Gertrude Tate

At first, just a trickle of women found their calling as real estate agents. Gertrude Tate, who joined the Board in 1928 and spent 40 years in the business, was one of the pioneers. Miss Tate was a good friend of Emmeline Pankhurst, a leader of Canada’s suffragette movement, who supported her desire to step into a profession that had previously been the preserve of men. In 1955, Miss Tate wrote: “Freed from the shackles of Victorian era, women can go forth in this basic and fascinating activity on equal terms with their opposite numbers.” In 1956, Miss Tate was made an Honourary Life Member. Today, women make up 40 per cent of TRREB’s membership.