Former Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion has died at the age of 101.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced her passing in a statement early on Sunday morning, calling her the “true definition of a public servant.”
McCallion was the Mayor of Mississauga for 36 years, overseeing its transformation from a suburb into one of the country’s largest cities.
Known affectionately as “Hurricane Hazel,” Mississauga’s longest-serving mayor was an outspoken political powerhouse.
She garnered more than 90 per cent of the mayoral vote several terms in a row despite not campaigning for decades, instead asking those who wanted to make a donation to her campaign to instead give the money to a charity or a cultural fund.
During her time as mayor, and since her retirement, McCallion was relied upon by many senior politicians in the country for advice and counsel.
“There isn’t a single person who met Hazel who didn’t leave in awe of her force of personality,” Ford said. “I count myself incredibly lucky to have called Hazel my friend over these past many years.”
— with files from The Canadian Press
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