hazel macarionIt led one of Canada’s largest cities into the 90s.
Affectionately known as “Hurricane” hazelThe longtime mayor of Mississauga, Ontario, may have been petite, but he was an outspoken political force.
McAllion’s obituary was announced in a Sunday morning statement from Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who said he died peacefully at his home in Mississauga earlier in the day at the age of 101.
Ford said macarionWhat he called a “dear friend and mentor,” he was the definition of a civil servant and turned the city west of Toronto into a major urban center.
“hazel Those to whom she served faithfully will miss her dearly,” Ford said. “Her city, and our state, is a better place because of a great life. hazel macarion”
macarion She was widely respected by other politicians, by many with whom she never spoke, and even more so by voters, who swept her into office after 12 straight landslide victories. I was allowed to.
Despite not campaigning in decades, she won more than 90% of the mayoral vote for several consecutive terms, and instead donated to charities and cultural funds to those who wanted to donate to her campaign. asked to donate money to
macarion He eventually stepped down as mayor at the age of 93, 36 years after being first elected. As she celebrated her 80th birthday, she attributed her longevity and political success to her “strength” from growing up in the countryside of the Gaspe region of Que.
“You have to stand up for what you believe in. That’s what I always have.” macarion said at the time.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement on Sunday, saying McCallion’s focus on the city’s residents has shaped her political career since her first day in office some 45 years ago.
“That was how she served, putting people first,” Trudeau said. “She has inspired countless people, including myself, in her decades of tireless and dedicated service. We will always cherish our conversations and the wisdom she has shared over the years.”
Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie, McCallion’s successor, called her Mayor and said she was an inspiration to women in Canadian politics.
“Hurricane hazel It prompted countless women to speak up and demand that they jump into politics and take a seat at the decision-making table.
Crombie said macarion Ever since she entered politics, she has continued to raise money to build new hospitals, support local arts communities, and help seniors age gracefully. He continued to live a life of “service rather than self.”
“Everything she did was to make our city better and to ensure that Mississauga would thrive well into her time,” she said.
Voices of condolences were received one after another macarion On Sunday morning, he said he had spoken to her over the past few weeks, including Toronto Mayor John Tory.
“She was engaged as usual, despite her illness,” Tory said. hazelShe continued to contribute significantly even at the age of 101. ”
When she was the new mayor, macarion Her hard-working reputation was cemented after she injured her ankle while helping evacuate 200,000 residents from their homes after a train derailed and leaked chlorine gas. She continued to limp to update her briefing despite her sprain.
McCallion’s major political speed bumps came toward the end of her career, in the form of both judicial investigations and conflict-of-interest lawsuits stemming from the failure of a multi-million dollar development contract involving her son’s company. I was.
An investigating judge found in 2011 that McCallion’s conduct in promoting the company amounted to a conflict of interest, but the report did not say the mayor had violated the city’s conflict of interest law. .
Two years later, a Superior Court judge said, macarion She may have shown willful blindness and defied common sense when she voted for the Development Pact, but that wasn’t enough to justify her banishment from office.
The scandal came to light years before the 2010 local elections, and she was hit hard in the polls. She still got 76% of the vote.
She turned down invitations from the Liberals, Conservatives and New Democrats to run for federal or local elections, saying politics is far more satisfying at the local level.
“Everything about being mayor is a great experience.” macarionsaid in an interview in 2006. “It builds community, helps people, and allows people to live in communities with all the services they need.
macarion In 2014, he endorsed Liberal Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynn, but in 2018 voted for Progressive Conservative opponent Doug Ford.
The former mayor met and spoke with Ford as prime minister, but eventually declined a formal appointment as special adviser with a salary of $150,000, saying he was too busy.
Under McCallion’s oversight, Mississauga became one of the most debt-free and financially successful cities.
The no-nonsense politician spoke her mind when defending the interests of citizens and the rights of the municipality in general.
After the 2003 blackout, mayors’ meetings with state ministers plunged much of the East Coast into darkness, but instead of asking questions, macarion He took the mic and accused ministers of soured relations between the two levels of government.
“I’m tired of pointing fingers,” she told a standing ovation.
In 1995, she said that then-Bloc Quebec leader Lucien Bouchard should be indicted for treason for complicating the recession with the sovereignty dispute. She stood surrounded by hooters. She was offended by a remark she said immigrants had been taken out of context and told them they wouldn’t apologize.
macarion In 2006, he was hailed as a hero when a distraught man threatened to commit suicide by police. Five-hour standoff ended peacefully macarion We asked the man to stop so that police, paramedics and firefighters could deal with more important matters.
born hazel Journeau was born in 1921 in Port Daniel, Quebec, where his father ran a fishing and canning company. Her mother was a stay-at-home mom and ran her family farm.
After high school, she attended business secretarial schools in Quebec City and Montreal. After working there for a while, she was transferred from the Kellogg Company in Canada to Toronto.
She met and married her husband Sam macarion, and they had three children: Peter, Paul and Linda. 1997, Sam macarion Died of Alzheimer’s disease.
She was a professional women’s hockey player in Montreal in the 1930s. macarion He was known to keep his skates and hockey sticks in the trunk of his car in case of pick-up games.
Her political career began in 1967 when she was elected chairman of the Planning Commission for Streetsville, part of Mississauga.
As mayor macarion Using low taxes to attract businesses from Toronto, the city’s more expensive neighbor, it created jobs and helped the city grow.
Mississauga is currently the third-largest city in Ontario and the sixth-largest in Canada, with a population of over 700,000 by 2021.
In 2016, Ontario declared February 14, McCallion’s birthday, as follows: hazelmacarion Day.