True Davidson

True Davidson
Davidson in 1972, after her retirement from politics
1st mayor of East York
In office 1966–1971
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Willis Blair
9th reeve of East York Township
In office 1961–1966
Preceded by	Jack R. Allen
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Personal details
Born	1901 Hudson, Quebec
Died	September 18, 1978(1978-09-18) (age 76) East York, Ontario
Nationality	Canadian
Alma mater	Victoria College
Profession	Writer, editor
Religion	United Church of Canada

Jean Gertrude (True) Davidson, CM (1901 - September 18, 1978), the first mayor of the Borough of East York, Ontario, was one of Toronto’s most colourful politicians in a career spanning nearly 25 years. Fiery and independent, she was a peppery crusader in some of the biggest civic battles of the 1960s and was always quick to defend the interests of East York, a small post-war suburb often threatened with annexation. She had the hawk-like features to match her tenacious spirit, and was rarely seen in public without a colourful, exotic hat.

Early life

Davidson was born in Hudson, Quebec, in 1901. Her father, John Wilson Davidson was a Methodist minister. Her mother Mary Elfeda Pomeroy was the daughter of a methodist minister. She had a younger sister named Marsh.

In 1917, she attended Victoria College (now part of the University of Toronto) when it was still in Cobourg, Ontario, starting at the age of 16. She earned her B.A. there and then went to the Regina Normal School where she obtained a teaching certificate. She taught English and History in Strasbourg, Saskatchewan and Brandon, Manitoba. In 1923, she returned to university in 1923 and received her M.A.. After that she taught history at Havergal College in Toronto.

Davidson wrote children’s books and for a time worked for textbook publisher J.M. Dent and Sons as a salesperson, the first female publishing sales representative in Canada, visiting school boards across the country. She left J.M. Dent in 1930 and spent a year attempting to survive as a writer. During this time she wrote articles for The Globe and Mail and Chatelaine magazine. In 1931 she was hired by William Perkins Bull to coordinate the publication of a 12 volume edition of Canadiana. She worked on the project for seven years. By the time it was completed she was in charge of a staff of 70 researchers.

In 1940, she moved with her parents to Streetsville, Ontario. During the move she was in a motor vehicle accident that left her father seriously injured. He died four days later. Left destitute and caring for her invalid mother, she performed odd writing jobs until in April 1941, she was appointed Clerk and Treasurer of the Village of Streetsville. She was replacing someone who had gone overseas to fight in World War II.

Political career

Co-operative Commonwealth Federation

Davidson joined the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) in 1934 after meeting J.S. Woodsworth and she worked briefly for Agnes MacPhail who represented York East in the Ontario legislature in the 1940s. She ran for the CCF in the 1953 Canadian federal election in the riding of York East coming third behind Robert McGregor. She also ran provincially in the 1951 Ontario election again with a poor showing. Davidson long sided with the downtrodden, although she was adamantly opposed to endless handouts to people who were physically able to work. She became disenchanted with the party, especially with the increasing role in the party of trade union leaders and, in particular, the Ontario Federation of Labour, which she saw as having a bureaucratic, anti-democratic and conservative influence. With Bill Temple, Mary Ramsay and Avis McCurdy, she was a leader of the "Ginger Group", a group of dissident members of the Ontario CCF, who argued that the party's poor performance in the 1951 Ontario general election was due to it moving away from taking clear socialist stands on issues and instead focussing too much on organizational issues. The group opposed what they saw as the "bureaucratization" of the CCF with salaried organizers and a greater emphasis on fundraising taking the place of grassroots volunteers and political education and discussion. Davidson, Temple and their supporters also argued that power was being increasingly concentrated in the hands of the party executive instead of the grassroots resulting in the squelching of democratic discussion and grassroots policy development and sought to rectify this by curtailing the powers of the provincial secretary. On April 12, 1952, at the 18th annual provincial convention, Temple nearly ran for leader against Ted Jolliffe but withdrew at the last minute allowing Jolliffe to be acclaimed. Temple then ran for party president against establishment candidate Ted Isley, but was defeated 112 to 85. Davidson and Temple were then subsequently elected to the executive as vice-presidents. When the CCF merged with the Canadian Labour Congress in 1961 to form the New Democratic Party, she refused to join due to the predominance of labour in the new party.

