Allan Studholme, 1846-1919
The first independent labour representative elected to the Ontario legislature, Studholme was born near Birmingham, England. He emigrated to Canada in 1870, eventually settling in Hamilton. A skilled stove-mounter, Studholme became actively involved in the emerging trade union movement. In 1906, in the wake of the bitter Hamilton Street Railway strike, he ran as an independent working-class candidate in Hamilton East. Victorious in this and three subsequent elections, he sat as the lone labour representative in the legislature for almost thirteen years. Despite his political isolation, Studholme worked tirelessly to promote the interests of working-class men and women and, through his principled stands, he helped popularize such major reforms as the eight-hour day, workmen's compensation the minimum wage and women's suffrage.
Plaque via Alan L. Brown's site Ontario Plaques. Full page here.