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| Lorna Jackson | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Vaughan, Ontario | |
| In office 1982–2002 | |
| Preceded by | Garnet Williams |
| Succeeded by | Michael Di Biase |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 25, 1935 |
| Died | April 5, 2002 (aged 66) |
Lorna Jackson (October 25, 1935 – April 5, 2002) was mayor of the city of Vaughan, Ontario for 20 years. She is currently Vaughan's longest serving mayor.
Political career
Jackson was first elected to Vaughan Council in 1974, serving six years as a local councillor and two years as regional councillor before being elected mayor in 1982. She was re-elected to a seventh term of office as Mayor in November 2000.
As mayor, Jackson was described as a lion tamer, managing to keep Vaughan's politics moving. Jackson led Vaughan Council and staff through the years of rapid growth and development and the transition from a town into a city. In addition to her responsibilities as a member of various committees and boards at the City of Vaughan, Jackson served on York Regional Council and was a member of its finance and administration and economic development committees, as well as chair of the York Regional Police Services Board. She also served on the Greater Toronto Services Board, the board of directors of Hydro Vaughan Distribution Inc., was a member of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority for more than 14 years.
Death
In November 2000, just as she was being re-elected for her seventh term, Jackson was diagnosed with cancer. On April 5, 2002, she succumbed to her battle with cancer, twenty years after first being elected mayor of Vaughan. Then MPP Greg Sorbara described her death as a "power vacuum”. Following her death, Michael Di Biase was first appointed, then elected to succeed her as Mayor of Vaughan.
Causes
Jackson was an advocate for the City of Vaughan and its business and residential communities. Amongst her long list of accomplishments, she successfully led the lobby to have the Ontario Minor Hockey Association make face protection for children mandatory in recreational hockey. She supported the construction of a pedestrian bridge over the Humber River. She also was instrumental in promoting the design of the Woodbridge Pool to make it easier for physically challenged residents to learn how to swim.
As recently as February, 2002, Jackson led the effort to obtain commitments from the City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario to close the Keele Valley Landfill site by December 31, 2002.
Family
Jackson and her husband Al were married for 45 years. They had three children: Linda, Jim and Jeff, and five grandchildren: Carolyn, Lindsay, Lauren, John-Paul and Lucas. Her daughter Linda was formerly a regional councillor on Vaughan City Council and former mayor.
Legacy
Lorna Jackson Public School and Lorna Jackson Transformer Station are named for the late mayor.
References
- "'Right down in the mud'". Retrieved 2018-02-04.
- "Power vacuum seen for Vaughan". Retrieved 2018-02-04.
- Gutenberg, Project. "Michael Di Biase | Project Gutenberg Self-Publishing - eBooks | Read eBooks online". www.self.gutenberg.org. Retrieved 2018-02-04.