Helena Gutteridge addressing "Post Office riot" demonstrators, Vancouver. 1938.
Born
(1879-04-08)April 8, 1879
London, England
Died
October 1, 1960(1960-10-01) (aged 81)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Nationality
British born Canadian
Occupation(s)
Tailor, Labour Activist, Suffragist, City councillor of Vancouver
Spouse
Oliver Fearn
(m. 1919–1928)
Helena Gutteridge (8 April 1879 – 1 October 1960) was a feminist, a suffragist, a trade unionist and the first female city councillor in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Helena was recognized for being a pioneer in pushing for women's rights in British Columbia during a time when gender equality was not yet a prominent social movement and discourse.[1]
Born in Battersea, London, in Victorian England, Helena was the second daughter of the Gutteridge family. At the age of 14, Helena was denied access to further education due to social class and gender discrimination. To continue pursuing an education, Helena left home in the same year and gradually lost touch with her family.[2] From 1893 to 1911, while working as a tailor in London to support herself and to fund her education, Helena was also actively engaged with the female suffrage movement in the United Kingdom. She joined the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), which provided her with ample political experiences and skills that laid the foundation of her political career.[3]
In September 1911, Helena set sail for the westernmost part of Canada.[4] She immediately became actively involved in the female suffrage movement in Vancouver and spent most of her time there helping women who faced economic hardships. After becoming a member of the Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) in 1932, Helena focused her career on campaigning for socialist policies in British Columbia as a response to the financial blow of the Great Depression.[5] In 1937, she became elected as the first female councillor to the City of Vancouver. During her time in office, Helena made government-subsidized social housing her priority. Most of her policies were oriented towards a socialist end. Helena won the re-election in 1939 but lost in both 1940 and 1941.[6]
Apart from having an active political career, Helena was also involved in social work. She became a support worker for the Japanese Canadian population at Lemon Creek from 1942 to 1945.[7] During her retirement years, Helena remained engaged with issues concerning women's rights despite fading away from the political scene.[8]
Helena Gutteridge was best remembered for her leadership in labour activism, contribution to the advancement of equal pay in British Columbia, election as the first female city councillor in Vancouver and her lifelong commitment to elevate the status of women.
^Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Howard, Irene (1992). The Struggle for Social Justice in British Columbia. Vancouver: UBC Press. ISBN 0-7748-0425-4.
^Howard, Irene (1992). The Struggle for Social Justice in British Columbia. Vancouver: UBC Press. pp. 38–47. ISBN 0-7748-0425-4.
^Cite error: The named reference :7 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference :8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Howard, Irene (1992). The Struggle for Social Justice in British Columbia. Vancouver: UBC Press. pp. 193–233. ISBN 0-7748-0425-4.
^Howard, Irene (1992). The Struggle for Social Justice in British Columbia. Vancouver: UBC Press. pp. 223–232. ISBN 0-7748-0425-4.
^Howard, Irene (1992). The Struggle for Social Justice in British Columbia. Vancouver: UBC Press. pp. 240–259. ISBN 0-7748-0425-4.
HelenaGutteridge (8 April 1879 – 1 October 1960) was a feminist, a suffragist, a trade unionist and the first female city councillor in Vancouver, British...
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suffragette and member of the Vancouver Trades and Labour Council, HelenaGutteridge, was also at the scene. Strike leaders could point to the vote by...
Irene Howard. The Struggle for Social Justice in British Columbia: HelenaGutteridge, the Unknown Reformer. UBC Press; 1 November 2011. ISBN 978-0-7748-4287-7...
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(1912–20). This was the organ of the BC labor federation. He gave HelenaGutteridge a weekly page on woman's suffrage in the paper. During the winter...
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Irene (2011). The Struggle for Social Justice in British Columbia: HelenaGutteridge, the Unknown Reformer. UBC Press. pp. 183–4. ISBN 978-0774842877....
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19 May 2004 (2004-05-19) 215 36 "Nemesis" Final appearance of ex-DS Don Beech, Melanie Gutteridge and Linda Lusardi guest star Dermot Boyd Julian Perkins 20 May 2004 (2004-05-20)...
Archived from the original on 26 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022. Gutteridge, Nick (19 July 2022). "Rishi Sunak pledges not to build more onshore wind...
Referendum Other Barnsley Central Eric Illsley 28,090 (77.0%) Simon Gutteridge 3,589 (9.8%) Darren Finlay 3,481 (9.5%) James Walsh 1,325 (3.6%) Eric...
the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022. Parekh, Marcus; Gutteridge, Nick; Penna, Dominic (15 July 2022). "Penny Mordaunt: Westminster is...
(director/screenplay); Donald Sutherland, Ned Beatty, Ruth Gordon, Lucy Gutteridge, Michael Hordern, Suzanne Danielle, Robert Morley, Gregory Sierra, Luis...
Zucker (directors/screenplay); Martyn Burke (screenplay); Val Kilmer, Lucy Gutteridge, Christopher Villiers, Billy J. Mitchell, Jeremy Kemp, Omar Sharif, Peter...
News. Archived from the original on 26 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018. Gutteridge, Nick (20 July 2016). "Middleton of the Glen! How Pippa will get a title...
"Reshuffle: Greening quits government". BBC News. Retrieved 8 January 2018. Gutteridge, Nick (7 July 2022). "Minister who quit after 35 hours is in line for...
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