According to the latest census, Flin Flon’s population is more or less evenly split between men and women.
Throughout its 80-plus-year history, however, the community’s elected leaders have largely come from the male side of the gender equation.
But now that trend is changing, with a record three women occupying seats on the newly elected city council.
“Women can and do well in politics,” says Coun. Colleen McKee, who makes up the female contingent along with councillors Karen MacKinnon and Leslie Beck. “They may play the game a little differently, but most figure it out pretty quickly.”
Prominent
Though she is one of the more prominent councillors, having recently been reappointed chair of the all-important Finance Committee, McKee doesn’t view herself as shattering any glass
ceilings.
“Trailblazer, no – just a servant,” says McKee, adding that for members of council, “good decision-making is not gender-specific.”
Though MacKinnon celebrates the female trio’s milestone and the perspectives they bring to council, she says being on council is about working together, not focusing on gender.
MacKinnon says while the male councillors she has worked with have been very respectful, female politicians can be perceived differently than men.
“Women are scrutinized more so than men,” says MacKinnon. “Men, if they come across as strong, they’re deemed to be great leaders, but with women, it’s unladylike to debate or disagree. To me that’s not true. I know that the three females we have on council right now aren’t afraid to speak up for what we believe in, which is a wonderful thing.”
Male dominated
Of course politics, both locally and broadly, has long been dominated by men. Even with three women now on board, the last 16 years have seen just five different women serve on Flin Flon city council, compared to 11 men.
Across Manitoba, just 15 per cent of mayors and municipal councillors were women heading into last month’s elections. Post-election, many councils still had only one or two – sometimes zero – women.
Still, women are showing more interest in getting involved, MacKinnon says, and efforts are underway to attract them.
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities, she notes, aims to have women fill 30 per cent of elected municipal positions across the country by 2026.
Like McKee, MacKinnon hopes the presence of female councillors will encourage more women to run for local office in the future.
“I think a lot of females are afraid to run because they don’t think they have the qualifications or the skills that would make them successful, but I disagree with that,” says MacKinnon.
Given that it has taken 81 years for Flin Flon to elect three female councillors at once, the next question is this: Who will be the first female mayor?
Beck vied for the top job in 2010 but lost to now-former mayor George Fontaine. MacKinnon, now in her third consecutive term, hasn’t considered a mayoral run.
But McKee, also a third-term councillor, is another story.
“The biggest thing on my bucket list is to become Flin Flon’s first female mayor, and it did cross my mind this round,” says McKee. “Ironically, I have domestic duties that I still have to fulfill, namely a 12-year-old daughter. You don’t get a second chance at family. It always has to be number one.”
At a glance
Female representation on select councils:
Flin Flon: 3/7 members
Creighton: 2/7 members
Denare Beach: 2/7 members
Peter Ballantyne: 3/15 members
RM of Kelsey: 0/7 members
The Pas: 2/7 members
Thompson: 4/9 members
Swan River: 1/7 members
