‘Women make great politicians,’ candidates agree

Female politicians bring a great deal to the municipal table, candidates say

The City of St. John’s has had 10 representatives at the council table until this past summer — when there was one tiny addition.

Edith, the six-month-old daughter of Coun. Maggie Burton, has been in her mother’s arms several times during meetings as councillors discuss city issues.

Like many infants, Edith would sometimes make her presence known during meetings, which normally drew smiles from the other councillors.

“It’s really difficult at times,” said Burton, who is nursing Edith.

“But I would like to say (Mayor) Danny Breen has been amazing … and I’m grateful to my colleagues.”

But some watching the meetings online or on TV haven’t been so understanding. Burton has received some negative responses from residents complaining about her bringing a child to chambers.

“Every day I hear it,” she said. “But the people who call in and complain, I don’t think they represent the majority.”

It’s those kinds of challenges which often deter women from throwing their hat in the ring. The hard work and time it takes to tackle the issues of a municipality are often too much for women, who have demands of family and work.

She admitted when she first stepped forward to be a municipal politician in 2017, it was a tough decision.

“The demands are ever increasing of local politicians and I think it’s really hard to balance being a mother and having responsibilities on council …,” said Burton, who is also mother to seven-yearold Ursula and 10-year-old Jack.

“But the positives far outweigh the negatives. Getting to help people makes such a difference in my own life. It’s really worth it.”

She said it’s important to have people in council who represent women.

While names like former mayors Dorothy Wyatt and Shannie Duff have stood out as key figures in past councils, traditionally, there has only been a handful of women elected to St. John’s council.

According to Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador (MNL), in Newfoundland and Labrador, 24 per cent of mayors are women and more than 30 per cent are councillors. That’s slightly higher than the national average. In Canada, women occupy eight per cent of mayors’ positions and 28 per cent of councillors’ seats.

“Increasing diversity around the council table is critically important right now,” Trina Appleby, MNL vice-president, said in a news release last month when she was appointed as the national chair for the standing committee on increasing women’s participation in municipal government.

“Ensuring that women feel supported to put their names on the ballot and to remain in municipal politics are priorities for me in this new role.”

The current St. John’s council includes four females — Burton, Debbie Hanlon (At Large), Deanne Stapleton (Ward 1), Burton and Deputy Mayor Sheilagh O’leary. Hope Jamieson — who also often brought her newborn daughter to council meetings during her tenure as councillor-at-large — stepped down in July 2020 to take a position with a national housing organization.

Nine of the 27 people seeking election in St. John’s are female, not including Stapleton, who is stepping down, and O’leary, who was acclaimed.

The list of candidates includes: Jill Bruce and Jenn Deon (Ward 1); Ophelia Ravencroft (Ward 2); Brenda Walsh (Ward 5); and Maggie Burton (incumbent), Debbie Hanlon (incumbent), Meghan Hollett, Anne Malone and Jess Puddister (At Large).

Ward 3 and Ward 4 have no female candidates.

Yet, council has come a long way since 2013, when it was entirely male.

Isabelle Fry is the only woman on Mount Pearl’s current council.

In this year’s campaign, she’s one of seven women (out of 12 candidates in total) running. Denise French, Nicole Kieley, Chelsea Lane, Sandra Milmore, Susan Pearcey and Charlene Walsh are all looking for a council position.

While Fry had experience dealing with people in community events, she agreed she was hesitant to throw her hat in the council ring.

“As women, I think it’s nature to second-guess ourselves,” she said. “Who am I to think I can do this? I don’t have a law degree.’ We all go through this …

“But women make great politicians.”

A single mother, Fry was still unsure whether to make the jump into municipal politics. A phone call from former councillor and current MHA Lucy Stoyles changed that.

“Lucy asked if I had ever considered running for council because I’d be good at it. Honestly, that’s all I needed. It was the best thing,” Fry said, noting women often feel guilty leaving their children to work. “It’s more work than I had originally thought, but it’s so much more rewarding.”

Fry said there are many benefits to having women as political representatives, as they can multi-task, can sympathize and be strong.

“It’s not better, but we as women are maybe more caring and have a more nurturing way about us,” she said.

“But women can be tough too and want a voice to make those tough decisions.”

Christine Butler is one of only two women currently serving on Conception Bay South council and also hopes this election will result in a more diverse council.

She ran three times before being successful.

“I was very disheartened,” she said. “But then as I got closer to 2017 and the summer I said, ‘Well you know try it again third time lucky and I was — I did get in.”

She said women often taken criticism more to heart and so the tough social media commentary can put people off from running.

Providing child care would also encourage more female or male candidates, she said.