| Peter Wong | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Sudbury, Ontario | |
| In office 1982–1991 |
|
| Preceded by | Maurice Lamoureux |
| Succeeded by | Jim Gordon |
| Chair of the Regional Municipality of Sudbury | |
| In office 1997–1998 |
|
| Preceded by | Tom Davies |
| Succeeded by | Doug Craig |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1932 Saskatchewan |
| Died | June 6, 1998 |
| Residence | Sudbury, Ontario |
| Occupation | engineer |
Peter Wong (1932 - June 6, 1998) was a Canadian politician, who served as mayor of Sudbury, Ontario from 1982 to 1991, and chair of the Regional Municipality of Sudbury from 1997 until his death the following year.
Born in Saskatchewan,[1] Wong moved to Sudbury in 1969. A civil engineer, he worked for the Department of Highways in the 1970s before taking a job with the city's public works department.[1]
After losing his job with the city in a round of austerity measures incumbent mayor Maurice Lamoureux had implemented in early 1982, Wong successfully challenged Lamoureux for the mayoralty in that year's municipal election.[2] He was the city's first non-white mayor, and one of the first Chinese Canadian mayors anywhere in Canada.
His term as mayor was marked by efforts to diversify the city's mining-based economy.[1] One of the most notable projects to take place during his term was the creation of Science North, an interactive science museum which launched in 1984.
In the 1991 municipal elections, former mayor Jim Gordon sought a return to office, and Wong was defeated.[1]
In the 1997 municipal elections, the provincial government reformed the structure of the regional municipality, making the position of regional council chair a generally elected position for the first time. The position had previously been filled by a vote within council. Wong stood as a candidate and won, becoming the municipality's first elected regional chair.[1]
After serving less than a year in that office, Wong died of a heart attack on June 6, 1998 while attending a meeting of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.[1] On June 8, tributes to Wong were delivered in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by Rick Bartolucci and Shelley Martel, and on June 10, a tribute was delivered in the House of Commons by Ray Bonin.
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