How a former professional hockey player became the longest-serving mayor in Mississauga's history
In short: Hazel McCallion, nicknamed Hurricane Hazel, dominated Mississauga politics for 36 years. Before her political career, she was a professional hockey player who earned five dollars per game. She eventually transformed a collection of small towns into one of Canada's largest cities, leaving a legacy defined by rapid, sprawling growth.
Born in 1921 in Quebec, Hazel McCallion’s early life was marked by athleticism and business experience. She played professional women's ice hockey in Montreal before moving to Toronto in 1942 to work for the engineering firm Canadian Kellogg. By 1967, she had left the corporate world to enter politics, eventually becoming the mayor of Streetsville from 1970 to 1973. When Streetsville was amalgamated into the new City of Mississauga in 1974, she continued her political ascent, winning her first mayoral election for the city in 1978.
McCallion’s tenure was defined by her outspoken style and her ability to navigate crises. Shortly after taking office, she oversaw the evacuation of 200,000 residents during the 1979 Mississauga train derailment, which involved a massive explosion and hazardous chemical spill. Throughout her 36-year career, she was re-elected ten times and acclaimed twice, often receiving over 90% of the vote in later elections. Her rapid development of the city earned her the moniker Queen of Sprawl, as she leveraged the influx of corporations and residents moving from Montreal to the Greater Toronto Area.
Despite her popularity, her career was not without controversy. In 1982, she was found guilty of a conflict of interest regarding a planning decision, and in 2011, a judge ruled she acted in a real and apparent conflict of interest concerning a real estate deal involving her son's company. However, charges were later dismissed. McCallion remained active well into her later years, serving as the first chancellor of Sheridan College and as a special advisor to the Ontario government. She passed away in 2023 at the age of 101, having left an indelible mark on Canadian municipal governance.
Her influence extended beyond politics into sports and community development. She was instrumental in the construction of the Hershey Centre and helped bring the IIHF Women's World Hockey Championships to Mississauga in 2000. In recognition of her contributions, she received numerous honours, including the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario. Today, her legacy is commemorated through the naming of Hazel McCallion Day in Ontario and various institutional landmarks, reflecting her status as a central figure in the growth of the Greater Toronto Area.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Hazel McCallion
- Also: Wikidata — Hazel McCallion · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — Hazel McCallion Central Library · CC0
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