While Miss USA, Miss America and Miss Universe are the more well known “Beauty Pageants”, Canada has/had its fair share as well. From little hometown Pageants to big ones like “Miss Dominion of Canada”, the middles years of the 20th Century in Canada were just as busy “judging beauty” as our neighbour to the south.

For today’s post we are going to take a look back at some of these ‘Vintage Beauty Pageants’.

Vintage Canadian Beauty Pageants

MISS WAR WORKER

In 1942, more than 100 contestants from Canada’s major military manufacturing plants vied for the title of “Miss War Worker.” The winner, Dorothy Linham, starred in a Palmolive Soap advertisement (Source).

FURTHER READING: World War 2 Women’s Contributions & Homefront Posts

1940s vintage photo of the Canadian Miss War Worker Pageant in 1942. The image features women wearing their factory uniforms.

Police Chief D.C. Draper presents ribbon to Dorothy Linham, Miss War Worker 1942. Toronto, Canada.

1940s vintage photo of Miss War Worker Beauty Contest 1942 Canada

Source: Wikipedia

MISS GREY CUP

ABOUT: The CFL (Canadian Football League) Grey Cup is the NFL equivalent to the Super Bowl. It’s very popular in Canada and even Toronto has a team (Go ARGOS!). One of the highlights of the Grey Cup was the ‘Miss Grey Cup Pageant’ featuring lovely ‘Unmarried’ ladies in cheerleading uniforms competing for the coveted title. It started in 1951 and ended in the 1990s after the public lost interest. Below is a couple of photos from the 1953 pageant.

(For more photos & information visit ‘A look back at the Miss Grey Cup Pageant‘ by the Globe and Mail)

Together for the first time in Toronto in 1953 were all the finalists for the Miss Grey Cup title, representing senior Canadian football teams.

1950s Vintage Photo: Together for the first time in Toronto in 1953 were all the finalists for the Miss Grey Cup title, representing senior Canadian football teams

Source: The Globe and Mail

Miss Grey Cup 1953 was chosen from a dozen finalists on the eve of the East-West football classic is Miss Saskatchewan Roughrider — Joanne Baird, 18-year-old Regina high school student, winner of several beauty and popularity awards in her home town.

1953 Winner of Miss grey Cup 1950s Photo

Source: Globe and Mail

MISS DOMINION OF CANADA

ABOUT: Miss Dominion of Canada was a beauty pageant held in Niagara Falls for many years, primarily at the Sheraton Brock Hotel, on July 1, Canada’s Dominion Day (now known as “Canada Day”), beginning in 1959.

The winner of this pageant represented Canada at four of the world’s largest international beauty pageants, Miss Universe (until 1977), Miss World (1962–1979), Miss International, and Queen of the Pacific (Source).

Her crowning moment: Hamilton’s Carol Ann Tidey — now Carol Mason — savours the glory as she becomes Miss Dominion of Canada on July 1, 1965, in Niagara Falls.

1960s Vintage Photo of Miss Dominion of Canada 1965. Her crowning moment: Hamilton's Carol Ann Tidey -- now Carol Mason -- savours the glory as she becomes Miss Dominion of Canada on July 1, 1965, in Niagara Falls.

Source: Hamilton Spectator

Marlene Leeson of Huntsville; Miss Dominion of Canada 1962; waits at Malton Airport for a plane which took her to London for the Miss World Contest.

1960s vintage photo of Miss Dominion of Canada 1962 in 1960s fashion. Marlene Leeson of Huntsville; Miss Dominion of Canada 1962; waits at Malton Airport for a plane which took her to London for the Miss World Contest.

Source: Toronto Public Library

MISS TORONTO PAGEANT

Learn about the history of the pageant and see more vintage photos on my blog post: Miss Toronto Pageant-The Early Days

Finalists in the Miss Toronto Pageant 1953. Winner Elizabeth Gibson is second from right.

1950s Vintage Photo of the Miss Toronto Pageant 1953 featuring the constestants in 1950s swimsuits.

PENETANG WINTERAMA QUEEN

1958-Ten girls still in the running for Penetang Winterama Queen title will appear on Pen Theatre stage Friday night in third elimination.

Left to right, front, Lucille Duquette, Barbara Labatte, Joan Somers, Mary Lou O’Leary, Betty Ann Mayer, Standing, Karen Robinson, Marguerite Gervais, Marita Lalonde, Anita Fournier, Carol Cummer.

