Winona Flett

Winona Margaret Flett (June 10, 1884 – May 16, 1922)[1] was a prominent suffragist and social reformer in Manitoba.[2]

She was born in South Dumfries Township, Ontario, the daughter of Isabella Bowie and James Flett. She left Woodstock, Ontario in 1912 for Winnipeg with her mother and sister Lynn.[1] She worked there as a public stenographer. Flett and her sister helped found the Political Equality League[2] (later the Manitoba Political Equality League), whose aim was to gain the vote for women in the province. She was in charge of a petition organized by this group which bore the signatures of 39,584 women. In January 1916, Manitoba became the first province in Canada to grant women the vote.[1]

In October 1914, Flett married Fred Dixon, a Manitoba politician. She campaigned for her husband in the 1920 general election.[1]

She frequently spoke at J. S. Woodsworth's "Peoples' Forums", a series of Sunday afternoon lectures.[2]

Flett died of pneumonia in Winnipeg at the age of 37. Her funeral was attended by Liberal and Labour politicians, including Tobias Norris, the premier of the province.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Kinnear, Mary (2005). "Winona Flett". In Cook, Ramsay; Bélanger, Réal. Dictionary of Canadian Biography. XV (1921–1930) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.


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