Brian Ashton (politician)
| Brian Ashton | |
|---|---|
| Toronto City Councillor for (Ward 36) Scarborough Southwest | |
|
In office December 1, 1997 – November 30, 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | new ward |
| Succeeded by | Gary Crawford |
| Metro Toronto Councillor for Scarborough Bluffs (Ward 13) | |
|
In office January 1, 1988 – November 30, 1997 |
|
| Preceded by | Ward established |
| Succeeded by | Ward abolished |
| Executive Alderman, Ward 7, City of Scarborough, Ontario | |
|
In office 1984–1988 |
|
| Preceded by | Ed Fulton |
| Succeeded by | Fred Johnson |
| Metropolitan Toronto Police Services Board Member | |
|
In office 1992–1996 |
|
| Metropolitan Toronto Police Services Vice-Chair | |
|
In office 1993–1996 |
|
| Chair of the Toronto Transit Commission | |
|
In office 2000–2002 |
|
| Preceded by | Howard Moscoe |
| Succeeded by | Betty Disero |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 5, 1950 East York |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Spouse(s) | Linda |
| Residence | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Research assistant |
Brian Ashton was a city councillor in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, representing Ward 36 Scarborough Southwest. He did not run for re-election in the 2010 municipal election and was succeeded by Gary Crawford. Ashton, following retirement, was elected President of the Canadian National Exhibition for 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016.
Ashton has been involved in local politics since 1972, and worked as the research assistant to Scarborough mayor Gus Harris.
He was first elected to the city council of Scarborough in a 1984 by-election. He also served jointly on Metro Council for the ward of Scarborough Bluffs. Originally a member of the social democratic New Democratic Party, he declared himself unaffiliated, but was regarded as one of the more progressive members of the council. He also became known for his outspokenness, appearing frequently in the media. famously described him as "someone who carries a Tory membership card, talks like a Liberal, and votes like a New Democrat."
When Metro Council was separated from the city councils in 1988, Ashton ran for election to Metro Council and defeated Scarborough controller Bill Belfontaine. On Metro Council, he was best known for spearheading Toronto's failed bid for Expo 2000, which was awarded to Hanover, Germany by a narrow margin of one vote.
He went on to launch in the early 1990s and chair several innovative and progressive task forces: Social Development Strategy, Youth Task Force, and Gun Control Task Force.
He was a prominent opponent of Metro chairman Alan Tonks and was frequently considered to have ambitions to replace him. After being re-elected in the 1994 election, Ashton ran for the position when Metro councillors elected a new chairman. Running with the unreserved endorsement of the Toronto Star, his campaign ended when NDP and left-liberal councillors moved their support to Joe Pantalone. Ashton ended up receiving only three votes and Tonks won re-election.
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