Mississauga residents pay respects to late mayor Hazel McCallion

Feb 14, 2023 | News

By Joshua Drakes and Khiana Gutierrez

Residents from across Mississauga gathered at City Hall for a second day on Monday to pay respects to Mississauga’s longest serving mayor, Hazel McCallion.

McCallion died on Jan. 29, 2023, at the age of 101.

“She was my idol, I still have her picture on my desk,” Ennio Michelucci, who worked for the city’s forestry department, said.

“She was a wonderful person. She will be missed,” he said.

“It will be very hard to find another mayor like Hazel.”

As Mississauga residents filed into city hall to view Hazel’s coffin, they were guided to a centre walkway lined by warm, velvet ropes.

McCallion’s coffin could be seen resting in the centre of the room, draped in city colours and surrounded by flowers.

Honour Guards from the Peel Regional Police, Peel Paramedic Services and the Mississauga Fire Department flanked either side, heads held low and motionless.

Visitors stood before the coffin one by one, and each took their moment to mourn, shed a tear or even weep, pray or bow, before slowly moving off to the side to allow the next visitor to approach.

Audrey Barclay, another resident of Mississauga, spent several minutes traversing the memorial, taking time to observe the coffin.

“’I’ve lived in Mississauga since 1972. I’m here to pay my respects to all she’s done for us,” she told Humber News on Monday.

Around the room were countless items, ranging from her chain of office to a video showing all the newspaper comics depicting her “hurricane” reputation.

“When she set her mind to do things, she got it done,” Barclay said. “There was no stopping her. She left big shoes to fill, no one can touch her.”

Barclay spoke of all the work that McCallion did outside the normal description of mayor. McCallion was a big supporter of charity work, Barclay said.

“I used to be a Girl Guide leader,” she said. “She was very much involved with volunteer work, and I’ve had the pleasure of being there with her.”

Sheila Abraham, a resident of Mississauga, spoke of McCallion’s legacy of building the city of Mississauga.

Sheila Abraham, resident of the city of Mississauga,
Sheila Abraham, resident of the city of Mississauga, remembers Mayor McCallion from building the city of Mississauga. Photo credit: Khiana Gutierrez

“I have great respect for that lady, she was such a wonderful mayor,” Abraham said. “She was the iron lady of Mississauga, she held no punches, she always spoke what was on her mind.”

Abraham told Humber News that she herself was born and raised in Oakville. When she met her husband and moved from to Mississauga, the transition was “rough.” However, people always told the couple they were going to be well-off because of mayor McCallion.

“She was obviously there to hear you out, she wanted to hear from her citizens and of course her constituents, on how to make Mississauga better, and there was no doubt a lot of feedback,” Abraham said.

“And in my personal opinion, she made true to her words to help out her citizens of Mississauga.”

Abraham mentioned that Bonnie Crombie, the current Mayor of Mississauga had “big shoes to fill.”

However, it was through the encouragement from Mayor McCallion, in which Crombie would be able to take over as a successful Mayor.

Abraham is grateful for the time that Mayor McCallion was in office and will always remembered for shaping the city of Mississauga.

“I will say Mayor Hazel McCallion, she was Mississauga and she is Mississauga, that will never change,” Abraham said.

Althea Gordon, a resident of Mississauga for over 20 years, remembered McCallion for the acts of service she did for the community.

Althea Gordon, resident of Mississauga, said she remembers Mayor McCallion because of her acts of service within the city of Mississauga.
Althea Gordon, resident of Mississauga, said she remembers Mayor McCallion because of her acts of service within the city of Mississauga. Photo credit: Khiana Gutierrez

“She is a sterling example of service to her community,” Gordon said. She leads by example. And I’m just impressed with the way that she ran the city. As she said in her own words, ‘she ran it like she was running her household.’”

Gordon spoke of how the city of Mississauga has changed and improved because of McCallion’s efforts.

“I would like to think about how the community has grown,” Gordon said. “When I moved here over 20 years-ago, I mean, half the areas were still farm lands,” she said.

“Just looking at where Square One is today and I’m really so impressed with her vision and her foresight.”

Gordon said she would like to see McCallion’s abilities in future mayors of Mississauga.

“If there is anything else that one can take from her, is her example of service,” Gordon said.

A state funeral for McCallion will be held at the Paramount Fine Food Centre on Tuesday. at 11 a.m. on the day that would have been her 102nd birthday.