Maxine Jones
Name/Title
Maxine JonesEntry/Object ID
P2006-01-14-993Description
Maxine Jones Grimsby Independent photo - June 1957 - Thought to be her Ryerson graduation photo. Born 1936, the daughter of Fred N. & Geneva Jones of 39 Ontario Street, Grimsby. After her fathers death in 1955, her mother married Hilton Swayze of Grimsby. In 1957 Maxine graduated from Ryerson Polytechnical and received a degree in journalism. While at Ryerson she was a leading scorer forward with the Ryerson Ryettes basketball team, winning the provincial Intercollege title defeating the U of T womens team. She worked for a brief time in Barrie; by I959 she was living in Windsor, working as a writer for the Windsor Star. She left later that year to take up residence in London, England. From there she toured Europe for three years. Became a prominent Windsor woman. On returning to Canada, and to Windsor, again working for the Star in Feb 1961, twenty five year old Maxine became associated with the New Democratic party from its founding that year, helping organize the party in Windsor -Essex. 1978 President of OPSEU local union. 1977 /1983 - She was South Western Ontario Vice President of Ontario Public Service Employees Union [OPSEU] and the highest ranking woman in the 65,000 member OPSEU. 1979 Federal Election Jones ran as the NDP candidate in Windsor - West against Liberal Herb Gray, the President of the Treasury Board and former Consumer Affairs minister. She polled well but came second, defeating the Conservative candidate by 6,000 votes. In the 1980 election she also placed second to Gray. 1980 Served on Windsor's Committee of Adjustment 1981 - taught Political Science at St Clair College 1981 worked closely with Bob Rae to create a plan to save the Canadian Auto industry through more govenrment involvement and controls; the plan was launched in Windsor. 1981 - called for increased day care facilities in municipalities across the province. 1982 Ran for Windsor city council. 1980's media classified her as feminist; she was active amoung the group The Coalition for Papal reform who protested the papal position on ordination of women, birth control and the status of divorced Catholics when the Pope visited Detroit in 1987. During this period she served as a OPSEU board member while teaching at St. Clair College. Maxine was still living in Windsor in 2014 at the time of her mothers passing; in 2023 she helped arrange a St Clair College ARP reunion there.Category
Photos - Peo/Fam - Other