Ethel Sylvia Wilson
Encyclopedia
Ethel Sylvia Wilson was a seamstress, labour activist and a municipal and provincial politician from Alberta
, Canada
. She served as a member of Edmonton City Council from 1952 to 1966 and as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
from 1959 to 1971. During her time in provincial office she served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Ernest Manning
and Harry Strom
from 1962 to 1971.
. She took her post secondary education at Edmonton Business College. Wilson married her husband Dave Wilson after moving and had three children. He died in 1935 after 10 years of marriage.
With no other means of support after her husband died Wilson entered the work force as a seamstress for Burns Meats. She worked that job until retirement in 1962. While she was involved with that job she became an active in the labour movement eventually becoming Secretary of the Edmonton Labor Council.
. She was defeated finishing in tenth place out of the thirteen candidates. She tried again for city council the next year
and was elected taking the 5th place seat.
Wilson ran for re-election the first time in the 1954 election
. She climbed to second place in the polls. She ran for her third term in office in the 1956 election
and once again held her second place seat.
Wilson ran for her fourth term in the 1958 election
. Her popular vote went up but she slipped falling to the fourth place seat. A year later while still hold city office she ran for a seat to the Legislature and was elected. She opted to continue holding municipal office.
Wilson ran for her fifth term in the 1960 election
. She once again held the fourth place seat. Her popular vote also fell from the previous election. She was re-elected to her sixth term in the 1962 election
. Wilson moved up to the third place seat.
Wilson was appointed to the provincial ministry a month after her sixth municipal win. She ran for a seventh term in office despite being in the ministry. She won the third place out of 46 candidates. She did not re-offer for council in 1966.
. She ran as a Social Credit candidate in the new electoral district of Edmonton North. She won a hotly contested race over three other candidates to pickup the new seat for her party. She continued to hold her seat on Edmonton council while she served as an MLA.
Wilson was appointed to the provincial cabinet on November 30, 1962 as a Minister without portfolio by Premier Ernest Manning
. The appointment made her the second woman in the history of Alberta to be appointed to cabinet. She went into the 1963 Alberta general election
with ministerial advantage. Despite having a portfolio and a city council seat Wilson dropped in popular support
Wilson ran for a third term in the 1967 Alberta general election
. She faced another hotly contested race against three candidates including future MLA Gordon Wright
. She held her seat with just about half the popular vote.
The 1971 boundary redistribution would see her constituency of Edmonton North abolished. Wilson ran for re-election that year
in the new electoral district of Edmonton-Kingsway. She would be defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Kenneth Paproski
.
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. She served as a member of Edmonton City Council from 1952 to 1966 and as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
from 1959 to 1971. During her time in provincial office she served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Ernest Manning
Ernest Manning
Ernest Charles Manning, , a Canadian politician, was the eighth Premier of Alberta between 1943 and 1968 for the Social Credit Party of Alberta. He served longer than any premier in the province's history, and was the second longest serving provincial premier in Canadian history...
and Harry Strom
Harry Strom
Harry Edwin Strom was the ninth Premier of Alberta, Canada, from 1968 to 1971. His two and a half years as Premier were the last of the thirty-six year Social Credit dynasty, as his defeat by Peter Lougheed saw its replacement by a new era Progressive Conservative government...
from 1962 to 1971.
Early life
Ethel Sylvia Wilson was born on February 13, 1902 on a farm just outside of Sunnyside, AlbertaAlberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. She took her post secondary education at Edmonton Business College. Wilson married her husband Dave Wilson after moving and had three children. He died in 1935 after 10 years of marriage.
With no other means of support after her husband died Wilson entered the work force as a seamstress for Burns Meats. She worked that job until retirement in 1962. While she was involved with that job she became an active in the labour movement eventually becoming Secretary of the Edmonton Labor Council.
Edmonton City Council
Wilson began her political career in 1951. She was nominated by the Edmonton Labor Council to run for a seat to Edmonton City Council in the 1951 Edmonton municipal electionEdmonton municipal election, 1951
The 1951 municipal election was held November 7, 1951 to elect a mayor and five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and four trustees to sit on the separate school board...
