Estelle Cuffe Hawley, 1894-1995
Estelle Cuffe Hawley (1894-1995) was an educator, businesswoman and politician who became the first woman alderman on the St. Catharines City Council. As an alderman, she worked to improve the community's social welfare services, serving consecutively as chairman of all committees. She established comprehensive health services (including medical, dental and nursing) in the public, separate, and secondary schools of St. Catharines, the first program of its kind in Canada. She was also instrumental in establishing minimum housing standards and engaging the public in local government by arranging a series of lectures by city officials.
She remained a member of the City Council until 1943. The following year, she campaigned unsuccessfully for the mayoralty. In 1953, she married Hubert Hawley and moved to Orillia. She continued to remain active in the community. During the 1960s, she worked with various groups, including the Voice of Women, the Mental Health Association and the Freedom from Hunger Campaign. In addition to this work, Estelle wrote poetry and short stories, some of which were published in the Peterborough Review, the Globe and Mail and the Canadian Churchman. Some of her short stories (often about her childhood experiences) were broadcast on the CBC, as well as her experiences as a Town Councillor (under the pseudonym Rebecca Johnson in 1961). She also broadcast a segment that was part of a series called “Winning the Peace” in April 1944. Estelle was a sought-after public speaker, speaking on topics such as peace, democracy, citizenship, education, and women’s rights.
This collection contains material about Estelle's career and activities. Most of the material consists of Estelle’s writing, including short stories, poetry, memoir and speeches. Other materials include correspondence, news clippings, family documents, photographs and audiotape reels and cassettes. More information about Estelle's life and accomplishments can be found in this exhibit.
Material from this collection has been digitized and is available in the Digital Repository.
