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The Metropolitan Toronto and Region Conservation Authority was established February 1st, 1957, as an amalgamation of four existing authorities in the Toronto area. As was the case with its predecessors, the new regional authority was given jurisdiction over river watersheds (catchment areas) for the purpose of the conservation and restoration of the natural environment and the prevention of floods and water pollution. Likewise, the new authority could purchase and expropriate lands for conservation purposes. With the exception of the provincially appointed chair, the members (51 in 1957) of the Toronto Conservation Authority were appointed by the participating municipalities^[A] (22 in 1957) from their residents living within the jurisdiction of the Authority.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

In February 1957, Florence Gell was appointed to the Toronto Conservation Authority by the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto. During her time (1957–1984) at the Conservation Authority, Gell served on its Information and Education Advisory Board, first as Vice-chair (1957) and then as Chair (1967), prior to becoming the Vice-chair (1975) and then Chair (1983) of the entire Authority. The latter two positions made her an ex officio member of all advisory boards.^[6][7]

Florence Gell’s presence on the Information and Education Advisory Board of the Conservation Authority allowed her to play an important role in the establishment and promotion of its conservation school and education field centres. The purpose of these facilities was to develop amongst children and youth an awareness of the natural environment and the need for its protection.^{[8][9][10][11]}

In 1959, while Vice-chair of the Advisory Board, Gell was Chair of its Conservation Camp School Sub-committee. This sub-committee selected the architect for the proposed Albion Hills Conservation School and approved the plans for submission to the Authority’s Executive Committee for final approval.^[12][13]

The direct inspiration for the Albion Hills School was the annual Conservation Camp School organized since 1953 by Blanche Snell and other staff of York Memorial Collegiate Institute (secondary school) in York Township. Authority staff instructed the students on conservation matters during the annual tenting trip. Due to limited facilities, the York Camp School comprised only one three-day session each May for one grade-nine class. During 1954–1956, plans were made in the Humber Valley Conservation Authority (amalgamated 1957) for permanent buildings at Albion Hills to permit numerous class visits of different durations to an expanded Camp School that operated all year round.^{[14][15][16][17]}

Florence Gell was a school trustee in 1953 and accompanied the class to the York Memorial Camp School.^[18] In 1956, Gell was a member of the Humber Valley Conservation Authority where the Albion Hills School was first proposed.^[19]

Following a period of fundraising for the project, construction of the Albion Hills Conservation School began in November 1962. Florence Gell continued her involvement in the project and was a frequent visitor to the site during its construction.^[20][21][22] As a paid consultant during 1962–1963, Blanche Snell prepared the preliminary operational plan for the Albion Hills Conservation School, assembled its library, and composed the first edition of the detailed pre-planning guide for teachers using the facility.^[23][24][25]

The Albion Hills Conservation School opened in September 1963 and was renamed a “Field Centre” in May 1969.^[26][27] In December 1968, the Albion School received the first White Owl Conservation Award for its work in promoting the preservation of the Canadian environment.^[28][29]

Florence Gell became Chair of the Information and Education Advisory Board in February 1967. She was elected by acclamation upon her nomination by Charles Sauriol.^[30] This promotion made Gell an ex officio member of the Executive Committee of the Conservation Authority.^[31]

The Executive Committee appointed Florence Gell in November 1967 to a special three-person delegation to school boards to present the Authority’s plans for the establishment of Conservation Field Centres.^[32] In December 1968, she organized and hosted (with other Authority personnel) an all-day seminar on all aspects of conservation education for 73 representatives from Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities.^[33][34] The three-person delegation to school boards was repeated with Gell as a member in February 1977 on the subject of “planning, development, and management of outdoor and conservation education programmes”.^[35]

During Florence Gell’s tenure as Chair of the Information and Education Advisory Board (1967–1975), three additional education field centres were opened: Cold Creek in September 1968, Claremont in March 1970, and Boyd in November 1974.^{[36][37][38][39][40]} Gell served on the Management (1969 Conservation Education) Advisory Committee 1963–1973 for these facilities and was Committee Chair 1964–1969. This dedicated committee within the Advisory Board was discontinued in 1973.^[7]

• March 1970 — One of two Authority executives greeting the first class of students attending the Claremont Conservation Field Centre at its opening.

