Jane Forrester Park
Mayor Jane Forrester
Alderman 1955-1956
Mayor 1956-1957
During her tenure as Bellevilles first woman mayor she worked for the citys prosperity, growth, health, beauty and good governance. Her vision of extensive parklands created a legacy we enjoy today.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Parks & Recreational Areas • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1956.
Location. 44° 9.358′ N, 77° 22.631′ W. Marker is in Belleville, Ontario, in Hastings County. It is at the intersection of Harbour Drive and South Church Street, on the right when traveling east on Harbour Drive. The marker is located beside the sidewalk on the north side of Jane Forrester Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Belleville ON K8N 3E3, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Eastern Ontario and specifically in Southeastern Ontario. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Belle of the Bay / Strolling Meyers Pier (within shouting distance of this marker); Home of the Wharf Rats (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); The Thurlow Purchase (about 120 meters away); Sir Mackenzie Bowell (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Site of the Wharf Street Debating Club from 1921-2013 (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Belleville (approx. half a kilometer away); George Zegouras Market Square (approx. 0.9 kilometers away); Market Square (approx. 0.9 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Belleville.
Also see . . .
1. City Mayor Jane Forrester. (By Barry Ellsworth, The Intelligencer, 1/3/2004) Excerpt: Jane Forrester broke gender boundaries when she won election as Bellevilles first woman mayor in 1956. Almost 30 years later, she championed the development of the citys waterfront for the enjoyment of the public rather than private interests, and won that fight, too.
She was determined it was going to be done, and it was done, said Robin Jeffrey of Forresters leadership to clean up the Meyers Pier area and make it a public treasure. She coined the title SWAT Save our Waterfront All Together for the waterfront movement.
In 1955, Mrs. Forrester defeated Mayor John Booth, who was going for a third one-year term, by a whopping 1,163 votes. In 1954, she led the polls with 3,352 votes for her first term as alderman, at that time the most ballots cast for the position in city history.
But there was much more to Jane Forrester than being the first woman mayor or saving the waterfront. She was always active in charities. That included being a major force behind the creation of the Opportunity Shop for the Belleville General Hospital Auxiliary, serving on the executives of the auxiliary, United Appeal and the Childrens Aid Society. (Submitted on December 9, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Jane Eleanor Parker Forrester (Find A Grave).
(Belleville Cemetery, Belleville, Hastings County, Ontario, Canada) Mayor(Submitted on December 9, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)of Belleville 1956-57Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 30, 20243. Jane Forrester Park MarkerLooking south from Harbour Drive.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 19, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 9, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 139 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 9, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
