A dark Mercedes rolls into the parking lot of the lowrise office building, one of many that dot the landscape in this bleak stretch of Mississauga, Ont.
Unfazed by the frigid February wind, a tiny old lady nimbly emerges from the car, navigates the icy patches and walks briskly toward the office. As she enters, the receptionist greets her and hands of a coffee, liberally whitened with cream. Ninety-eight-year-old Hazel McCallion, or Madam Mayor, as she still prefers to be addressed—despite retiring from politics in 2014—is ready to face the day’s challenges.
Her first point of order this morning is dealing with a stylist trying to glam her up for the photoshoot for this very story. McCallion demurs at the primping, making it clear to everyone in the room that she’s the boss: “I want the camera to capture who I am.”
Capturing McCallion’s public persona has never been difficult. In more than 36 years as mayor, she oversaw Mississauga’s transformation from a comatose commuter town west of Toronto into the sixth-largest city in Canada. McCallion became famous for showing up at every event, kissing every baby and cutting every ribbon. She ran a debt-free government and always delivered value for taxes, which she seldom raised. Her outspoken manner, flamboyant photo ops, ridiculously long work hours and uncanny ability to get projects through city hall on time and under budget earned her the moniker Hurricane Hazel.
How is it that, after 98 years on earth, this Hurricane is still blowing strong?
Denne historien er fra October 2019-utgaven av Reader's Digest Canada.
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Denne historien er fra October 2019-utgaven av Reader's Digest Canada.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på