Eunice Marian Wishart, born in New York, was adopted by an aunt and uncle, her uncle was postmaster of Port Arthur at the time, after the death of her parents.
Wishart came to join Port Arthur’s City Council in 1948, elected as the City's first female Councillor. After serving on Council for a number of years, Wishart ran for Mayor first in 1952 and then again in 1956. She bought airtime on local radio stations and purchased advertisements in local newspapers to raise awareness of her campaign. Her efforts paid off. Wishart was elected the first female Mayor of Port Arthur in 1956, receiving more votes than her three male opponents combined.
During her Mayoralty, Port Arthur experienced many positive changes. Wishart developed a civic reserve fund, implemented cheaper parking, acquired a squatters’ area beside Lake Superior, constructed a sewage disposal plant, began reassessing property values, and secured cheap natural gasoline for the city.
Apart from her involvement in municipal politics, Wishart belonged to numerous organizations. Some of her roles within these organizations included being Vice-President of the of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association; Convener of Economics for Provincial Council of Women for Ontario; Director of the Canadian Child’s Health League of Canada; Patron of the Ontario Association of Film Councils; President of the Thunder Bay Film Council; Director of the Thunder Bay John Howard Society; and Director of the Port Arthur YMCA.
Wishart relocated to Toronto in 1974 as she wished to be closer to her family. She remained in Toronto until her death in 1982.
Born: Utica, New York
Died: 1982 in Toronto, Ontario
Councillor: 1948-1952, 1954-1955, 1960 (November – December)
Councillor Candidate: 1959, 1960
Mayoral Candidate: 1952
Mayor: 1956-1958
Previous Mayor: Mayor Albert James Hinton
Next Mayor: Mayor Norman Robert Wilson
Back to Port Arthur City Councils 1950 - 1959
Back to Port Arthur Mayors
Back to Past Councils Main Page
Contact Us
Connect
