Woman mayor dies

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33753, 28 January 1975, Page 6

Woman mayor dies

CN.Z. Press Assn—Copyright) OTTAWA, January 27. Charlotte Whitton, the fiery former fiveterm Mayor of Ottawa, has died, aged 78. It was the second time she Was hospitalised in recent years. Two years ago she broke a hip after a fall in her home. The injury ended her long and successful political career, United Press International reported. Charlotte Elizabeth Hazeltyne Whitton, born in 1897 in the Ottawa Valley community of Renfrew, "carved her truculent way into the world of men with solid determination and ascerbic wit at a time when few women were managing to break from their traditional roles.

Never married, and a hater of the term Miss, she never had the benefit until late in her career of the newer term

| Ms, which she adopted in her : seventies. But, despite the handicap of the times and the occasional animosity created by her pepper-pot personality, Ms Whitton bulled her fivefoot form into careers as a journalist, social worker, author, lecturer, educator and politician. During her terms as Mayor, Ms Whitton’s desk sported an ashtray which informed visitors in French: “What the devil can’t do, a woman can.” Time and again Ms Whitton, six times selected Canada’s Woman of the Year, was supported in municipal elections by a vociferous “petticoat brigade.” She became Canada’s most controversial woman. During much of her time as Mayor, her antics received more publicity than her

accomplishments. Ms Whitton is best remembered by many for having physically attacked a burly board of control member, driving him from the meeting room. The attack was said to have resulted in the then Prime Minister (Mr John Difenbaker) reversing his decision to name Ms Whitton as ambassador to Ireland. On another occasion, she brandished a gun, pointed it at another controller and said in jest that he would agree with her proposals, or face the consequences. Much to the man’s horror, she pulled the trigger of the toy, which released a flag that said "bang.” About women she had said: "Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily it’s not difficult.”