Person Record

Metadata

Name

Crozier, Helen (Macleod)

Born

Aug. 26, 1885

Birthplace

Parkhill, Ontario

Deceased

April 12, 1981

Deceased

Walkerton, Ontario

Father

David Noble Macleod

Mother

Jeannie Backie Waters

Spouse

L. Gordon Crozier (m. Nov. 23, 1911)

Children

David Crozier
George Crozier
Jack Crozier
Douglas Crozier
Norman Crozier
Jean (Crozier) Malone
Nora (Crozier) Carlton
Dorothy (Crozier) Byrne

Occupation

Helen received her education in Parkhill, Ontario and at Westborne Girls' School in Toronto. She later continued her musical education in London, Ontario. While residing in Alberta, she married Leif Gordon Crozier, a widower with two young children, in 1911. After residing in Saskatchewan for a time, she and Gordon moved to Walkerton when he was transferred to the Walkerton Bank of Commerce as manager.
While residing in Walkerton for 48 years, Helen set two political precedents. Mayor Charles McNaughton approached her with a request that she run for a Walkerton Town Council seat in the late 1940s. She felt she could not refuse having played a role in urging members of the Women's Institute to take an active interest in municipal affairs. She was elected to Town Council around 1948 becoming its first female councillor. She served as such until elected Walkerton's Deputy Reeve in 1953. As Deputy Reeve, she also became the first female member of Bruce County Council that year.
Her previous involvement in the community included service on the municipal Welfare Board and on the War Services Committee during the Second World War. She became widely known in Walkerton as the convener of the wartime "work room."

Further community contributions included holding positions with the IODE (Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire); Women's Hospital Auxiliary, St. Thomas' Anglican Church groups; Walkerton Women's Institute (and was instrumental in starting the Woman's Evening Institute); Agricultural Society / Fair Board; Ladies Legion Auxiliary, and Bruce County Historical Society.

Helen's municipal contributions included the organization of the Walkerton Hobby Club which a led to the formation of the Walkerton Recreation Commission by the early 1950s. She also served on the cemetery board (advocating for the restoration of the Old Walkerton Cemetery), library board, and Walkerton property committee. She was also a member of the Museum Committee which instigated the establishment of the Bruce County Museum.

She and Gordon also raised eight children.

Following the death of Gordon in January 1967, Helen left Walkerton to reside with a daughter in Peterborough. Following her death in 1981, she was interred in Walkerton Cemetery.

Places

Parkhill, Ontario
Toronto, Ontario
London, Ontario
Walkerton, Ontario
Peterborough, Ontario

Sources

"Deputy Reeve Helen Crozier First Woman Member of Bruce County Council." Bruce Township scrapbook, page 420, A2014.003.0548

"The Crozier family: forty-five years in Bruce" AX2004.0408

"Walkerton, Bruce's First Lady Councillor, Passes" Walkerton Herald-Times, April 16, 1981.