[

ADD to Pioneer Village:
“As Vice-chair then Chair of the ….. Florence Gell was . . .

The Authority was financed by a levy on municipal taxpayers. It could purchase and expropriate land for conservation purposes

Blanche Edgington Snell was a prominent and innovative educator ^[41] and a member of the Toronto Authority’s Camp School Sub-committee in 1959. As a paid consultant during 1962–1963, Snell prepared the operational plan for the Albion Hills School, assembled its library, and composed the very detailed pre-planning guide for teachers using the facility.^[42] She joined the school’s Management Advisory Committee in January 1964 as a non member of the Authority.^[43] The Canadian Weekly of January 18th, 1964 (page 12), noted “The $200,000 Albion Hills Conservation School is the culmination of the efforts of many enthusiasts. But, most of all, it is the dream come true of Blanche Snell.”

Add note: This was the title in use at the time for the Star Weekly magazine published by the Toronto Star newspaper.

The Metro Toronto and Region Conservation Authority Executive Committee Minutes, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. 1962. pp. B234, B333, B351. (Accessed Oct 18, 2025.)
The Metro Toronto and Region Conservation Authority Executive Committee Minutes, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. 1963. pp. B41, B66, B148, B188, B282, B343. (Accessed Oct 18, 2025.)

A second Conservation Field Centre opened at Cold Creek in September 1968. Florence Gell…..
The third Field Centre opened at Claremont in March 1970 . . . .

1958. pp. 302–303, 527, 546–548, 551. (Accessed Aug 15, 2025)

The Church of the Advent in the Anglican Diocese of Toronto was founded in 1911 as a mission (satellite congregation) in the parish of the Church of St. John’s, West Toronto. Advent’s original building was a simple, metal-clad, wood-framed structure at the corner of Runnymede Road and St. Clair Avenue West. The location suffered from pollution generated by the adjacent steam-engine roundhouse (opened 1912) of the Canadian Pacific Railway, as well as odours produced by nearby stockyards and abattoirs.^[44][45][46]

New premises on Pritchard Avenue for The Church of the Advent were built in 1914 and opened that December. Initially, the new building consisted of just a brick-walled basement with a roof. Following Advent’s elevation in January 1923 from a mission to a parish, a very basic church building was constructed that year above the structure and then upgraded over time. The basement became the church hall. The facilities of the hall were greatly extended in 1962 when a small wing at the back of the building was extended to become the bi-level “Christian Education Centre”. A house on Delemere Avenue (across the street from that of Florence Gell) was purchased in 1948 to be the parish rectory.^{[44][45][46][47][48]}

– Jonathan Michael Eayrs. (2010). At The Edge: 100 years of life at ‘The Advent’ 1911–2011. Toronto, Ontario: Church of the Advent, 2010. (ISBN 978–0–9867713–0–9)

At the time, the principal church of the parish was located at the intersection of St. John’s Road and Dundas Street West on the land now occupied by Malta Park.

, whose primary site was then located at the corner of St. John’s Road and Dundas Street

Florence Gell’s committee at The Church of the Advent raised money via its annual Victoria Day fireworks by donation canvassing, prize draws, and selling refreshments to attendees. The fireworks were purchased by the Church but handled and ignited by the York Fire Department. From 1966 to 1972, the pyrotechnic display was the main attraction of a much larger community event involving other local groups and comprising multiple activities.^{[49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56]}

The details of the event varied over the years. It typically began in the afternoon with a parade north along a major street^[B] to Smythe Park from the office (near Pritchard Ave.) of the sponsor of York’s Smythe Park baseball league for youth. This parade was followed by baseball matches^[C] and by competitions among children for the decoration of bicycles and doll carriages. The evening entertainments in Smythe Park included performances by local majorettes, Scottish dancers, square dancers, choirs, and musical groups. These community performers included the Optimist Yorkettes, York Majorettes & Fire Drill Baton, York Lions Steel Band, Clans of York Pipe Band, Optimist Lancers Drum & Bugle Corps, Centennial Irish Accordion Band, and rock bands.^{[49][50][51][52][53][54][55]}

The event was very popular. In May 1968, the Weston Times reported that “Advent’s Victoria Day celebration at Smythe Park was a huge success with over 8,000 people milling about the grounds”.^[51] The estimated attendance in 1970 was 7500.^[53]

