Gordon Chong
Gordon Joseph Chong (October 28, 1943 – July 13, 2018) was a Canadian politician and public servant active in Toronto.
He served as a
Career
A dentist by profession (formerly with Yorkville Dental Associates), and a founding director of the Federation of Chinese-Canadian Professionals,
At various times in his municipal career, Chong also served as chairman of the Metro Toronto Housing Authority and as a member of the Toronto Police Services Board.[1]
In the
In 2010 he served as a part of new mayor Rob Ford's transition team.[3]
In 2011, he was appointed to head up the Toronto Transit Commission’s consulting subsidiary at a $100,000 yearly salary, raising controversy about Ford's recruitment and hiring practices.[4] His recommendations for road tolls or a congestion charge to pay for an extension to the Sheppard subway were rejected. Chong later endorsed the construction of a Sheppard East LRT instead of a subway.[2]
Chong had also been involved with the Toronto Head Tax Action Committee, a group, a group which lobbied for an official apology and redress for the
Chong was a Toronto Sun columnist at the time of his death and had previously written a column for the Toronto Star[2] and op-ed pieces for the National Post.
Personal life
Chong was born on October 28, 1943[1] in Toronto to a Chinese father, Joseph Chong, and white mother of British ancestry whose family disowned her when she married a Chinese man. He grew up in the city's original Chinatown around Elizabeth Street and Dundas Street.[5]
He died at the age of 74 in palliative care after having suffered from a heart condition for several years. He was married to civil servant Shirley Hoy, who had been his partner since the late 1990s,[5] and he was previously married to Lorinne Matsui for 31 years.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e "DR. GORDON JOSEPH CHONG October 28, 1943 - July 13, 2018". Globe and Mail (Death notice). July 17, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Rider, David (July 18, 2017). "Gordon Chong, who died at age 74, was a political trailblazer in Toronto". Toronto Star. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
- ^ Royson James. "Ford backers to get plum jobs in new regime" Toronto Star Nov 15 2010
- ^ LORINC, JOHN (7 April 2011). "Ford team fills $100,000-a-year job without candidate search" – via The Globe and Mail.
- ^ a b Wallace, James (14 July 2018). "Toronto loses one of its best with passing of Gordon Chong". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 14 July 2018.