Simcoe County and Muskoka leaders fondly remember Hazel McCallion
She was a force to be reckoned with in Mississauga, where she served as mayor for decades, but her reach was far greater than those city limits.
Municipal leaders from across Simcoe County and Muskoka are fondly remembering their professional and personal relationships with former Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion, who died at home over the weekend at 101.
"She's always been a leader among mayors, let alone one of Canada's most popular politicians," says Jeff Lehman, the current chair of the District of Muskoka and former mayor of Barrie.
Lehman first met McCallion when he was a councillor back in 2006. Over the years, they developed a relationship that Lehman valued. He eventually was tasked to take over for her as chair of LUMCO, which is now known as the Ontario's Big City Mayors caucus.
"It's impossible to replace or even succeed Hazel McCallion; you just try to take the good work that she's done and, in some ways, live up to her approach and ideas," says Lehman.
Before running for the head of the group, Lehman approached McCallion one-on-one. He says it was important to him to keep her legacy alive.
"It was Hazel's vision that started it back when it was only a few cities that were part of it," says Lehman. "It was her that really said mayors have to work together, we have a unique role in Ontario's political system, and we can really push for the provincial and federal governments to do better for our cities."
Innisfil Mayor Lynn Dollin invited McCallion to speak at her inauguration in 2018, an invitation she didn't think would be accepted but says she was incredibly humbled when it was.
"I think it set us off on such a good foot for four years because she talked about how we need to work together," says Dollin. "She said if you, the mayor, the council and the staff you work together, you'll get so much done, and you'll be so successful, and so she gave not only me but the members of council a good starting point."
Dollin was still a councillor when she first met the late Mississauga mayor. She says she was intimidated by her presence, calling her the Mick Jagger of her world, but she was shocked by her knowledge of municipal affairs outside of Mississauga and her sense of humour.
"I told her I was from Innisfil, and I was prepared for her to answer back and say where's that, and I would explain to her where Innisfil was, but instead, she looked at me and said I don't know what you do with your gas tax dollars in Innisfil, that 7th line is atrocious," Dollin remembers. Both Dollin and Lehman remember not only her sense of humour but her dedication to public service.
"We wouldn't be where we are today in municipal government without her," says Dollin. "She was involved with getting the gas tax dollars that each municipality gets now predictable funding from the federal government; she was responsible for that. She's a tireless advocate for local government, and she'll be missed greatly."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'