The Advent fireworks were discontinued after 1972. At that year’s event, a spectator was killed and three others were injured when a multi-stage rocket misfired and then exploded when it landed in the crowd. From 1973 onwards, there were no public Victoria Day pyrotechnics anywhere in the Borough of York and no community Victoria Day events in Smythe Park.
^[57]

^[58][59][60]

The additional revenue from the fundraising allowed capital improvements to Advent’s properties: church, hall, and rectory. These improvements included the following items:

• In 1969, funds raised by the Fireworks Committee paid for new eavestroughs on the church, an external coat of paint, and the rehabilitation of the outdoor bulletin board.
• In 1971, the revenue from the fireworks was dedicated to replacing the church’s leaky roof.
• From 1973 onwards, the substantial monies raised by the annual Avenue of Boutiques were deposited in a fund for a new heating system in the church and hall, which was installed in 1976.
• Also in 1976, money raised by the sale of advertisements in the Advent Bulletin paid for new cupboards, additional carpeting, and repairs to the church bell and furnace room.
• In 1977, Bulletin revenue paid for the complete renovation of the washrooms in the hall.^[61][55]

In 1968, fundraising efforts intensified with the introduction of the Church’s first two flea markets. More work was done to raise funds via donation canvassing, prize draws, and refreshments provided for the Victoria Day fireworks. In 1970, a more elaborate bazaar, the Avenue of Boutiques

Net revenues from Bulletin and fundraising projects in The Church of the Advent, 1972–1974

Project	Flea Market	Socials	Avenue of Boutiques	Bulletin Balance	Fireworks	Total
1972 – Net Amount	$25.00	$311.49	$1751.94	not stated	$1424.13	$3512.56
Share of Total Revenue	0.15%	1.83%	10.28%	—	8.36%	20.61%
Total revenue for 1972 from all sources[D] = $17 041.27
1973 – Net Amount	$766.75	$89.23	$2058.45	$1366.93	discontinued	$4281.36
Share of Total Revenue	4.06%	0.47%	10.90%	7.24%	—	22.66%
Total revenue for 1973 from all sources = $18 890.55
1974 – Net Amount	$462.51	$670.16	$2711.50	$637.75	—	$4481.92
Share of Total Revenue	2.01%	2.91%	11.77%	2.77%	—	19.46%
Total revenue for 1974 from all sources = $23 034.88
Note: Firework displays were discontinued after 1972 due to a change in municipal regulations.
(Source: Anglican Diocese of Toronto Archives, Accession 2016-09, Box 2, Advent’s Vestry Reports for 1972, 1973, & 1974.)

Florence Ellis Gell (; ) was a
Florence Ellis Gell (; ) was a

Advent’s Avenue of Boutiques was an elaborate autumn bazaar

“Jane Park and Mount Dennis”, Weston-York Times, Nov 2, 1972, p. 10.

^[E]

^[63]

A member since at least 1941^[F], Florence Gell’s most active period in The Church of the Advent began in February 1967 when she joined the parish’s Advisory Board. This body, which usually met monthly, organized activities in the parish and provided assistance and recommendations to its Rector (priest-in-charge) and Churchwardens^[G]. Gell remained on the Advisory Board until February 1989, with an eight-month gap from June 1986.^[66][67]

The Advisory Board was the operating committee of the Church’s Vestry (parish council). Florence Gell became Advent’s Vestry Clerk in January 1968. She served in the position 1968–1976, 1981–1986 (June), and 1990–1995 (July). The entire Vestry usually met once annually in late January.^[66][67]

The Board was itself divided into committees for different purposes. Florence Gell served for years as Chair of the following sub-groups: Flea Market (1968–1971+), Avenue of Boutiques (annual bazaar) (1970–1976), Fireworks (1967–1972), and Property Maintenance (1977–1981, 1983–1986, 1987–1988). She was also a member (1967–1977, 1980–1982) of the Finance Committee.^[67]

Gell was also active for many years in the production of the Advent Bulletin, the Church’s monthly communication to its members, which was reactivated in 1968. Over the 1968–1988 period, she served in a series of roles in the production of the publication: committee secretary, committee chair, business agent & advertising manager (1971/72–1986), and co-ordinator.^[67][68]

