page_title: True Davidson
section_title: Early life
hierarchical_section_title: True Davidson / Early life
caption_attribution_description: English: Portrait of True Davidson at about age 30.
context_page_description: Jean Gertrude "True" Davidson, CM, was a Canadian politician, teacher, and writer. She was the first mayor of the Borough of East York, Ontario, and she was one of Metropolitan Toronto's most colourful politicians in a career spanning nearly 25 years. She spent 10 years on the East York school board and 11 years as alderwoman, reeve and mayor on East York Council. During her time in municipal politics she ran in 11 elections and never lost.
  She was born in Hudson, Quebec, the daughter of a Methodist minister. She was educated at the University of Toronto and then worked as a teacher. She tried her hand as a writer before gaining work editing a 12-volume compendium of Canadiana by William Perkins Bull. After her parents died, she moved to East York where she quickly became involved in local politics. She became a school trustee in 1947 and later chair of the school board. In 1958 she ran for local council and served one term before being elected as reeve in 1960. In 1966, East York merged with Leaside and Davidson emerged as the winner in a runoff election for mayor against Leaside's reeve, Beth Nealson. Davidson stayed on as mayor for six years until she retired in 1972.
context_section_description: Davidson was born in Hudson, Quebec, in 1901. Her father, John Wilson Davidson was a Methodist minister. Her mother, Mary Elfeda Pomeroy, was the daughter of a Methodist minister. She had a younger sister named Marsh. At the time of her death she had two nephews, Michael and David Cobden.
  In 1917, she attended Victoria College (now part of the University of Toronto) when it was still in Cobourg, Ontario, starting at the age of 16. She earned her BA there and then went to the Regina Normal School where she obtained a teaching certificate. She taught English and History in Strasbourg, Saskatchewan and Brandon, Manitoba. In 1923, she returned to university and received her M.A.. After that she taught history at Havergal College in Toronto.
  Davidson wrote children's books and for a time worked for textbook publisher J.M. Dent and Sons as a salesperson, visiting school boards across the country. She was the first female publishing sales representative in Canada. Leaving J.M. Dent in 1930, Davidson spent a year attempting to survive as a writer. During this time she wrote articles for The Globe and Mail and Chatelaine magazine. In 1931 she was hired by William Perkins Bull to coordinate the publication of a 12-volume edition of Canadiana. She worked on the project for seven years. By the time it was completed she was in charge of a staff of 70 researchers.
  In 1940, she moved with her parents to Streetsville, Ontario. During the move she was in a motor vehicle accident that left her father seriously injured. He died four days later. Left destitute and caring for her invalid mother, she performed odd writing jobs until in April 1941, she was appointed Clerk and Treasurer of the Village of Streetsville. She was replacing someone who had gone overseas to fight in World War II.
caption: Davidson, about 30 years old
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