Book of Condolences available at Brampton City Hall to recognize mark left on Mississauga and Peel Communities.
January 29, 2023 – The Mississauga and Brampton communities are mourning the loss of its former mayor and biggest champion, Hazel McCallion, who passed away peacefully at the age of 101 on January 29, 2023.
McCallion was the longest serving mayor of the city, serving from November 1978 to November 2014.
Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie expressed her condolences, “Today, I stand alongside our residents, staff, and my council colleagues as we grieve the passing of Mississauga’s matriarch Hazel McCallion. Hazel was not only my mentor and political role model but the reason why so many Canadian women were inspired to enter politics. She has left an indelible mark on our city and her legacy will continue to be felt for generations to come.”
Hazel McCallion, also known as “Hurricane Hazel,” was known for her confident political style and leadership, which saw the transformation of Mississauga from an amalgamation of small towns and farmlands into a developed urban center that is the 6th largest city in Canada.
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said, “Hazel McCallion wasn’t just the Mayor of Mississauga. She was Canada’s Mayor. She was the epitome of hard work & wisdom. I was lucky to consider her a friend & mentor for many years. The City of Brampton extends condolences to the McCallion family“.
In honor of McCallion’s memory and dedication to the Peel Region, city flags will be at half-mast and a book of condolences will be available at Brampton City Hall and online.
Memorial arrangements and details will be provided once they are available.
The McCallion family has asked that donations be made to Trillium Health Partners Foundation or to the Hazel McCallion Charitable Foundation for Arts, Culture and Heritage.
Background on Hazel McCallion
McCallion was born on February 14, 1921 in Port Daniel, Quebec, and played professional hockey before working with Canadian Kellogg for 19 years.
In 1967, she left the corporate world to enter politics, serving as mayor of Streetsville from 1970 to 1973, and was elected as Mississauga’s third mayor in 1978.
Throughout her career, McCallion was inducted into the Mississauga Sports Hall of Fame in 2001, appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 2005, to the Order of Ontario in 2021, and was runner up as World Mayor in 2005.
After stepping down from her term in 2014, McCallion continued to serve as the Chief Elder Officer of Revera Incorporated, Special Advisor to the University of Toronto Mississauga, and the first Chancellor of Sheridan College. February 14 was renamed Hazel McCallion Day across the province of Ontario in 2016 in honor of her birthday.
McCallion dedicated her life to supporting youth and their development, championing many causes to provide young people with opportunities.
