Elected to the House of Commons

On May 15, 1950, Ellen Fairclough won a federal by-election in Hamilton West, securing her seat in the Canadian House of Commons as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party. At the time, she became only the sixth woman ever to be elected to the House of Commons since Confederation, a striking illustration of how few women had penetrated federal elected office in Canada's first eight decades as a nation.

Prior to her election, Fairclough had already built a career as a chartered accountant and had been active in municipal politics in Hamilton, serving on City Council and as a school board trustee. Her by-election victory launched a parliamentary career that would span over a decade and see her rise to unprecedented heights for a woman in Canadian federal politics.

Her arrival in Ottawa came at a time when the House of Commons remained an overwhelmingly male institution, and women members often faced significant skepticism about their capacity for serious legislative work. Fairclough's background in business and finance helped her quickly establish credibility, and she went on to serve on important committees, including those dealing with banking and finance.

This 1950 election was the essential first step in a career that would culminate in her becoming Canada's first female federal Cabinet minister in 1957 and, briefly, the country's first female Acting Prime Minister in 1958.