Frances Sloat (née O'Rourke; July 28, 1928 – November 21, 2017) was a politician in
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, Canada. She was the mayor of
Ancaster from 1973 to 1984, and the
Progressive Conservative member of the
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA; ) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly are given royal as ...
from 1984 to 1985. She was elected in a by-election in December 1984, but was defeated six months later in the
1985 provincial election. During her time as MPP the legislature was not in session.
Background
Frances Sloat, nicknamed "Ann", was born in
Stratford, Ontario
Stratford is a city on the Avon River (Ontario), Avon River within Perth County, Ontario, Perth County in southwestern Ontario, Canada, with a 2021 Canadian census, 2021 population of 33,232 in a land area of . Stratford is the County seat, s ...
, and was educated in that city and
Hamilton
Hamilton may refer to:
* Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States
* ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda
** ''Hamilton'' (al ...
. She graduated from
Hamilton General Hospital
The Hamilton General Hospital (HGH) is a major teaching hospital in Downtown Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, located at the intersection of Barton Street East and Victoria Avenue North. It is operated by Hamilton Health Sciences and is formally aff ...
, School of Nursing in 1951. She and her husband Donald, who died in 1978, raised six children.
Politics
Sloat was a school trustee in
Ancaster, and chaired the
Wentworth County
Wentworth County is one of the 141 cadastral divisions of New South Wales. The Murray River is the boundary to the south, and the Anabranch of the Darling River is the western boundary. It includes the area where the Darling River joins the Mu ...
Board of Education from 1971 to 1972.
From 1973 to 1984, she served as the
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
of Ancaster.
Sloat campaigned for the Ontario legislature in the
1981 provincial election, and lost to
Liberal incumbent
Eric Cunningham by 4,121 votes in
Wentworth North.
Cunningham resigned his seat in 1984, and Sloat contested a
by-election
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections.
A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...
to succeed him in December of the same year. She was successful, defeating Liberal
Chris Ward by 169 votes.
[ She took the oath of office as a Member of Provincial Parliament in January 1985, and immediately endorsed ]Frank Miller
Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book artist, comic book writer, and screenwriter known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on ''Daredevil'', for which he created the character Elektra, and ...
to become the party's new leader at a February leadership convention
{{Politics of Canada
In Politics of Canada, Canadian politics, a leadership convention is held by a political party when the party needs to choose a leadership, leader due to a vacancy or a challenge to the incumbent leader.
Overview
In Canada, ...
.
Miller won the party leadership, and did not re-convene the legislature before calling another provincial election. This time, Ward defeated Sloat by 5,168 votes amid a provincial swing to the Liberals.
Later life
Sloat was also a member of the Ancaster Hydro Commission for eleven years. In 2001, she was listed as a corporate officer of the Hamilton Utilities Corporation.
She died on November 21, 2017, at the age of 89. Earlier in the year, the town of Ancaster named the plaza in front of the town hall in Sloat's honour.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sloat, Ann
1928 births
2017 deaths
Women mayors of places in Ontario
People from Stratford, Ontario
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario MPPs
Women MPPs in Ontario
20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
20th-century mayors of places in Ontario