. She was defeated finishing in tenth place out of the thirteen candidates. She tried again for city council the next year
Edmonton municipal election, 1952
The 1952 municipal election was held October 15, 1952 to elect five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and three trustees to sit on the separate school board . There was no election for mayor, as William Hawrelak was halfway through his two year term...
and was elected taking the 5th place seat.
Wilson ran for re-election the first time in the 1954 election
Edmonton municipal election, 1954
The 1954 municipal election was held October 13, 1954 to elect five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and three trustees to sit on each of the public and separate school boards. The electorate also decided seven plebiscite questions...
. She climbed to second place in the polls. She ran for her third term in office in the 1956 election
Edmonton municipal election, 1956
The 1956 municipal election was held October 17, 1956 to elect five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and three trustees to sit on each of the public and separate school boards. The electorate also decided nine plebiscite questions...
and once again held her second place seat.
Wilson ran for her fourth term in the 1958 election
Edmonton municipal election, 1958
The 1958 municipal election was held October 15, 1958 to elect six aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council, four trustees to sit on the separate school board, and three trustees to sit on the public school board...
. Her popular vote went up but she slipped falling to the fourth place seat. A year later while still hold city office she ran for a seat to the Legislature and was elected. She opted to continue holding municipal office.
Wilson ran for her fifth term in the 1960 election
Edmonton municipal election, 1960
The 1960 Edmonton, Alberta municipal election was held October 19, 1960 to elect five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and three trustees to sit on each of the public and separate school boards...
. She once again held the fourth place seat. Her popular vote also fell from the previous election. She was re-elected to her sixth term in the 1962 election
Edmonton municipal election, 1962
The 1962 municipal election was held October 17, 1962 to elect five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and three trustees to sit on each of the public and separate school boards. The electorate also decided two plebiscite questions...
. Wilson moved up to the third place seat.
Wilson was appointed to the provincial ministry a month after her sixth municipal win. She ran for a seventh term in office despite being in the ministry. She won the third place out of 46 candidates. She did not re-offer for council in 1966.
Alberta Legislature
Wilson ran for a seat to the Alberta Legislature in the 1959 Alberta general electionAlberta general election, 1959
The Alberta general election of 1959 was the fourteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on June 18, 1959 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.Ernest C...
. She ran as a Social Credit candidate in the new electoral district of Edmonton North. She won a hotly contested race over three other candidates to pickup the new seat for her party. She continued to hold her seat on Edmonton council while she served as an MLA.
Wilson was appointed to the provincial cabinet on November 30, 1962 as a Minister without portfolio by Premier Ernest Manning
Ernest Manning
Ernest Charles Manning, , a Canadian politician, was the eighth Premier of Alberta between 1943 and 1968 for the Social Credit Party of Alberta. He served longer than any premier in the province's history, and was the second longest serving provincial premier in Canadian history...
. The appointment made her the second woman in the history of Alberta to be appointed to cabinet. She went into the 1963 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1963
The Alberta general election of 1963 was the fifteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on June 17, 1963 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.The Social Credit Party, led by Ernest C...
with ministerial advantage. Despite having a portfolio and a city council seat Wilson dropped in popular support
Wilson ran for a third term in the 1967 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1967
The Alberta general election of 1967 was the sixteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on May 23, 1967 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. She faced another hotly contested race against three candidates including future MLA Gordon Wright
Gordon Wright (politician)
Gordon Samuel Dales Wright was a lawyer who served as a Crown Prosecutor for the Attorney Generals office. He was also former provincial politician and perennial candidate from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1986 until his death.-Political...
. She held her seat with just about half the popular vote.
The 1971 boundary redistribution would see her constituency of Edmonton North abolished. Wilson ran for re-election that year
Alberta general election, 1971
The Alberta general election of 1971 was the seventeenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on August 30, 1971 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
in the new electoral district of Edmonton-Kingsway. She would be defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Kenneth Paproski
Kenneth Paproski
Kenneth Robert Howard Paproski is a former provincial level politician and medical doctor from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1971 to 1982.-Political career:...
.