The Post on Hazel McCallion

[Observer Walt]

McCallion's "mistakes" were the same mistakes almost every municipality was making during the 60s to 80s. The parts of Miss. developed during those time periods don't look much different from parts of Toronto and many other municipalities developed around the same times.

It's tough to judge performance twenty or thirty years ago by the newly accepted standards of the past ten years. "Smart growth" was pretty much unheard of in the mainstream until the 90s. The discouraging thing is that it still seems to be unheard of in many municipalities which have changed their ways little, if at all. Mississauga got ahead of the wave, largely because of the mayor. Some real change is happening mainly because she was intelligent enough to acknowledge past mistakes. Her willingness to do that, and her reputation for straight talk, have been good assets to her.

Management experts would say that it's not the easiest thing in the world to do a fundamental shift in direction when you have to sell the change within your own large organization (city government) and to a large number of external constituencies, some of whom have very much of a vested interest in the status quo. Hazel has pretty much managed to do that, and I think deserves *a lot* of credit for it.

 

[Ed007Toronto]

McCallion's "mistakes" were the same mistakes almost every municipality was making during the 60s to 80s. The parts of Miss. developed during those time periods don't look much different from parts of Toronto and many other municipalities developed around the same times.

If that's the case then why is she any better than any other suburban mayors of the era? Why isn't Lastman the "civic genius"? North York did pretty good under his stewardship.

 

[Observer Walt]

Ed: I may get blasted for saying it, but I agree that North York actually did do pretty well during the Lastman era, at least insofar as their "downtown" is concerned. (Some of the other neighbourhoods ... maybe a different story.) Lastman was visionary enough to see the possibilities of transforming Yonge Street into a real mixed-use office / residential / retail area, while maintaining the nearby established residential areas. Some specifics of how it was done are open to criticism (the white elephant arts centre is the most glaring example). But the good intentions and the vision were there, and Lastman carried it through largely on the force of his own personality. If only he had quit while he was ahead!

Mel Lastman and Hazel McCallion are the exceptions who prove the unfortunate rule. It's hard to think of many, if any, others in their league. David Crombie a generation ago might qualify.

 

[adma]

Mussolini made the trains run on time, we mustn't forget

 

[doady]

The fact is, Mississauga is not the only municipality in the 905 that has seen huge amount of development. Yet it is Mississauga that has been able to enjoy the lowest tax rates and the fewest tax increases, and at the same time be able spend 50% more money to operate its transit system than all of York Region each year.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Obs. Walt:

McCallion McCallion's "mistakes" were the same mistakes almost every municipality was making during the 60s to 80s. The parts of Miss. developed during those time periods don't look much different from parts of Toronto and many other municipalities developed around the same times.

That's a fallacy of two wrongs - just because "other" municipalities were doing it doesn't mean Sauga should have been doing it. Besides, by the 70s, the problems regarding suburban developments are already on the wall - and so are the solutions.

It's tough to judge performance twenty or thirty years ago by the newly accepted standards of the past ten years. "Smart growth" was pretty much unheard of in the mainstream until the 90s. The discouraging thing is that it still seems to be unheard of in many municipalities which have changed their ways little, if at all. Mississauga got ahead of the wave, largely because of the mayor.

Just how did Mississauga got ahead of the wave, exactly? Most significant greenfields are already taken up by low-density, transit unfriendly developments (a good chunk of it was built in the late 80s onward, btw) - and such development modes are still ongoing in various parts of the city. Just because someone hang the word "Smart Growth" (which in itself comes to mean nothing) in their everyday vocab. doesn't mean it translate into smart growth in practice.

Management experts would say that it's not the easiest thing in the world to do a fundamental shift in direction when you have to sell the change within your own large organization (city government) and to a large number of external constituencies, some of whom have very much of a vested interest in the status quo. Hazel has pretty much managed to do that, and I think deserves *a lot* of credit for it.

Honestly, what is the direction change, exactly? Zoning (or rezoning) the MCC for high density developments, with minimal opposition in the neighbouring area? That is not a paradigm shift (unlike NYCC, where there is already a pre-existing urban fabric). Besides, both MCC, NYCC (and SCC) are not meant to be live-work centres per se, originally - it's meant to be commercial cores, "showcase" city centres to boast about. Interestingly enough, the commerical market also tanked in these CCs.

AoD

 

[SD2]

I also have to add, most Municipalities have a fairly high turnover as far as Mayor's go...McCallion has had the luxury of being in charge for nearly 30 years. It's not like she had to deal with with the incompentency of her predecessors.

