Paula Fletcher
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Paula Fletcher (1951-) is a Canadian politician. During the early-to-mid 1980s, she was the leader of the Communist Party of Canada - Manitoba. She subsequently left the [Communist Party and moved to Toronto, Ontario. In 2003, she was elected to the Toronto City Council with the support of the New Democratic Party.
Fletcher was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. She worked as an educator in third world development, and became a community activist in Winnipeg. In 1979 and 198], she ran for the Communist Party of Canada against federal Member of Parliament Stanley Knowles in Winnipeg North Centre. She received 182 votes the first time, and 176 the second. Also in 1980, she ran for the Winnipeg School Board for Ward 2, in the city's north end.
In 1981, Fletcher replaced William Cecil Ross as leader of the Communist Party of Canada - Manitoba. The party was a marginal political force at the time, and Fletcher and Ross were the only CPC-M candidates in the 1981 provincial election.
Fletcher's campaign focused on affordable day care and women's issues. She ran in the north-Winnipeg riding of Burrows, and received 144 votes (against 4,890 for winning candidate Conrad Santos of the New Democratic Party).
In 1984, Fletcher ran federally for the CPC in Winnipeg North against David Orlikow. She received 283 votes.
Fletcher again ran in Burrows in 1986, this time receiving 131 votes. She resigned as leader of the CPC-M shortly thereafter, and moved to Toronto. She eventually left the Communist Party entirely, and became involved with the social-democratic New Democratic Party.
In 2000, Fletcher was elected to the Toronto District School Board with support from Jack Layton (who was subsequently elected as federal NDP leader). Fletcher generally supported leftist causes while on the board, though she voted against union staffing rules at Danforth Tech.
When Layton crossed from municipal to federal politics in 2003, Fletcher was elected to take his place for Ward 30 on the Toronto City Council. She defeated lesbian-rights activist (and former NDP member) Chris Phibbs by 6,460 votes to 4,271 (there were seven other candidates in the race). In 2004, she succeeded in having a Toronto street named after social activist June Callwood.