Article on Agnes Campbell Macphail in Le Nouvelliste (October 13, 1990)

Agnes Campbell Macphail was born on March 24, 1890, in Grey County, Ontario. She was raised in a farm family with Scottish roots. After earning her teaching diploma, she worked at various schools in Ontario and Alberta. Her last position was at Pegg’s school in Ontario. In the 1910s, she abandoned the teaching profession in favour of the political arena. She joined the United Farmers of Ontario party in 1919. In 1921, she was elected as a member of the Progressive Party in the riding of Grey Southeast. This electoral district existed from 1917 to 1935.

During her political career, Macphail focused on social and political reform by addressing issues that affected farmers, children, immigrants, inmates and marginalized groups. Seen as a champion of the working class, she staunchly defended the rights and values of her rural constituents. She was a driving force behind the prison reform initiatives implemented starting in 1945 and the architect of Ontario’s first pay equity legislation, adopted in 1951. Macphail died in Toronto in 1954.

This article was published in Le Nouvelliste on October 13, 1990. It discusses the release of a commemorative postage stamp honouring Agnes Campbell Macphail. The stamp had been issued on October 9, 1990.