She may have been the most popular Canadian politician ever.
"Hazel (McCallion) is just a legend at all levels of government," former Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman told Barrie 360. "She's somebody who went far beyond being a mayor. I mean, she became a sort of Canadian icon and for good reasons.
Lehman said McCallion, who died at the weekend at age 101, had an effortless popularity that came from being herself because she was just such a ball of energy and so committed to her community and the people that live there. She had a connection with people that was just sort of instinctive and automatic.
"I told the story on the weekend of walking from Union Station in Toronto up to City Hall with Hazel, and it took an hour because we kept getting stopped by people to get their picture with her, people from all different backgrounds and clearly from different communities and walks of life. They knew who she was, and they loved her."
Lehman noted McCallion was an absolute true believer in the ability of municipalities to make the world a better place; a tireless advocate for municipal government, local government.
Her commitment to the belief that local government is the closest to the people, it's the most practical and pragmatic and therefore rewarding and powerful in terms of our impact on people's lives was an inspiration.
The biggest thing Lehman says he learned from watching McCallion and working alongside her at municipal organizations was not to stay in your lane. "Hazel was never afraid to take on new issues, to take on the provincial or the federal governments when she felt they could be doing a better job."
"She always, I think, kept her ear close to the ground, and that's one of the reasons she was so popular. So that's an important lesson for all of us (politicians), too."
And, said Lehman, 'Hurricane Hazel' was an understatement. You know, the story used to go that people would quickly close their office doors when she was stalking the halls of Queens Park because they knew she was there and impossible to say no to. I'm not sure whether that was true, but I know she was respected by everybody at all levels of government."
"We're sorely going to miss her."