East York

Davidson in 1971, wearing one of her trademark hats

Davidson moved to East York in 1947 after the death of her mother. Davidson was soon immersed in community issues with her establishment of a neighbourhood kindergarten leading to her being elected as a school trustee in 1948. In 1952 she became the first woman to chair the East York Board of Education. In 1958, she was elected to East York's town council. In 1960 she ran for the position of Reeve of the Township of East York against incumbent Jack Allen. The main issue at the time was uncontrolled development on land bordering the Don Valley beside Bayview Avenue. The development, later dubbed the Bayview Ghost, was a rallying cry for her campaign. She beat Allen by a total of 5,065 votes to 3,458. Davidson was a dedicated politician, often attending many community meetings, up to 40 per month. She was also a formidable debater with an abrupt and abrasive style that annoyed her fellow council members. Yet the voters loved her and she was re-elected twice.

In 1966, East York was amalgamated with the Town of Leaside, and Davidson found herself pitted against Leaside mayor Beth Nealson in an election dubbed the “Battle of the Belles” to become the first mayor of the newly amalgamated Borough of East York. “If you want someone beautiful and elegant, or glamorous, I'm not that.” Davidson said during the campaign. Despite spending the final days of the campaign in a hospital recovering from a heart attack, she won the election handily.

Davidson had a reputation for never mincing words. She would always say what's on her mind. When she ran for reeve in 1960 she called one of her opponents Leslie Saunders "bigoted, pigheaded and, in his attitude to women, a throwback to the stone age". During the East York mayoralty race in 1966 she called Beth Nealson a "wish-washy, prissy, sweetheart". She referred to Metro Chairman Albert Campbell as a "maundering chairman, inclined to regard other councillors as grade one dunces ruled by himself as schoolmaster." In one exchange with Campbell, she retorted "Don't be addled man. Don't talk stupid!". Nevertheless, she had her supporters. Fellow councillor, Bill Kilbourn spoke fondly of her. "Decent, fearless, independent. True was a thorn in the flesh of the smooth men at Metro (council)."

As mayor of East York, she sought to unite the new community by starting a centennial project. Her goal was the restoration of Todmorden Mills as a heritage museum. Despite mounting costs she reached her goal by skillfully raising funds from other levels of government. The museum was opened on May 22, 1967. She remained an honorary curator until her death. Davidson also started the East York Foundation in 1966. This organization was created to preserve cultural holdings and artifacts. Davidson served as the first director of the foundation.

In 1971 during her last term as mayor she made the surprising announcement that she wished to run as a Liberal in the next provincial election. She was nominated as the Liberal candidate in the riding of York East. During the election campaign she received a lot of press coverage but it focused on her age (then 70) and a certain parochial attitude. Her small town persona carried well in the municipal world but did not translate well to provincial politics. She lost badly to the Conservative incumbent Arthur Meen.

Retirement

Davidson retired from public life in 1972 but remained active by writing a column for the Toronto Sun. Davidson remained active right up until her death. She was diagnosed with cancer and died in hospital at the age of 76, just before her 77th birthday.

When she retired from East York politics the borough named a senior's residence after her, the True Davidson Acres. In 1971 she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Victoria College as a Doctor of Sacred Letters. Davidson was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1973, received the Queen’s Jubilee Medal in 1977 and, just before her death in 1978, was awarded an honorary doctorate from York University, where she had recently enrolled as a doctoral student in Canadian literature. After her death, the True Davidson Collection of Canadian Literature was established at York University, based on donation of her personal papers.

Selected works

Sourced from the Toronto Public Library

• Canada in story and song; a pageant. Toronto: J.M. Dent & Sons, Ltd.. 1927. 
• Muses of the modern day and other days. Toronto: J.M. Dent & Sons, Ltd.. 1931. 
• The Brampton Story. Toronto. 1953. 
• The Golden Strings. Toronto: Griffin House. 1973. ISBN 0-88760-067-0. 
• The Golden years of East York. Toronto. 1976. 

References

• Azoulay, Dan (1997). Keeping the Dream Alive: The Survival of the Ontario CCF/NDP, 1950-1963. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press. ISBN 0-7735-1634-4. http://books.google.com/?id=3x0WwEMP7nMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=isbn=0773516344&cd=1#v=onepage&q. 
• Darke, Eleanor (1997). Call Me True: A Biography of True Davidson. Toronto: Natural Heritage/Natural History Inc. ISBN 1-896219-34-9. 

External links

• City Council's heritage designation of 203 Woodmount Avenue as True Davidson House
• East York Foundation