Helena Walker.
Born on February 26, 1887, in Nova Scotia, Helena Walker attended school there, and received an MA in 1909 from Nova Scotia University (Acadia). In 1912 she came west and taught first at Pense and then at the Collegiate Institute in Regina, where she also attended Normal School. In 1920 she married Ashley Walker; they had two children. First elected to the public school board in 1925 as the Local Council of Women (LCW) candidate, she resigned when she became the LCW candidate for city council in 1932. The new Civic Government Association also endorsed her; she became the first woman councillor, and was re-elected. She did not run in 1936, but returned to council in 1939-40 and subsequently served two terms. She served in numerous organizations, and chaired a committee that instituted a pension plan for the police; other efforts included a proposal to hire a policewoman. A leader in women's organizations (Women's Canadian Club, University Women's Club, and Local Council of Women), Walker was also a central figure in directing women's war efforts, becoming president of the Women's Voluntary Services established in 1943. She died on April 6, 1963, in Regina.
Ann Leger-Anderson