Canadian Aviatrix #12 – Edina Newlands (1892-1997)

Florence Edina Stewart Newlands was born on 6 February 1892 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, to Henry William Newlands (a politician and lawyer, who served as Saskatchewan's fourth Lieutenant Governor from 1921 to 1931) and Mary Paterson Stewart.

Mary died suddenly in 1904, although she’d been suffering from heart disease for two years.

Once Henry became Lieutenant Governor, he and Edina lived in Government House, with a secretary and three servants. Edina was the “chatelaine” (in other words, the keeper of the house) and official hostess for many events at the residence.

In July 1921, Henry was made Chief Scout of Saskatchewan. In early 1922, Edina was made Chief Guide and immediately started collecting data with a mind to making a provincial council of Girl Guide groups. She was the first provincial commissioner.

In August 1929, Edina hosted Winston Churchill’s brief visit to Government House, before his luncheon speech to the Canadian Club of Regina.

On 19 November 1929, Edina passed her flying test and received PPL #429, making her the twelfth female pilot in Canada. She was 37 years old. By June 1930, she had her own plane too.

Photo: Saskatchewan Archives (R-A2143)

In 1931, Edina moved to New York, where she took a course in interior decorating at the School of Applied Arts. Henry retired from his position in 1931 and they moved to Paris, where Edina continued her studies. In 1933, she won a prize in a design contest for Directoire furniture. In 1935, they moved to London and, in 1937, returned to Canada and lived on a farm in Ontario.

Henry died in 1954 and Edina died in 1997, aged 105.