John Sewell
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John Sewell, C.M., was the mayor of Toronto, Canada from 1978 to 1980. A lawyer by training, Sewell first became active in city politics in 1966 fighting against the levelling of working class and poor neighbourhoods. He was first elected to Toronto City Council in 1969 and became leader of the reform wing. He was elected Mayor of Toronto in 1978.
As an environmentalist famous for riding his bicycle to council, Sewell became known in Toronto as "Mayor Blue Jeans". He opposed the development of banking and convention centres in the central business district that would become the hallmark of the mayors who followed. Sewell also established himself as a leading critic of the Toronto Police Association, demanding greater accountability to the public, and was a leading defender of gay rights at a time when it was rare for public figures to express such sentiments.
He had benefited in the 1978 election by his right-wing opposition being divided amongst several candidates. In 1980, the opposition coalesced its efforts behind the candidacy of Art Eggleton, who was able to defeat Sewell.
Sewell subsequently returned to city council as an alderman in a by-election but retired from municipal politics in 1984 to accept a job as a columnist at the Globe and Mail. He subsequently moved to NOW Magazine and currently writes a regular column in Toronto's eye weekly. He has written a number of books and articles on urban issues, and co-written a visitor's guide to Toronto. In 2002, he published a book entitled Mackenzie: A Political Biography. The work is a biography and historical defense of William Lyon Mackenzie, the first mayor of Toronto and leader of the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion.
Sewell served as chair of the Toronto public housing authority from 1986 to 1988 and is an acknowledged urban affairs expert. He has served as chair of the Royal Commission on Planning and Development Reform in Ontario from 1991 to 1993. Sewell was an advisor to East London, South Africa's city council from 1994 to 1999 and as advisor on the re-establishment of local government in Malawi in 2000.
In the 1999 Ontario election, Sewell ran as an independent candidate in the riding of Toronto Centre--Rosedale, challenging Progressive Conservative cabinet minister Al Leach to protest the PC government's forced amalgamation of Toronto into a megacity. His entry into the race was controversial, with many activists accusing him of splitting the left-wing vote with the NDP. Sewell was also criticized for remaining in the race after Leach, whom he had personally targeted as the minister responsible for amalgamation, withdrew from the contest. The riding was ultimately won by Liberal George Smitherman; Sewell finished third, behind Tory Durhane Wong-Rieger.
In 2005, Sewell was made a member of the Order of Canada.
External link
- John Sewell (http://www.johnsewell.org/), official site
| Preceded by: Fred Beavis (acting) 1978 | Mayor of Toronto 1978–1980 | Succeeded by: Art Eggleton 1980–1991 |