Jack MacDonald (Hamilton politician)
| Jack MacDonald | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Hamilton, Ontario | |
|
In office 1977–1980 |
|
| Preceded by | Vince Agro |
| Succeeded by | William Powell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1927 London, Ontario |
| Died | May 5, 2010 (aged 82) Hamilton, Ontario |
| Spouse(s) | Jessie Thomson |
| Profession | Politician, businessman, journalist |
John A. "Jack" MacDonald (1927 – May 5, 2010) was a politician, businessman, and journalist in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He served as Mayor of Hamilton from 1976 to 1980, and wrote a column in the Hamilton Spectator newspaper for many years.
MacDonald was born in 1927 in London, Ontario and moved to Hamilton, Ontario in 1942. At the age of 15 he quit school and at 16 joined the Canadian Navy, becoming a qualified torpedo man. After the Second World War he apprenticed with his father and uncle as a plumber, before starting his own heating and cooling business in 1951. In 1949 he became the youngest alderman ever elected in the City of Hamilton. He was also the youngest person to be elected to public office at that time in Canada. In 1953 he became deputy mayor. He ran for Mayor of Hamilton in 1956 and 1962 but lost.
He was elected citizen of the year in 1972 and ran again for mayor in 1976, this time winning. He was re-elected again in 1978.
MacDonald was a colourful figure in office, and endorsed several large development projects for the city. In 1978, he led the city council into accepting a multimillion-dollar plan for an office tower and convention centre in downtown Hamilton. The plan, which resulted in the Hamilton Convention Centre and the Ellen Fairclough Building above it, was formally endorsed by the provincial government later in the year. He also endorsed a pledge by the federal government to assist in construction of a National Hockey League-sized arena for the city in 1979, and argued that Hamilton deserved a team in the next NHL expansion. In 1980, the city approved an $80 million plan for a football stadium and arena.
In 1979, he approved a freeway construction project which eventually became known as the Red Hill Creek Expressway. MacDonald himself owned a house on the Red Hill Valley, where the highway corridor was slated to run. He was quoted as saying, "I would prefer it in somebody else's backyard but I've got a greater responsibility than that". In 1980, he supported plans by the Hamilton Harbour commissioners to build for an industrial area on the city's Beach Strip. He also encouraged airport expansion and upgrades to the city's transit system.
...
Wikipedia