Beatrice Alice Brigden (1888-1977) was born on January 30th 1888
1/30/2010 at 8:30 AM
in Belleville, Ontario, moving the following year with her family to a farm outside of Deloraine.
She was a Teacher, Lecturer, and Activist. She fought for equal Rights, and was a founding member of The Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF).
After some education at the Toronto Conservatory School she returned to Manitoba in 1909 to take up further studies at Brandon College where she made the acquaintance of Mr. Stanley Knowles.
In 1919 she acted as a Labour Organizer in the Brandon sympathetic Strike for the Winnipeg workers in their General Strike, and afterwards worked with Mr. A. E. Smith.
In 1920 she was hired by the Brandon School board to teach Special Needs children.
In 1923 she traveled to Regina and was a participant in the founding convention of the CCF, which later became the National Democratic Party, (NDP).
She was a frequent candidate in elections. In 1930, Ms. Brigden was the first woman to run in the Federal Riding of Brandon. She ran under the Banner of the Labour Party, but was defeated by Mr. David Wilson Beaubier of the Brandon Hotel family.
In 1936 she ran in Winnipeg in another unsuccessful attempt at a Seat in The House of Commons. Ms. Brigden organized the Manitoba Women’s Model Parliament and was a member of the Manitoba Human Rights Commission.
In 1970, she was awarded a Manitoba Centennial Medal by the Manitoba Historical Society and she received the Manitoba Golden Boy Award for good citizenship.
Brandon University awarded her an Honorary Degree in 1973.
In 1977 Beatrice A. Brigden Died.
Source:
http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/people/brigden_ba.shtml
http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/transactions/3/womencandidates.shtml
http://www.ebrandon.ca/messagethread.aspx?message_id=57732&cat_id=57