The Living Well Expo was held Friday and Saturday at Georgian Downs in Innisfil, but despite having many informative booths and guests, it was clear that Saturday morning's speaker was the one everyone was looking forward to.
Former Mississauga mayor 'Hurricane' Hazel McCallion spoke today at the Greater Barrie Chamber of Commerce event.
Revered by many as a hard-working mayor and champion of municipal growth, McCallion was on hand to speak to the packed audience on her many experiences with business as well as to encourage the retired people in the audience that you’re never too old to live.
“I like to tell people that, at the age of 98, I’m the CEO of an organization. They don’t need to know it's Chief Elder Officer,” McCallion told BarrieToday.
“I do like to keep busy," she added. "It keeps me young and keeps anyone young.”
McCallion has kept as busy as ever since retiring from her mayoral position five years ago, and holds many positions throughout the province, from being on Toronto Pearson Airport Board, the chancellor of Sheridan College and CEO of a long-term care facility.
McCallion spoke of her many experiences through life and was humorous as she related her past to the youth of today, whom she speaks to often in her position at Sheridan College.
“I speak with kids of all ages, all the time, through the college and the fashion now is wearing jeans with big holes in them,” she said. “I can relate, because I too wore jeans with holes in them. But it was because it was the Depression and that’s all we had!”
McCallion became mayor of Mississauga in 1978 and retired in 2014, seeing the population grow from 280,000 when she started to 781,000 when she left office.
With Barrie in the midst of a projected population growth over the next few years, McCallion had advice for politicians as they prepare for a similar challenge.
“Make sure all development pays its way, because any development is a major capital cost investment on behalf of the city,” said McCallion.
“Secondly, any development that occurs is planning for people, so make sure the services are there to serve the people or the commerce and industry," she added. "You have to make sure the services are up to date.
"Also, and very important, don’t let development get out of control.”
When asked what one of her most difficult things to deal with early in her career was, McCallion told BarrieToday that she did indeed have difficulty in dealing with developers, but that what came of it blazed a trail for other Ontario municipalities.
“We collected development levies when it wasn’t even legal to do it, and then the province legalized it,” she said. “I felt strongly that if a company is going to come in and develop, I welcomed them and knew it was good for the municipality, but we have to expand the services to accommodate the expansion and the developer must pay for that.”
Barrie Chamber of Commerce executive director Richard Brooks told BarrieToday he was excited to have McCallion in the region, as she is one of the most respected people in the country.
“She’s amazing and it's hard to believe she is still going so strong,” said Brooks. “Everyone knows her and loves her and she really is the 'Hurricane', being such a whirlwind of energy. There is so much to learn from her and I think it’s more than a provincial thing, she is loved across Canada.”
