William Dennison (Canadian politician)
William (Bill) Donald Dennison | |
---|---|
St. David | |
Toronto Ward 2 (Cabbagetown & Rosedale) Alderman | |
In office 1941-1943, 1953-1958 | |
Toronto Board of Control | |
In office 1959-1966 | |
Personal details | |
Born | New Democratic Party of Canada | January 20, 1905
Spouse | Dorothy Gertrude Bainbridge |
Children | Lorna Milne |
Residence | Toronto |
Alma mater | Westmeath S.S. # 8 |
Occupation | School Principal |
William Donald Dennison (January 20, 1905 – May 2, 1981) was a
Background
Dennison grew up on a farm in
As a child and a young man he stammered to the point where he struggled to pronounce his name, although after several attempts to manage his stammering, first at a school in Kitchener and later at a school in New York City, he learned how to control it himself, opening his own School of Speech Correction.[4]
Politics
UFO/CCF
Dennison was a member of the
He won a seat in the
City of Toronto
In 1938, he was elected a school trustee and served three successive one-year terms. In 1941 and 1943 he won election to serve as an alderman on Toronto City Council for Ward 2 (Cabbagetown and Rosedale)[3] After a ten-year interlude with his involvement in provincial politics, Dennison returned to Toronto City Council in 1953 serving again as an alderman for Ward 2. In 1958, he was elected to the Toronto Board of Control. On council he interrogated other politicians and officials on conflict of interest, expense accounts, and their relationships with companies doing business with the city.[5] He ran to be Toronto's mayor in 1966, campaigning on providing "a strong voice for labour in city affairs" and opposing the pro-development policies of incumbent Philip Givens.[6] He was elected despite being opposed by all three daily newspapers.[6] He was the first member of the CCF or NDP to serve as mayor of Toronto since James Simpson in 1935, and the last until Barbara Hall.
He opposed the early Eaton Centre development plan that would have seen the demolition of Toronto's Old City Hall, Dennison was a pro-labour mayor but later became more conservative in response to early criticism.[3] Serving as mayor during the Canadian Centennial, he urged the organizers of Caribana to make it a recurring event.[7]
He generally favoured development and complained about
Retirement and death
Dennison and his wife Dorothy (née Bainbridge) had a Christmas tree farm in Caledon East, where they went to get away from the city.[9] He was also a beekeeper, and at one point, had 900,000 bees living in his Jarvis Street home's backyard.[3] During his retirement, the Dennisons would vacation in Florida during the winter months. While vacationing in the United States, a medical emergency arose due to his Parkinson's disease, and it finally forced him to be evacuated back to Toronto in April 1981.[10] He died at Toronto General Hospital from complications due to Parkinson's Disease on May 2, 1981.[10] Their only child, Lorna Dennison Milne, was a community activist who was appointed to the Senate of Canada, sitting in the Red Chamber as a Liberal from 1995 to 2009.[11]
References
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- ^ Star Staff (5 December 1972). "4 new mayors in the boroughs: 'I didn't think I could win' Crombie youngest since 1867". The Toronto Star. p. 1.
- ^ Bruner, Arnold (6 December 1966). "A barefoot boy from Renfrew who'll be our next mayor". The Toronto Daily Star. p. 7.
- ^ a b c d e Globe staff (4 May 1981). "William Dennison: Stammering farm lad became mayor of Toronto". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. p. 20.
- ^ "Obituary: Dennison, William Donald". The Toronto Star. 4 May 1981. p. B11.
- ^
Horwath, Jean (5 May 1981). "Editorial: William Dennison". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. p. 6. ISSN 0319-0714.
- ^ a b Star Staff (6 December 1966). "It took Dennison 25 years". The Toronto Daily Star. pp. 1, 11.
- ^ Wickens, Max (14 August 1967). "Caribana whoop-up may become annual affair". The Toronto Daily Star. p. 19.
- ^ Star Staff (5 December 1972). "Dennison sits this one out". The Toronto Star. p. 4.
- ^ Weiers, Margaret (6 December 1966). "Mrs. Dennsion's not surprised". The Toronto Daily Star. p. 51.
- ^ a b Sutton, Bill (3 May 1981). "Ex-mayor Bill Dennsion dies". The Toronto Star. p. A3.
- ^ Library of Parliament (2014). "MILNE, The Hon. Lorna, B.S.A." Parliament of Canada: Parlinfo. Ottawa: Queen's Printer For Canada. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2014.