania, United States*East York, Ontario, Canada...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, was one of Toronto’s most colourful politicians in a career spanning nearly 25 years. Fiery and independent, she was a peppery crusader in some of the biggest civic battles of the 1960s and was always quick to defend the interests of East York, a small post-war suburb often threatened with annexation. She had the hawk-like features to match her tenacious spirit, and was rarely seen in public without a colourful, exotic hat.
Early life
Davidson was born in HudsonHudson, Quebec
Hudson, Quebec, Canada, is a town with a population of 5,088 on the south-west bank of the lower Ottawa River, in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional County Municipality. Situated about west of downtown Montreal, many residents commute to work on the Island of Montreal.- Location and...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, in 1901. Her father, John Wilson Davidson was a Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
minister. Her mother Mary Elfeda Pomeroy was the daughter of a methodist minister. She had a younger sister named Marsh.
In 1917, she attended Victoria College
Victoria University in the University of Toronto
Victoria University is a constituent college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1836 and named for Queen Victoria. It is commonly called Victoria College, informally Vic, after the original academic component that now forms its undergraduate division...
(now part of the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
) when it was still in Cobourg, Ontario
Cobourg, Ontario
Cobourg is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario 95 km east of Toronto. It is the largest town in Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It is located along Highway 401 and the former Highway 2...
, starting at the age of 16. She earned her B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
there and then went to the Regina Normal School where she obtained a teaching certificate. She taught English and History in Strasbourg, Saskatchewan
Strasbourg, Saskatchewan
Strasbourg is a small town in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, located about 75 km away from the capital of Saskatchewan, Regina. Approximate population is 800 people. The school, William Derby School, which holds kindergarten to Grade 12 has 260 students.Nick Schultz of the NHL hockey...
and Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...
. In 1923, she returned to university in 1923 and received her M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
. After that she taught history at Havergal College
Havergal College
Havergal College is an independent boarding and day school for girls from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Named for English hymn composer, author and humanitarian Frances Ridley Havergal, the school was founded in 1894 by a group of men led by The Honourable H...
in Toronto.
Davidson wrote children’s books and for a time worked for textbook publisher J.M. Dent and Sons
J. M. Dent
Joseph Malaby Dent was a British book publisher who produced the Everyman's Library series.Dent was born in Darlington in what is now the Britaania public house. After a short and unsuccessful stint as an apprentice printer he took up bookbinding...
as a salesperson, the first female publishing sales representative in Canada, visiting school boards across the country. She left J.M. Dent in 1930 and spent a year attempting to survive as a writer. During this time she wrote articles for The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
and Chatelaine
Chatelaine
Châtelaine has the following meanings:*Châtelaine, a woman who owns or controls a large house ....
magazine. In 1931 she was hired by William Perkins Bull to coordinate the publication of a 12 volume edition of Canadiana
Canadiana
Canadiana is a term referring to things related to the country of Canada. It is most often used to refer to a class of books somewhat wider than Canadian Literature because it also includes books about Canada as well as Canadian non-fiction works....
. She worked on the project for seven years. By the time it was completed she was in charge of a staff of 70 researchers.
In 1940, she moved with her parents to Streetsville, Ontario
Streetsville, Ontario
Streetsville is an established community located in the northwestern corner of the city of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, on the Credit River...
. During the move she was in a motor vehicle accident that left her father seriously injured. He died four days later. Left destitute and caring for her invalid mother, she performed odd writing jobs until in April 1941, she was appointed Clerk and Treasurer of the Village of Streetsville. She was replacing someone who had gone overseas to fight in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Davidson joined the Co-operative Commonwealth FederationCo-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
in 1934 after meeting J.S. Woodsworth and she worked briefly for Agnes MacPhail
Agnes Macphail
Agnes Campbell Macphail was the first woman to be elected to the Canadian House of Commons, and one of the first two women elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario...
who represented York East
York East
York East was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons at different times, and a provincial electoral district. It was located in the province of Ontario.-Federal electoral district :...
in the Ontario legislature in the 1940s. She ran for the CCF in the 1953 Canadian federal election
Canadian federal election, 1953
The Canadian federal election of 1953 was held on August 10 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 22nd Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Louis St...
in the riding of York East coming third behind Robert McGregor
Robert Henry McGregor
Robert Henry McGregor, PC was a long-time Canadian parliamentarian.MacGregor was a contractor and horticulturalist by profession...
