ON THIS DAY

January 6, 1936

Barbara Hanley was elected mayor of Webbwood, a town west of Sudbury, Ont., becoming Canada’s first female mayor. Trained as a teacher, she decided to enter municipal politics in an attempt to improve conditions for the town, which had been hard hit by the Great Depression. Hanley served eight consecutive terms as mayor, then was appointed town clerk, a position she held for four years before retiring from active municipal work.