Frederick Gardiner
Frederick Goldwin Gardiner , QC , LL.D (born January 21, 1895 in Toronto , Ontario , † August 22, 1983 in Toronto, Ontario) was a Canadian politician of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada , lawyer and businessman and first from 1953 to 1961 President of the Metropolitan Toronto , the forerunner of the Greater Toronto Area metropolitan area .
Life
Frederick Gardiner was born in 1895 as one of three children of David and Victoria Gardiner. After elementary school he attended the Parkdale Collegiate Institute public high school from 1909 . He gained his first political experience in 1911 when he helped his father, who was a member of the Conservative Party, in an election campaign. Gardiner began studying at the University of Toronto in 1913 and was drafted as an officer in the Royal Flying Corps as a result of the First World War in 1916 . Because of his military service, he did not need to complete the fourth year of his studies and enrolled in Osgoode Hall Law School . He graduated with honors from his law degree in 1920 and then practiced.
His political career began in 1934 when the Conservatives were defeated in the provincial elections. He joined the Conservative Businessman's Association in the same year and ran in 1935 for the seat of MP on the City Council of Forest Hill , now a northern district of Toronto. In the 1940s, the city of Toronto began to grow rapidly to its limits. This made plans for the structural reorganization of the city necessary. Gardiner was a committed supporter of the merger of the suburbs of Toronto with the city and in 1953 became president of the new Metropolitan Toronto Association . During his tenure, he drove several urban planning projects such as the construction of the two city highways Lakeshore Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway . In addition, the construction of the Toronto Subway with the two lines Bloor-Danforth and University was opened. During his tenure as president, he is considered one of the most influential politicians in the decisions of the city of Toronto. The then Mayor Nathan Phillips described him as very assertive when he was convinced of something.
After serving as President of the Metropolitan Toronto, he wanted to practice law again in January 1962. In the absence of sufficient legal cases, he moved into business and became a director of the Toronto-Dominion Bank . At the time, he was her largest owner with 100,000 shares. He also served on the board of eleven other companies. He also held a number of public offices and was a. a. Commissioner for the Toronto Hydro energy company , served on the Board of Governors of York University and served as Vice President of the Canadian National Exhibition . In the 1960s his health deteriorated and in 1971 he received an artificial hip joint .
Frederick Gardiner died at the age of 88 on August 22, 1983 and was buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto.
Gardiner had been married to Audrey Seaman since October 1921 and had two children with her.
The Lakeshore Expressway driven by Gardiner was renamed in his honor.
literature
- Timothy J. Colton: Big Daddy: Frederick G. Gardiner and the building of Metropolitan Toronto , University of Toronto Press 1980, ISBN 978-0802023933 .
- John Sewell: The shape of the suburbs: understanding Toronto's sprawl. University of Toronto Press 2009, ISBN 9780802095879 .
Web links
- Fred Gardiner ( English, French ) In: The Canadian Encyclopedia .
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Gardiner, Frederick |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Gardiner, Frederick Goldwin (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Canadian politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 21, 1895 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Toronto , Ontario |
| DATE OF DEATH | 22nd August 1983 |
| Place of death | Toronto , Ontario |