Mel Lastman, one of the most memorable mayors in the history of Toronto and the first to lead the amalgamated city after serving many years in the role in North York, died Saturday of heart failure at the age of 88.
Lastman was mayor of North York from 1973-1997 and when Metropolitan Toronto became the City of Toronto, Lastman got the top job, beating incumbent Toronto mayor Barbara Hall in 1998. Lastman was re-elected in 2000 with 80% of the popular vote and served until his retirement in 2003.
Born on March 9, 1933, Lastman also was a highly successful businessman, starting the Bad Boy furniture chain in 1955.
Postmedia chairman Paul Godfrey called Lastman “the Pied Piper of the people of Toronto,” who gave his life for the city he loved.
“He was a visionary and he was underestimated,” said Godfrey, who knew Lastman for more than 50 years.
“City Of Toronto has lost a true icon in Mel who is an instrumental part of the growth of both North York and the city of Toronto and one of the city’s greatest ever Mayors.”
Godfrey added Lastman “was also a trailblazer in both business with Bad Boy and then later as the mayor of the first amalgamated city of Toronto and all the challenges that go with something as major as that.”
Lastman’s funeral will be held Monday at Benjamin’s Park Memorial Chapel.
Lastman’s wife, Marilyn, died at age 84 on New Year’s Day in 2020 after a long hospital stay. They had been married for 67 years.
Son Blayne Lastman, who relaunched the Bad Boy chain in 1991 and often had his father make cameos in commercials, had told the Sun at the time of his father: He’s frail. He’s trying,” adding then Lastman had “lost his best friend.”
Tributes to Lastman poured in on Saturday night, including from current Toronto mayor John Tory.
“He was so committed to the city and worked throughout his time in office to make sure Toronto moved forward as one united city into the 21st century,” Tory said in a statement.
“I was a co-chair of Mayor Mel’s campaigns for Megacity Mayor and had the privilege of serving in his “kitchen cabinet,” during his time in office,” Tory said.
“He was a kind, good-hearted man with a larger-than-life personality who always wanted to do the right thing for people.”
Tory also lauded Lastman’s contributions to North York.
“Before amalgamation he spent so much of his life serving the people of North York and building up North York. This part of the city wouldn’t be thriving as it is now without the work Mel Lastman did over many decades,” Tory said.
Ontario premier Doug Ford tweeted: “He was a great Mayor and he touched many lives. Ford added Lastman was a “true leader and builder.”
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown tweeted: “Very sorry to hear about the passing of Mel Lastman. I got to know him while I was serving at the provincial level. He had a wealth of knowledge on Toronto, Ontario and Canada. He leaves behind a very impressive legacy of City building. Condolences to his family and friends.”
Lastman had a teflon-like ability to shake off the types of slips of the tongue (like his comment about being boiled alive in water in Africa) or photo ops gone wrong (like when he shook the hand of a member of the Hell’s Angels) that would get politicians in trouble today.
Lastman once memorably called in the Canadian Forces to help Toronto dig out of a series of blizzards and was in charge during the SARS outbreak when he fought to revive the city’s flagging tourism industry.
Lastman reportedly borrowed $2,000 to open his first appliance store
Years later he reflected on how he championed the city during his time as mayor of Toronto, telling the Canadian Press in 2013:
“(Toronto politicians) should be selling it over and over again and telling people how lucky they are in living in such a multicultural city as this. The diversity of Toronto is unbelievable to what it was. You think back, everybody spoke English wherever you went. Today you hear all different languages no matter where you go — on the subway, on the bus, on the street, a restaurant, no matter where you are — and it sounds great,” Lastman said.
Godfrey told the Sun Saturday: “In the hearts of Torontonians he’s a Canadian icon.”
Lastman is survived by sons Blayne and Dale, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Please share this
No comments:
Post a Comment