Chairman of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto

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The Chairman of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto or Metro Chairman was the leader of Metropolitan Toronto, Canada, and the most senior political figure in the municipality. The Metro Chairman was elected by the members of Metropolitan Toronto Council.

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[edit] New Level of Government

The position was created in 1954 when Metropolitan Toronto was created by the province of Ontario. "Metropolitan Toronto" had exactly the same boundaries as the present-day City of Toronto, but originally consisted of thirteen cities and boroughs, each with its own mayor. These cities included Toronto itself, alongside what were then its surrounding suburbs: York, East York, Willowdale, Forest Hill, Swansea, Mimico, Etobicoke, Rexdale, Scarborough, North York, West Hill and Leaside. "Metropolitan Toronto" was the government entity reponsible for co-ordinating various activities within the metropolitian area, including policing and transportation.

Frederick Gardiner was appointed by the Premier of Ontario Leslie Frost as the first Metro Chairman. He was subsequently re-elected to the position by Metro Council.

Metro's first two chairmen -- Frederick Gardiner and William R. Allen -- were both honoured with an expressway bearing their name upon retirement.

[edit] Appointed Chairs

For Metro's first three decades, the Metro Chairman was not required to be an elected member of Metro Council, and it was customary for a new Metro Chairman to resign from his previous position upon becoming chairman.

[edit] Elected Chairs

In 1987, Metro Council was reformed by the province so that Metro councillors were directly elected to the body. (They had previously been drawn from among local city and borough councils.) Under this reform, the chair was required to be an elected member of Metro Council.

[edit] Amalgamation

The position ceased to be when the six municipalities of Metro Toronto were amalgamated into the City of Toronto. The newly created position of mayor for the resulting single-tier "megacity" replaced not only the mayors of the former Metro areas, but also abolished the office of Metro Chairman.

[edit] Chairmen of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto

[edit] See also