Winona Flett

Who is Winona Flett?

Winona Margaret Flett was a prominent suffragist and social reformer in Manitoba.

She was born in South Dumfries Township, Ontario, the daughter of Isabella Bowie and James Flett. She left Woodstock, Ontario in 1912 for Winnipeg with her mother and sister Lynn. She worked there as a public stenographer. Flett and her sister helped found the Political Equality League, whose aim was to gain the vote for women in the province. She was in charge of a petition organized by this group which bore the signatures of 39,584 women. In January 1916, Manitoba became the first province in Canada to grant women the vote.

In October 1914, Flett married Fred Dixon, a Manitoba politician. She campaigned for her husband in the 1920 general election.

She frequently spoke at J. S. Woodsworth's "Peoples' Forums", a series of Sunday afternoon lectures.

Flett died of pneumonia in Winnipeg at the age of 37. Her funeral was attended by Liberal and Labour politicians, including Tobias Norris, the premier of the province.