Nora Frances Henderson was a strong, principled individual, particularly as a champion of the rights of those on relief. She conducted herself with courage, intelligence, compassion and dignity, especially when she took a controversial stance in the ‘46 Stelco strike in the face of loud, and hostile opposition. During her years as a Hamilton municipal politician, she won the respect and love of the community generally, as her 16 successive elections to Hamilton City Council (including the Board of Control) attest.

-Brian Henley, local historian and writer, when asked who he felt was Hamilton's most effective politician.

 Henderson Hospital was neither the vision nor the life work of Nora Frances Henderson. She never worked in the health care field, but in addition to being a newspaper reporter and editor, she was a woman of many 'firsts': Canada’s first female Controller and  the first female elected to the Hamilton City Council.

In 1934, Nora Frances Henderson ran for the Board of Control, becoming  the first woman elected, and was so successful that she was re-elected 13 times. She served on Hamilton City Council as Alderman and Controller for 16 consecutive terms.  In June of 1946, in the absence of Mayor Lawrence, Nora was the first female to act as Mayor.  It was also in 1946 that the Steel Company of Canada went on strike, and it was Nora Frances Henderson who demanded to be allowed to cross the picket lines. Cross them she did, and when she left the plant she stated that she would not bow to mob rule.  The photo of her walking towards the picket line appeared in every major Canadian newspaper, causing great dissention within Hamilton City Council. 

Nora Frances Henderson retired from politics and went on to become the executive secretary of the Children’s Aid Society of Ontario. She died two years later in 1949.

The City of Hamilton chose to honour Nora Frances Henderson by naming this great Hospital, which sits perched like a guardian of the people at the edge of the Niagara escarpment above the Sherman Cut, after her.  After sixty years, how can we even debate overturning this greatly-deserved honour?