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Person
Authorized form of name
Clement, Aleta Elizabeth
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Other form(s) of name
- Aleta Elizabeth Paisley
- Mrs. S.E. Clement
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Description area
Dates of existence
1876-1950
History
Aleta Elizabeth (Paisley) Clement was a first-wave feminist, committed social reformer, and political activist in Brandon and southwestern Manitoba. Born January 18, 1876 in Petrolia, Ontario to Melissa Elizabeth Bull (1848-1922) and James Paisley (1843-1908), she moved at age 10 with her family to Brandon, where she would later distinguish herself as a public speaker. In 1893, Aleta graduated from Alma College in St. Thomas, Ontario. The following year, she returned home and gave private elocution lessons while teaching Grade 3 for the Brandon School District. On August 30, 1899, she married Stephen Emmett Clement, Jr. (1867-1947) in Brandon. They had four children: Harold Dixon, Ethel Ruth, Robert James, and David William. Aleta's dedication to social equality grew out of her family's financial hardships and her work as an underpaid elementary school teacher. In her commitment to social issues, Aleta followed in the path of her mother who, in 1892, was the first secretary of the newly formed Brandon Hospital Aid Society. Aleta's activism was also shaped by her involvement with the Women’s Christian Temperance Union and by progressive initiatives within the Methodist Church. She was a member of the first YWCA board as well as the provincial child welfare board and the First Church United board. As president of the Brandon Local Council of Women (LCW), Aleta played a key role in forming a free Child Welfare Station in 1918 in leading the fight against Spanish flu. Aleta played a prominent role in the 1922 Brandon School Controversy by advocating for equal pay between men and women educators. She was also an active organizer for the Progressive Party in the elections of 1925 and 1926. Aleta served as a convenor for the National Council of Women and as an executive member of the League of Nations in Canada. She was also prominent in the Brandon Art Club and Brandon Little Theatre. Aleta died in Winnipeg on November 9, 1950 and is buried in Brandon Municipal Cemetery.
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Revised 09/21/2019.
Language(s)
- English