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Dorise Nielsen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Doris Webber July 30, 1902 London, England, United Kingdom |
| Died | December 9, 1980 Beijing, China |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Political party | Communist Party of Canada |
Dorise Winifred Nielsen (30 July 1902 – 9 December 1980) was a Canadian communist and the first Communist MP in Canadian history.
Early life[edit | edit source]
Nielsen was born in London, England in 1902 and settled in Saskatchewan in 1927.[1]
Political career[edit | edit source]
Nielsen was radicalized during the Great Depression. She became associated with the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and joined the CPC after hearing General Secretary Tim Buck speak. In 1937, she helped raise money for the International Brigades. In 1940, she ran as a member of the United Progressive Movement in North Battleford and defeated Liberal incumbent Cameron Ross McIntosh. She joined the Labor-Progressive Party after the CPC was banned. As an MP, she promoted public healthcare and daycare for children. She lost her seat in 1945 and later helped found the Congress of Canadian Women.[1]
Later life[edit | edit source]
Nielsen moved to the People's Republic of China in 1957. She worked as a translator and became a Chinese citizen in 1962. She died in Bejing in 1980.[1]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Mike Wu (2022-10-26). "Dorise Nielsen: groundbreaking communist MP in Canada, people’s hero in China" People's Voice. Archived from the original on 2022-10-28. Retrieved 2022-12-22.