Ellen MacKinnon
| Ellen MacKinnon | |
|---|---|
| Ontario MPP | |
|
In office 1990–1995 |
|
| Preceded by | David Smith |
| Succeeded by | Marcel Beaubien |
| Constituency | Lambton |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
April 27, 1926 farm near Sarnia, Ontario |
| Died | February 10, 2001 (aged 74) |
| Political party | New Democrat |
| Spouse(s) | William |
| Children | 7 |
| Occupation | Farmer |
Ellen MacKinnon (April 27, 1926 – February 12, 2001) was a politician in Ontario, Canada. She was a New Democratic member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the southwest Ontario riding of Lambton from 1990 to 1995.
MacKinnon was born near Sarnia, Ontario to a farming family. Due to the depression she was forced to quit school after Grade 8. She worked as waitress, house servant and in a factory during World War II. She was married near the end of the war and she moved to a farm in Lambton County. She raised seven children, two daughters and five sons while tending the farm while her husband was away working for a Sarnia oil company. Her husband died in 1980.
She was a county councillor for the township of Plympton from 1977 to 1979 and served as a school trustee on the Lambton County public school board from 1988 to 1990.
MacKinnon ran as the New Democratic candidate in the provincial election of 1990 in the south-western Ontario riding of Lambton. During the campaign, MacKinnon spoke out against shipping Toronto area garbage to the Sarnia region. She said, "No garbage. Not here. Not now. Not ever." MacKinnon learned later that many voters appreciated her simple answer to a complex issue. She defeated Progressive Conservative candidate Bob Langstaff by 1,024 votes. The incumbent Liberal David Smith placed third.
MacKinnon was 64 at the time of her win and was the oldest member of the NDP caucus. When she arrived at Queen's Park after the election she was awe-struck by the experience. She said, "I'm wondering what I'll do for an apartment, what you do for furniture and how many clothes do I bring here, and how many do I leave at home." The NDP won a majority government in this election and she served as a backbench supporter of Bob Rae's administration for the next five years.
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