In 1967, The Church of the Advent was in financial trouble. The Church had been previously forced to make a series of cuts to the amount of its quarterly payments on the demand-note held by the bank, and necessary repairs to Church properties were being postponed. In July 1967, the Church suspended its monthly payments to the Toronto Synod, and by August it did not have sufficient funds to meet any of its regular expenses. Payments resumed later that year following an appeal to parishioners for financial support, the introduction of fees for the use of Church facilities by non-church organizations, and the receipt of a grant from the Borough of York for a Victoria Day display of fireworks the previous May.^[69][68][70]

In 1968, fundraising efforts intensified with the introduction of the Church’s first two flea markets. More work was also done to raise funds via the Victoria Day fireworks. In 1970, a more elaborate bazaar, the Avenue of Boutiques, replaced the autumn flea market. Florence Gell chaired the organizing committees for these events.^[71][72][73]

The additional revenue from the fundraising allowed capital improvements to Advent’s properties: church, hall, and rectory. In 1969, funds raised by the Fireworks Committee paid for new eavestroughs on the church, an external coat of paint, and the rehabilitation of the outdoor bulletin board. From 1973 onwards, the substantial monies raised by the annual Avenue of Boutiques were deposited in a fund for a new heating system in the church and hall, which was installed in 1976. Also in 1976, money raised by the sale of advertisements in the Advent Bulletin paid for new cupboards, additional carpeting, and repairs to the church bell and furnace room. In 1977, Bulletin revenue paid for the complete renovation of the washrooms in the hall.^[74]

Following Florence Gell’s death in 2001, The Church of the Advent set up a fund for scholastic bursaries in her memory, the first five of which were given out in 2005.^[75][H]

^[69]

^[68]

^[66]

^[67]

, including the salary of the Rector
The previous fiscal year (ended December 31st, 1966) had a deficit of $1469, or 12% of total receipts.
In 1967, The Church of the Advent was in financial trouble. The Church had been previously forced to make a series of cuts to its quarterly mortgage payments and by 1967 was paying just $500 (plus accumulated interest) of the $1250 specified in the original agreement.

Florence Gell was a mem

As a private citizen, Florence Gell was very active in the organization of recreational activities in the Township of York. In February 1946, the Municipal Council appointed Gell to its new citizen’s Advisory Recreation Committee. This first Committee of volunteers was established by a resolution of the Council and was discontinued in January 1947. It was re-established the following May under a March by-law. Gell’s appointment to the new Committee of volunteers was rejected by the Council in a 5 to 2 vote. She was then reinstated in January 1948 by a unanimous vote. She remained a citizen-member through December 1953, after which she joined the Council itself. Elected members of the Council sat on the Committee from January 1949 onwards.^{[76][77][78][79][80]}

The purpose of the Advisory Recreation Committee was to advise and assist the Township Council and its Director of Recreation in the administration of recreational activities and to encourage community participation. The actions of the Committee dealt with a broad range of items, such as the following:

• Organization of Township sports days, annual fairs, conferences, and recognition dinners for athletes and sports organizers;
• Specific recommendations regarding
  • – the use, hours, seasons, equipment, infrastructure, and establishment of Township playgrounds, sports fields, swimming pools, arenas, and outdoor ice rinks;
  • – the appointment of administrative staff, the external affiliations of the Parks & Recreation Department as well as conferences for its employees;
  • – the use by individual community groups of rooms in Township buildings.^[81][82]

Florence Gell was Chair of the Advisory Recreation Committee in 1946–1947 and then Corresponding Secretary in 1949–1953. As Secretary, Gell received an honorarium from the Township, unlike all other positions on the Committee.^[83][84][85]

In February 1948, Florence Gell was a co-presenter to the York Township Council of a joint proposal by the Advisory Committee and the York Community Council (of which Gell was also a member) for the creation of a Recreation Commission. The Township Council rejected the proposal since it required authorizing legislation by the Province of Ontario.^[I] If established, the Commission would have been a separate legal entity with members from the Township Council, Board of Education, and other interested groups. It would have administered all public recreational facilities and services in the Township in place of a municipal recreation department.^[86][87]

^[83]
[84]

During the 1960s, Florence Gell supported the Council’s plans for the extensive construction of high-rise apartment buildings to increase the tax base (“assessment”) in residential areas then comprising single-family dwellings. She was one of the Township’s negotiators in agreements with land developers. Gell’s position on the matter was contrary to strong popular opinion, including that of the Warren Park Ratepayers’ Association.