. She also ran provincially in the 1951 Ontario election
Ontario general election, 1951
The Ontario general election of 1951 was held on November 22, 1951, to elect the 90 members of the 24th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
again with a poor showing. Davidson long sided with the downtrodden, although she was adamantly opposed to endless handouts to people who were physically able to work. She became disenchanted with the party, especially with the increasing role in the party of trade union leaders and, in particular, the Ontario Federation of Labour
Ontario Federation of Labour
The Ontario Federation of Labour is a prominent federation of labour unions in the Canadian province of Ontario. The original OFL was established by the Canadian Congress of Labour in 1944...
, which she saw as having a bureaucratic, anti-democratic and conservative influence. With Bill Temple
William Horace Temple
William Horace Temple , nicknamed "Temperance Bill" or "Temperance Willie", was a Canadian democratic socialist politician, trade union activist, businessman and temperance crusader. As a youth he worked for the railway. During World War I, and World War II he was a soldier in the Royal Naval...
, Mary Ramsay and Avis McCurdy, she was a leader of the "Ginger Group", a group of dissident members of the Ontario CCF party who argued that the party's poor performance in the 1951 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1951
The Ontario general election of 1951 was held on November 22, 1951, to elect the 90 members of the 24th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
was due to it moving away from taking clear socialist stands on issues and instead focussing too much on organizational issues. The group opposed what they saw as the "bureaucratization" of the CCF with salaried organizers and a greater emphasis on fundraising taking the place of grassroots volunteers and political education and discussion. Davidson, Temple and their supporters also argued that power was being increasingly concentrated in the hands of the party executive instead of the grassroots resulting in the squelching of democratic discussion and grassroots policy development and sought to rectify this by curtailing the powers of the provincial secretary. On April 12, 1952, at the 18th annual provincial convention, Temple nearly ran for leader against Ted Jolliffe
Ted Jolliffe
Edward Bigelow "Ted" Jolliffe, QC was a Canadian social democratic politician and lawyer from Ontario. He was the first leader of the Ontario section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and leader of the Official Opposition in the Ontario Legislature during the 1940s and 1950s...
but withdrew at the last minute allowing Jolliffe to be acclaimed. Temple then ran for party president against establishment candidate Ted Isley, but was defeated 112 to 85. Davidson and Temple were then subsequently elected to the executive as vice-presidents. When the CCF merged with the Canadian Labour Congress
Canadian Labour Congress
The Canadian Labour Congress, or CLC is a national trade union centre, the central labour body in English Canada to which most Canadian labour unions are affiliated.- Formation :...
in 1961 to form the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
, she refused to join due to the predominance of labour in the new party.
East York
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
leading to her being elected as a school trustee in 1948. In 1952 she became the first woman to chair the East York Board of Education. In 1958, she was elected to East York's town council. In 1960 she ran for the position of Reeve
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of the Township of East York against incumbent Jack Allen. The main issue at the time was uncontrolled development on land bordering the Don Valley
Don River (Toronto)
The Don River is one of two rivers bounding the original settled area of Toronto, Ontario along the shore of Lake Ontario, the other being the Humber River to the west. The Don is formed from two rivers, the East and West Branches, that meet about north of Lake Ontario while flowing southward into...
beside Bayview Avenue
Bayview Avenue
Bayview Avenue is a major north-south route in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario. North of Toronto, in York Region, Bayview is also designated as York Regional Road 34.-History:...
. The development, later dubbed the Bayview Ghost
Bayview Ghost
The Bayview Ghost was an apartment building that stood incomplete for over 20 years in the former Borough of East York, Ontario, Canada, now part of the City of Toronto....
