Ellen Fairclough becomes 1st woman in Canada to hold cabinet position
On June 21, 1957, Canadian politician Ellen Fairclough entered Canadian history as the first woman to hold a cabinet position at the federal level.
Fairclough became the secretary of state under Diefenbaker’s minority government. The next year, she was elevated to the Department of Citizenship and Immigration, where she was instrumental in helping reform both the immigration policies and getting indigenous people the right to vote. Her work within Citizenship altered the inbuilt racial bias and moved towards a merit-based system that opened the doors for more diversity and talent. She also pushed for changes in the refugee system that allowed more people to find protection in Canada.
Birth Centenary of Ellen Fairclough, 1905-2004
Issued in 2005
Canada Post
Designer: Katalin Kovats
In 1957, following a general election, Ellen Fairclough became the first woman in Canada’s history to be sworn into the federal Cabinet, but it almost didn’t happen. John Diefenbaker took power as the Prime Minister of a minority Progressive Conservative government. He had pledged to appoint a woman to the Cabinet. He had only two in his caucus to choose from and Fairclough had the longer service and committee experience. In Saturday’s Child, Fairclough recalls her belief that Diefenbaker did not like her. “He also had not forgiven me for refusing to support him in his bids for party leadership in 1942, 1948 and 1956.”
A few days after the June election, one of those Diefenbaker was likely to include in his Cabinet, Dr. William Blair, died. “At the cemetery, Diefenbaker motioned with his head for me to come over to his side,” she has stated. “He asked me if I could see him later in the day. I said, ‘Yes, when?’ We finally decided upon 6:00 p.m., in his office. I was there on time but he kept me waiting while various people, mostly members of his staff, ran in and out of his private office.” A half-hour later, Diefenbaker told her, “I have to form a Cabinet, and it looks as if I shall have to form it largely of my enemies.” Fairclough has said she then denied his accusation she had supported one of his rivals at their party’s leadership convention. She promised the complete loyalty Diefenbaker requested and he told Fairclough she could be the Secretary of State in his Cabinet.
Fairclough was surprised because she had expected a weightier portfolio. Her first inclination was to turn him down but, instead, left Diefenbaker with only a commitment to let him know her answer. George Drew, a former Ontario premier and Diefenbaker’s predecessor as leader of the federal Progressive Conservatives, then counselled her not to reject the chance to become the first woman minister in the federal Cabinet. The next day, she accepted Diefenbaker’s offer. However, as Mary Lowrey Ross wrote several months later in Saturday Night magazine, “There have been a few to point out that the Secretary of State position is a minor Cabinet appointment and hardly adequate to Mrs. Fairclough’s talents.”
On June 21, 1957, Fairclough was sworn into Cabinet. Canada’s 90th birthday was just a few days away and she was surprised to discover no celebration was planned for Parliament Hill on July 1. She was told any festivities would be poorly attended because local residents would be at their cottages or vacationing elsewhere. Fairclough would not accept that explanation and ordered planning to begin for the first Dominion Day celebrations in front of the Parliament Buildings the next year. Electoral Insight – Election Legislation Enforcement – Elections Canada