In addition, at his point McCallion can pretty much get anything she wants done in Mississauga. She's as close to untouchable as a mayor can get.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

"If that's the case then why is she any better than any other suburban mayors of the era? Why isn't Lastman the "civic genius"? North York did pretty good under his stewardship."

Maybe his reputation is tainted because he's such a moron and didn't accomplish anything after amalgamation. Hazel was hit by a truck and it only made her stronger. Her civic boosterism is unique in recent memory because it seems to be actually working. She deserves credit for being the only mayor in the GTA other than Miller whom most people (including me) can name.

"and at the same time be able spend 50% more money to operate its transit system than all of York Region each year."

There's reasons why York Region would spend less on transit. A large number of people have direct access to the TTC's Steeles routes. Most of York is still rural, so bus routes wouldn't even work in some of its municipalities - subtract the population of the rural-ish areas and you're left with less people than Mississauga.

"Interestingly enough, the commerical market also tanked in these CCs."

Weren't they at the peak of their commercial potential right when the early 90s recession hit? A 21 storey office tower was proposed for Yonge just north of Park Home in 1991 but never built. Almost everything's been 905 office park growth after that. NYCC is still attracting commercial developments, though - the Transamerica building just went up and Imperial Oil was about to build a large tower (they had approval for two 31 and 27 storey towers) there but moved to Calgary instead.

 

[doady]

There's reasons why York Region would spend less on transit. A large number of people have direct access to the TTC's Steeles routes. Most of York is still rural, so bus routes wouldn't even work in some of its municipalities - subtract the population of the rural-ish areas and you're left with less people than Mississauga.

YRT's service population is around the same as Mississauga's, around 700,000. And that besides the point. The point is that Mississauga is able to spend far more on transit per capita than any other municipality in the 905 and have lower taxes at the same time.

 

[Ed007Toronto]

A 21 storey office tower was proposed for Yonge just north of Park Home in 1991 but never built. Almost everything's been 905 office park growth after that. NYCC is still attracting commercial developments, though - the Transamerica building just went up and Imperial Oil was about to build a large tower (they had approval for two 31 and 27 storey towers) there but moved to Calgary instead.

The tower north of Park Home was to be Imperial Oil headquarters.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

"The tower north of Park Home was to be Imperial Oil headquarters."

Imperial Oil was recently going to build on the parking lot in front of Gibson House, 17 and 31 storey towers were approved. The 21 storey porposed in 1991 was north of the parking lot (it may not have been a parking lot back then - I don't know when the Bell building was torn down, so I don't know if Imperial Oil owned the parking lot land). So Imperial Oil was initially going to build the 21 storey tower proposed in 1991? The city reports that mention it are kind of confusing.

 

[FutureMayor]

It's Mayor Hazel to the rescue

Alright, what other Mayor would go out of their way to this?

Port Credit home owner Thomas Moreno threatened to hang himself from his rooftop because he believed he was being evicted.

Mayor Hazel McCallion arrives on the scene after a long stand-off.


It's Mayor Hazel to the rescue
Apr. 16, 2006. 01:00 AM
SURYA BHATTACHARYA
STAFF REPORTER


Sometimes all it takes to end a standoff in the city of Mississauga is for the 85-year-old mayor to simply turn up.

"It's the mayor. Come on down," said Hazel McCallion to a man perched on a roof with a rope around his neck and staring down heavily armed Peel tactical officers.

"He waved at me and even blew me a kiss," said McCallion when she arrived at the scene Thursday and ended a five-hour standoff between Peel police and Thomas Moreno, 65.

Earlier in the day, City of Mississauga officials arrived at Moreno's Port Credit home to clean the outside of his property, because a city order to clean up the house was about to expire. But Moreno, who is known locally as "Tom the junk collector," misunderstood the clean-up order, thinking they were going to evict him and tear down his house, the Mississauga News reported yesterday.

City officials confirmed there were never any plans to demolish the house. They were following up on numerous complaints from Port Credit residents. McCallion, who received word of Moreno's protest while attending a meeting, decided to negotiate personally at 4 p.m. Peel police were called to the scene at Queen St. West, off Mississauga Rd., at 11 a.m. and tried to talk to Moreno, but he just shouted obscenities.

Louroz

 

[Observer Walt]

Re: It's Mayor Hazel to the rescue

She's an amazing woman. Even standing in now as the fire chief (picture above).

 

[ganjavih]

Re: It's Mayor Hazel to the rescue

"Seymour! Get off the roof already!"