1950s vintage photo of the Penetang Winterama Queen pageant contestants in 1950s fashions-1958.

Source: Huronia Museum

MISS CANADA

ABOUT: Miss Canada is a beauty pageant for young women in Canada. It was founded in Hamilton in 1945. No title was awarded from 1993 through 2008. According to the new Miss Canada and Miss Teen Canada web site, the title was re-established with a focus on personality over physical appearance. The Miss Canada competition is Canada’s oldest extant beauty pageant (Source).

The below video showcases the winners of Miss Canada from 1947-1972.

MISS PNE

(Pacific National Exhibition). Held from 1948 to 1993

Group photograph of Miss PNE 1957 contestants.

Miss P.N.E. Contest-1950s Beauty Pageant Contestantsin 1950s dresses.

Source: City of Vancouver Archives

What came first? The chicken or the egg? Miss PNE 1954.

1950s Vintage phot of Miss PNE 1954 Beauty Pageant Winner holding a chicken egg.

Source: PNE.ca

PNE Contestant 1957: “Miss White Rock” – Miss Fern Walker. What a dress!

1957 Miss PNE Contestant beauty contest "Miss White Rock" - Miss Fern Walker. What a stunning 1950s dress.

Source: City of Vancouver Archives

MISS BY-LINE

I was not able to find any real information on this contest beyond that the winner was chosen at the “By-line Ball; Toronto Men’s Press club’s annual dance at the Royal York.” If any of my readers have information, please share in the comments below.

Meet Miss by-line ‘1966; Ellen Tsuji; 20-year-old representative of the Japanese press in the Metro.

Source: Toronto Public Library

Miss by-line 1960; Pretty Diane Oster; 19.

Source: Toronto Public Library

Do you know Veronica Foster (Ronnie), the ‘Bren Gun Girl’? She was Canada’s “Rosie the Riveter” and was also “Miss By-Line in 1943”. How fun is her dress of Ontario newspapers?

Read all about Ronnie on my blog post: The Canadian “Rosie the Riveter”-Veronica Foster, The Bren Gun Girl

1940s Vintage Photo of Veronica Foster (Ronnie), The Bren Gun Girl as Miss By-Line 1943 in Toronto posing in Ontario Newspapers as a dress.

Source: Emailed to the Vintage Inn Blog

Thanks for stopping by friends and I hope you enjoyed checking out some of the beauty contests from the past. I know I always enjoy the fashions and hairstyles.

Question Time: Did you ever try out for a beauty contest? Share your experiences in the comments below.

Liz

There is a pub/bar/my local beer hangout called the Rhino Restaurant in Parkdale, Toronto. They have a mural on the side of their wall that for some reason I only noticed recently that I have found very intriguing and has encouraged me to write a blog post about it. Here is the mural (sorry for the side image but the patio was closed and this was a close as I could get).

Photo of the wall at the Rhino Restaurant in Parkdale Toronto that has a mural of the Miss Toronto Pageant.

It’s a mural of the “Miss Toronto Pageant” in the 1920’s…1926 to be exact, the year that the Miss Toronto Pageant started at Sunnyside Park.

WOW…I never knew Toronto had done anything like this. I moved to the city in 1999 and from my reading I discovered that the pageant closed it’s doors in 1991, so of course I would not of read or heard anything about it. Anyways as I was looking thru some very cool vintage pics of the “early days” of the pageant (lets say pre 1960’s because that is what my blog focuses on) I discovered the original image that the mural was based from. Here it is…the first Miss Toronto winner of 1926 – “Miss Jean Ford Tolmie” in her full glory (holy flower hat!) at Sunnyside Park.

1920s vintage photo of the first Miss Toronto winner of 1926 - "Miss Jean Ford Tolmie" in her full glory (holy flower hat!) at Sunnyside Park. Stunning 1920s hair and 1920s swimsuits.

Image source: Toronto Archives

Look at the hair and the bathing suits and stockings but the best part is how very unhappy the ladies who did not win are. Totally Miserable! Cheer up ladies you are all beautiful and I would not of known who to have picked if I was a judge!