In April 1968, Florence Gell joined the Board of Governors of the public Humber College of Applied Arts and Technology (established 1967). The Ontario Council of Regents, which supervised all such colleges in the province, recommended Gell’s initial appointment and first renewal for approval by the Minister of Education. The Council itself approved her two subsequent renewals. Gell reached the eight-year term limit for a provincial appointee at the end of 1975. The Borough of York then appointed her to the Humber Board in January 1976 as its representative for a four-year term.^{[88][89][90][91][92]}

^{[92]
[91]
[93]}

In February 1974, the Humber Board elected Florence Gell as its Vice-Chair. This appointment was renewed in 1975 and 1976. She was then elected Chair of the Board in February 1977 and 1978. Gell was succeeded as Chair in February 1979 and left the Board at the end of that year.^{[94][92][95][93][96]}

Humber College’s original campuses were located in the Borough of Etobicoke, which bordered the Borough of York. In 1969, Florence Gell strongly advocated for the establishment of a campus in York. In September 1970, the College opened its Keelesdale Campus in the Kodak Heights industrial area of York’s Mount Dennis neighbourhood, immediately west of its Keelesdale/Silverthorn neighbourhood. Gell was the Board’s representative to this facility, which closed at the end of 1995 due to a lack of land and funding for necessary upgrades.^{[93][97][98][99][100]}

During her time on the Humber Board, Florence Gell served as Chair of its Program Committee. This Committee evaluated existing and proposed educational programs and changes at the College. A similar committee operated at the Council of Regents to coordinate programs across the college system.^{[91][93][101]}

Gell also served on the Social Services Advisory Committee, which advised the Board on the curricula of the social service programs offered at the College. This Committee included representatives from social organizations, such as Big Brothers, Catholic Children’s Aid Society, Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital, Ontario Welfare Council, Toronto Social Planning Council, Veteran’s Affairs Department, and the YMCA. Members of the Committee also included Humber staff and students.^{[102][103][104]}

In 1979, a group of women affiliated with Humber College established the Florence Gell Award, which was given annually to one or more female students for high performance in the College’s journalism program.^[105][106]

True to her hands-on approach to her community activities, Florence Gell was a regular visitor to the Humber College campuses. She organized and led in person the annual sale at the Humber campuses and the York Borough municipal office of daffodils to raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Society.^{[107][108][109][110]}

— york campus

— daffodils
— F. Gell Award

— daffodils
— F. Gell Award

In April 1961, the delegates to the annual convention of the Ontario Traffic Conference (OTC) (now the Ontario Traffic Council, established 1950, incorporated 1956) elected Florence Gell as a Director on its governing board, where she sat until June 1969. Gell was promoted within the board in May 1966 to the position of Vice-President and then in April 1967 to President for the standard one-year term. She was the first woman to serve in each of these three positions at a time when there was very little representation by women at the annual conventions (e.g., only three of 241 registered delegates in 1965 and only a reported one of 250 delegates in 1960).
^{[111][112][113][114][115][116]}

Since 1950, member-volunteers had run the Ontario Traffic Conference out of their homes and workplaces, with a volunteer Secretary-Treasurer responsible for its day-to-day operations. In January 1965, the group’s first dedicated physical office with a single paid employee (a clerk) was opened following the October 1964 resignation of the incumbent Secretary-Treasurer due to work commitments.
^{[117][118][119]}

In her President’s Report to the April 1968 convention, Florence Gell recommended that the OTC employ a second person as a “full-time secretary-treasurer-manager” to succeed a volunteer that had resigned the previous January due to work commitments. The proposal was not adopted, and Gell served as a volunteer Acting Secretary-Treasurer for two years (Apr 1968 – May 1970) following her term as President. In 1972, this administrative role was split into two volunteer positions, Secretary and Treasurer.^{[111][119][120][121]}