, was a rallying cry for her campaign. She beat Allen by a total of 5,065 votes to 3,458. Davidson was a dedicated politician, often attending many community meetings, up to 40 per month. She was also a formidable debater with an abrupt and abrasive style that annoyed her fellow council members. Yet the voters loved her and she was re-elected twice.
In 1966, East York was amalgamated with the Town of Leaside, and Davidson found herself pitted against Leaside mayor Beth Nealson in an election dubbed the “Battle of the Belles” to become the first mayor of the newly amalgamated Borough of East York. “If you want someone beautiful and elegant, or glamorous, I'm not that.” Davidson said during the campaign. Despite spending the final days of the campaign in a hospital recovering from a heart attack, she won the election handily.
Davidson had a reputation for never mincing words. She would always say what's on her mind. When she ran for reeve in 1960 she called one of her opponents Leslie Saunders
Leslie Howard Saunders
Leslie Howard Saunders was Mayor of Toronto from 1954 to 1955 and the last member of the Orange Order to hold the position until William Dennison. He also served as Mayor of East York in 1976.-Early life:...
"bigoted, pigheaded and, in his attitude to women, a throwback to the stone age". During the East York mayoralty race in 1966 she called Beth Nealson a "wish-washy, prissy, sweetheart". She referred to Metro Chairman Albert Campbell as a "maundering chairman, inclined to regard other councillors as grade one dunces ruled by himself as schoolmaster." In one exchange with Campbell, she retorted "Don't be addled man. Don't talk stupid!". Nevertheless, she had her supporters. Fellow councillor, Bill Kilbourn spoke fondly of her. "Decent, fearless, independent. True was a thorn in the flesh of the smooth men at Metro (council)."
As mayor of East York, she sought to unite the new community by starting a centennial
Canadian Centennial
The Canadian Centennial was a year long celebration held in 1967 when Canada celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation. Celebrations occurred throughout the year but culminated on Dominion Day, July 1. 1967 coins were different from previous years' issues, with animals on each...
project. Her goal was the restoration of Todmorden Mills
Todmorden Mills
Todmorden Mills was a small settlement located in the Don River valley in Toronto, Ontario. It started out as a lumber mill in the 1790s. Originally known as "Don Mills", it grew into a small industrial complex and village before becoming part of East York in the 20th century...
as a heritage museum. Despite mounting costs she reached her goal by skillfully raising funds from other levels of government. The museum was opened on May 22, 1967. She remained an honorary curator until her death. Davidson also started the East York Foundation in 1966. This organization was created to preserve cultural holdings and artifacts. Davidson served as the first director of the foundation.
In 1971 during her last term as mayor she made the surprising announcement that she wished to run as a Liberal
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
in the next provincial election
Ontario general election, 1971
The Ontario general election of 1971 was held on October 21, 1971, to elect the 117 members of the 29th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
. She was nominated as the Liberal candidate in the riding of York East. During the election campaign she received a lot of press coverage but it focused on her age (then 70) and a certain parochial attitude. Her small town persona carried well in the municipal world but did not translate well to provincial politics. She lost badly to the Conservative incumbent Arthur Meen
Arthur Kenneth Meen
Arthur Kenneth Meen is a lawyer, jurist and former politician in the province on Ontario. He was the Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament for York East and a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario caucus from 1967 to 1977...
.
Retirement
Davidson retired from public life in 1972 but remained active by writing a column for the Toronto SunToronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
. Davidson remained active right up until her death. She was diagnosed with cancer and died in hospital at the age of 76, just before her 77th birthday.
When she retired from East York politics the borough named a senior's residence after her, the True Davidson Acres. In 1971 she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Victoria College as a Doctor of Sacred Letters. Davidson was made a Member of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
in 1973, received the Queen’s Jubilee Medal
Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 1977 to mark the 25th anniversary of the accession to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II...
in 1977 and, just before her death in 1978, was awarded an honorary doctorate from York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
, where she had recently enrolled as a doctoral student in Canadian literature. After her death, the True Davidson Collection of Canadian Literature was established at York University, based on donation of her personal papers.