Hazel McCallion, a political powerhouse and the longtime former mayor of Mississauga, Ont., is set to be remembered at a state funeral today.
The service, which will take place at an arena in the city west of Toronto, is being held on what would have been McCallion’s 102nd birthday.
She died at her home on Jan. 29 — family friend Jim Murray said she died of pancreatic cancer, which she was diagnosed with around Christmas.
Known affectionately as “Hurricane Hazel,” McCallion developed a legacy of no-nonsense advocacy during more than three decades as mayor of one of Canada’s fastest-growing cities.
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She was widely respected by politicians across the spectrum and was even more revered by constituents, who voted her in to office with landslide victories for 12 successive terms.
McCallion ultimately decided to bow out of municipal politics at the age of 93, leaving the mayor’s office 36 years after she was first elected.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has described her as the definition of a public servant, having led the transformation of the city west of Toronto into a major urban centre.
Mississauga is now the third largest city in Ontario and the sixth largest in Canada, with a population of more than 700,000 as of 2021.
© 2023 The Canadian Press