During Florence Gell’s term as OTC President, the annual convention was reorganized to separate the educational activities from the suppliers’ exhibits. The main sessions comprised only workshops, with a greater emphasis on audience participation, an earlier adjournment for the day, and no refreshment breaks. The exhibits were moved to suites for viewing after the adjournments.^[122]

Florence Gell was named an Honourary Life Member of the Ontario Traffic Conference in the early 1970s for her work with the organization. As of 2025, she has been the only woman to serve as its President out of 53 office-holders.^{[123][124][125]}

^[118][119]

^{[111]
[118]
[119]}

.
.
. In her introductory message in the convention magazine, Gell stated, “Every minute of the day and evening has been focused on your learning, participation and enjoyment.”
| awards = § Honours

Since 1950, member-volunteers had run the Ontario Traffic Conference out of their homes and workplaces, with the Secretary-Treasurer as the administrative officer. The group’s first dedicated physical office with its single paid employee (a clerk) was not opened until January 1965, following the October 1964 resignation of the incumbent volunteer Secretary-Treasurer. In her President’s report to the April 1968 convention, Florence Gell recommended that the OTC employ a second person as a “full-time secretary-treasurer-manager“ to succeed a volunteer that had resigned the previous January. The proposal was not adopted, and Gell served as a volunteer Acting Secretary-Treasurer for two years. In 1972, this administrative office was separated for a time into two volunteer positions, Secretary and Treasurer.
OMIT: Subsequent female Directors were individually elected in 1967, 1979, skcnakscb, respectively. A second woman was elected to the board in April 1967 and served for three years. The next female Director was elected in May 1979 for four years.

During her time on the York Township Council, Florence Gell was involved in all of its functions: health & welfare, traffic, housing, parks & recreation, library services, finance, planning, etc. She took a hands-on approach to all aspects of her work. Gell commonly engaged in direct, personal consultations with her constituents. She kept a list of every person who phoned her with their concerns.^{[126][127][128][129][130]}

Gell was a well-regarded representative and was re-elected by large margins (see Table below). In 1956, the Township Council established Florence Gell Park at the request of a group of her constituents, the Warren Park Ratepayers’ Association.^{[131][132][133]}

In her 1964 testimony before an Ontario Royal Commission, Florence Gell strongly supported a system of small civic departments organized by lower-tier municipalities within the greater Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto. She held that smaller municipal departments, under the supervision of local elected representatives, were more efficient and better able to meet local needs.^[134]

During the 1960s, Florence Gell supported the Council’s plans for the extensive construction of high-rise apartment buildings to increase the tax base (“assessment”) in residential areas then comprising single-family dwellings. This position was contrary to strong popular opinion, including that of the Warren Park Ratepayers’ Association.^{[135][136][137][138][139][140][141][142]}

In September 1965, the Commissioner (head) of the York Parks and Recreation Department accused Gell of repeated interference in its operations, which significantly reduced its efficiency. Many people and community organizations publicly supported the Commissioner, who, along with several other employees, resigned in 1966 over the Gell matter and other administrative obstructions imposed by the York Council.^{[143][144][145][146]}

The controversies surrounding the erection of numerous apartment buildings and the administration of the Parks and Recreation Department contributed to Florence Gell’s electoral defeat in December 1966 (see Table Notes). The Warren Park Ratepayers’ Association had actively campaigned against her.^[147][148]

Florence Gell’s share of December election vote in Ward Three of York Township
(for a one- or two-year term starting the following January 1st)