Note: Toronto Archives Website (where I found my images)

Miss Toronto Pageant-The Early Days

History & Photos of the Pageant

There is not a lot of history online about the pageant but what I could find, after its initial startup in 1926 it seemed to remain dormant till about 1937. In 1937 the “Toronto Police Amateur Athletic Association” who wanted to add something “extra special” to their annual Police Games decided to take over the Pageant and run it again. It was not without controversy though, no sooner had the pageant been announced than it came under fire from the Local Council of Women of Toronto in a letter to the Board of Control and the chief of police. The council’s issue was not that the pageant objectified women—as feminists would assert in the future—but rather that the pageant was “not in good taste.” Their letter read in part:

“We look to the heads of the police department not only to see that existing laws pertaining to standards of decency and good taste are enforced, but also to be most punctilious in seeing that nothing they sponsor may tend to have a lowering effect on the standards of the people in general.” (Torontoist.com)

But this did not stop the pageant from moving forward with 350 pretty 16+, British Subjects entering. 66 were then chosen to compete in the finale at the CNE Grandstand (Canadian National Exhibition) on July 17th, 1937. The website “Torontoist.com” has a super post on what went down that day that eventually had the very pretty 17-year-old Billie Hallam become “Miss Toronto, 1937“.

Please Read: Softball Pitcher & Beauty Queen

1937 Photo of 6 of the ladies –Look at their cute shoes and the hair..fantastic!

1937 Miss Toronto contestents posing in their 1930s swimsuits, 1930s hairstyles and 1930s shoes.

Toronto Archives

Your 1937 Miss Toronto Winner-Billie Hallam, isn’t she just a doll?

1930s vintage photo: 1937 Miss Toronto Winner-Billie Hallam spoting a 1930s swimsuit and 1930s hairstyle.

Toronto Archives

With her win, the lovely Miss Hallem won $200 cash (a lot of money in 1937), Free trips to the police games in several other cities, invite to the Miss American pageant, jewellery, and sponsorship deals with companies like “Ponds Produce” & “Star Taxi” to name a few. She even had a potential chance to screen test with R.K.O. Studios…amazing!! (Torontoist.com). This was a huge deal for a 17-year-old in Toronto.

The pageant continued on until 1991 where backlash from Feminists and declining sponsorship eventually saw it shut it doors but thanks to the internet we can relive some of those wonderful pageant moments thru the pictures that still exist today. Lets take a look…

Some of the other contestants from the 1937 pageant. OMG the parasols!!!

1930s Vintage Photo of the Miss Toronto Pageant Contestants from 1937 in 1930s swimsuits, 1930s hairstyles and holding parasols.

Now for something slightly different…”Miss War Worker 1942“. This contest was created to encourage women to enter the workforce during the war (not sure how a pageant would do this, but ok).

1940s Vintage Photo of the Miss War Worker 1942 contest. The image features a group of women in their 1940s factory uniforms standing in a row with numbers.

Miss Toronto 1946 – Her surfing bathing suit from Catalina is totally adorable and something I would love to have today. Check out the ladies in the background, the one to the left looks a bit like Ava Gardner.

Further Reading: Summer is here! Vintage Catalina Swimsuit Ads

1940s vintage photo of Miss Toronto 1946 in her two piece Catalina Swimsuit.

Miss Toronto 1947 – Look at the handsome Police officer hoisting her in the air. Lucky her! Once again her shoes are divine!

1940s vintage photo of Miss Toronto 1947 being held up by a Toronto Police officer.

Miss Toronto 1948-The bathing suits are super amazing. These ladies all look like they stepped out of a movie set.

1940s vintage photo of the miss toronto 1948 beauty pageant. The woman are all wearing 1940s swimsuits.

Miss Toronto 1950 contestants Beautiful!!

1950s vintage photo of the miss toronto 1950. The woman are all posing in 1950s swimsuits.

Miss Toronto 1956at the CNE – Ummm Hello! Where can I get THAT DRESS???? yooza!

1950s vintage photo of Miss Toronto 1956 in a slim fitting 1950s dress at the CNE in Toronto.

Miss Toronto 1957 – The runner-up should have won because her shoes were the cutest 🙂

1950s vintage photo of the Miss Toronto pageant 1957. The image showcases the winner in her 1950s swimsuit being crowned.

So there you have a brief early history/pictures of the “Miss Toronto” Pageant, hope you enjoyed learning a bit about the Glory Day of the Pageant.

FURTHER READING:

Liz

Tag: vintage beauty pageant

Vintage Canadian Beauty Pageants

MISS WAR WORKER

MISS GREY CUP

MISS DOMINION OF CANADA

MISS TORONTO PAGEANT

PENETANG WINTERAMA QUEEN

MISS CANADA

MISS PNE

MISS BY-LINE

Miss Toronto Pageant-The Early Days

History & Photos of the Pageant