Elsie Wayne remembered for political incorrectness, 'populism'

Former Saint John Mayor Elsie Wayne is remembered not only for her populist cheerleading for what she dubbed "The Greatest Little City in the East" but also for more controversial views she espoused over her 30-year political career.

Shirley McAlary, the deputy mayor of Saint John, first served on council while Wayne was mayor.

She describes Wayne as "very solid in her thinking. She wanted it done the way she thought it should be done."

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As Saint John's first female mayor, McAlary says, Wayne "had a great personality ... She always sort of performed, but people liked that."

Paul Castle, a former CBC Radio host who also worked for the New Brunswick Museum, recalls a banquet at which Wayne was asked to give the keynote speech.

To illustrate the prevalence of cross-border trade, Castle recalls, Wayne related a story about running into a Saint Johner at the Bangor Mall.

The mayor told the crowd that the woman was "one of our little Jewish people in Saint John," adding "and you know how much they like a good deal."

Castle said the reaction to Wayne's comments was immediate.

"There was a sort of audible gasp, and some uncomfortable laughing, and I wanted to sink under the table myself," says Castle.

"I remember thinking at the time, 'Boy, this woman does not have a long career in politics ahead of her.' And of course, boy, was I wrong."

'Like the godfather'

Lisa Keenan, a Saint John lawyer and a former president of the New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Party who campaigned with Wayne during her federal campaigns, describes Wayne as "the epitome of populism."

She added the reception Wayne would receive going door-to-door was "incredible."

"I don't think she ever received a negative comment," says Keenan.

"There was a desire to make an automatic connection with people, to draw you into her circle."

Wayne was one of only two Progressive Conservatives to win their seats in the disastrous 1993 federal election.

"She was certainly a conservative in nature as well as in economics," says Keenan, adding that only rendered her all the more attractive to the Conservative movement after Brian Mulroney's defeat.

"She was like the godfather — one of the people you called if you wanted to get into politics locally, provincially, even nationally.

"She was an icon back in her day," says Keenan.

Wrong side of history

In 2003, Wayne rose in the House of Commons to disparage gay Canadians, asking "Why are they in parades? Why are men dressed up as women on floats?"

According to Castle, Wayne was "by no means the only Saint John-area MP at the time who stood on the wrong side of history in that debate."

However, he says, "she was not only vocal, she voiced her opposition in particularly hurtful terms."

Despite all that, says Keenan, "she was a great champion of Saint John. It was a different time in politics. It was certainly much more personal and less politically correct."

John Barry, a Saint John lawyer and the co-campaign manager on Wayne's first mayoral campaign, said "there was no doubt she was socially conservative.

"She was extremely colourful. She spoke out," he said.

"That doesn't mean that all of us agreed on everything that Elsie stated, and various opinions that she had. But we knew everything she was doing she honestly believed in, and that she was doing it for the right reasons."

Wayne passed at her residence on Aug. 23 at age 84.