Election	1953	1954	1955	1956	1958	1960	1962	1964
Gell’s Share	57.8%†[a]	81.3%	68.1%‡	72.5%	74.4%	50.3%§	63.9%	64.9%
Candidates	3	2	3	2	2	2	2	2
Position	Councillor∆				Deputy Reeve
(Source: City of Toronto Archives, York Council Minutes, Fonds 211, Series 646, Files 42–45, 47, 49, 51, & 53. Official election results prefixed in each bound volume.)
Notes: † In Gell’s first Council election, Charles Cashman, the incumbent Councillor, was elected to the position of Deputy Reeve for Ward Three. ‡ In 1955, voters approved a two-year term for subsequent elections. ∆ In May 1958, Gell was appointed Deputy Reeve by the Council to fill the vacancy created by the death of Charles Cashman.[149] § Gell’s relatively poor polling in 1960 was a result of the scandal (Mar 1959) surrounding the purchase by Reeve Chris Tonks of Township land and the subsequent provincial inquiry (May–Sep 1959) into the general land financial affairs of the Council, which were condemned in the Report of the inquiry (Apr 1960). These events led to a campaign by a Citizens’ Committee to unseat all incumbents.[150][151][152][153][154][155][156] Re: 1966 Election for the new Borough of York — Gell finished third with 17.9% in a field of five candidates for the two positions of Controller on the Council of the new Borough of York. The respective vote shares were 30.3%, 28.1%, 17.9%, 17.4%, and 6.4%. The Toronto Star reported that Gell had been one of two York veterans that had been “swept under in the ‘anti-vote’ “.[157] The editor of the Weston Times described these two losses as “the greatest surprise“ of the York election.[158]

During her time (1957-1984) at the Metro Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (established 1957), Florence Gell served on its Information and Education Advisory Board, first as Vice Chair (1957) and then as Chair (1967), prior to becoming the Vice Chair of the entire Authority (1975) and an ex officio member of all of its advisory boards.^[159]

Gell played an important role in the establishment and promotion of the Authority’s Conservation Schools (also called Field Centres) for children and youth to encourage the protection of the natural environment.^[160] In December 1968, the first of these schools (opened in 1963 at Albion Hills) received the first White Owl Conservation Award for its work.

Florence Gell was also active in the development and promotion of the Authority’s living history museum, The Village at Black Creek.^{[161][162][163]} In May 1967, she was one of the two persons holding the rope that was ceremonially cut by Ontario Premier John Robarts at the official opening of The Village.^[164] In 1985, the Authority established the Florence Gell Garden on the grounds of The Village in recognition of her “remarkable contribution to conservation“.^[165]

For her extensive public service, Florence Gell was named York’s first Citizen of the Decade in 1978 and awarded the Ontario Bicentennial Medal in 1984.^[166]

DRAFT below to be deleted
Since its formation in 1950 (incorporated 1956), the OTC had been a volunteer-run, home-based organization. Its first permanent office and one paid employee (a clerk) were not in place until or just before January 1965. In her report to the 1968 convention, Florence Gell recommended that the OTC employ (finances permitting) a full-time person to serve as the Secretary, Treasurer, and Manager of the Organization in lieu of volunteers.

One of Our Members has been Honoured: Many’s the time in our bulletin we have paid tribute to Florence Gell, one of our long-time members and a most ardent worker in our Church. We have much to thank her for. Recently, she was honoured for her many accomplishments on behalf of the Borough of York, be being presented with a special Civic Award Plaque as Citizen of the Decade. … Countless numbers of people seek and get help from Flo. Gell. Our heartiest congratulations to Flo. No honour was more deserved.

Carrie Brunet. (2001). “York politician Florence Gell was always a lady”, The York Guardian, March 30, 2001, Vol. 5, № 13, p. 3.
John Gell. (2000). “Mrs. Florence Gell: The First Lady of York” in Memories of Lambton Park. Toronto, Ontario: John Gell, August 2000, pp. 143–146. (ISBN 0-9687461-0-1)

Florence Gell — known to her family and friends as Jo — was the heart of the Lambton Park Community in which she was always active and to which she gave her live for many years. … She was very friendly, chatty, self-confident, and direct. She was highly regarded by many people. …

Florence Gell had a very strong personality that at times could irritate those with whom she dealt. She was stubborn, and determined to achieve her desired ends using all means at her disposal in the face of any opposition. She could provoke both strongly positive and strongly negative reactions.

Gell broke social norms of the day in the progressive elements of her wardrobe. She worn shorts in public at a time when it was not considered proper by many for a woman to do so, especially for an elected woman.

She was a real pillar in our community. Everybody in York knew Flo Gell. She didn’t just pave the way for woman politicians, but she paved the way for politicians to be honest and accountable.

— Frances Nunziata, in Carrie Brunet, “York politician Florence Gell was always a lady”, The York Guardian, Mar. 30, 2001, 5 (13) 3

She raised her family and participated in public life, when it was a male dominated blood-sport.

You had to have Flo Gell on side. She was such an integral part of community politics.

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