Photo Courtesy: City of Mississauga
A prominent figure in Canadian municipal governance, Hazel McCallion, has passed away at age 101.
Also known as Hurricane Hazel and the Queen of Sprawl, McCallion served as mayor of Mississauga for 36 years, before retiring in 2014, and held the title of longest serving mayor in all of Canada until 2016.
Her accolades include:
- Received the Canadian version of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002
- Appointed to the Order of Canada in 2005
- Received the Canadian version of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012
- Appointed to the Order of Ontario in 2021
A number education facilities, a heart health facility, a parade, a light rail transit line, even a women’s softball league all bear her name as a result of her years of public service.
However her career continued beyond 2014, serving as an advisor for many companies and organizations and just last October, was appointed by Premier Doug Ford to head the Greenbelt Council Advisory group, and endorsed his controversial plan to take protected areas out of the Greenbelt to develop housing.
She died peacefully at her home Sunday following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
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