Constance Hamilton

Constance Eaton Hamilton (1862 – June 27, 1945) was a British-Canadian government official and activist. After activism supporting refugees and women in Winnipeg, she moved to Toronto and continued to support causes such as women's suffrage, becoming president of the Equal Franchise League of Toronto. She was elected for a one-year term on the Toronto City Council in the 1920 elections, becoming the first female member of Toronto City Council and tied as the first woman in Ontario to hold elected office at either the federal, provincial, or municipal level. After two terms she resigned to continue her work campaigning for immigrant settlement and refugee issues, and for equal rights. In 1979, the Toronto city council established the Constance E. Hamilton Award on the Status of Women.

Early life and education She was born in Yorkshire, England in 1862 to Dr George Fowler Bodington (1829-1902) and Caroline Mary Eaton (1825-1873). Early she studied with private tutors. Fluent in German, she attended the Conservatory of Music in Leipzig, Germany and became a skilled pianist. During her time in Winnipeg, she was one of the six women who founded the Women's Musical Club of Winnipeg, and served as the first president when it was formally organized in 1899. She also used her German to assist new immigrants to the city. Her swearing in ceremony received little press. In office, she championed issues such as a raise in minimum wage, health initiatives, for more women judges, and urged reforms for hiring of domestic workers, also championing a maximum 10-hour workday.

Election results 1920 Toronto municipal election - Ward 3 (Central Business District and The Ward) F.W. Johnston (incumbent) - 1,835 Alfred Burgess - 1,825 Constance Hamilton - 1,626 Charles W. Mugridge (incumbent) - 1,388 George Rose - 1,369 John W. Beatty - 1,284 William Harper - 945 Harry Winberg - 943 William Stevenson - 383

1921 Toronto municipal election - Ward 3 (Central Business District and The Ward) Alfred Burgess (incumbent) - 2,685 George Rose - 1,867 Constance Hamilton (incumbent) - 1,815 F.W. Johnston (incumbent) - 1,614 C.A. Reed - 1,608 Aubrey Bond - 1,604 Andrew Carrick - 1,182 Robert Morse - 211