Phil White | |
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Mayor of York | |
In office 1970–1978 |
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Preceded by | Jack Mould |
Succeeded by | Gayle Christie |
Metro Toronto Councillor | |
In office 1980–1988 |
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Personal details | |
Born | 1923 |
Died | June 8, 2013 (aged 90) Toronto, Ontario |
Spouse(s) | Trudy Appleby (m. 1976) |
Occupation | Business owner, pharmacist |
Philip C. White (1923 – June 8, 2013) was the mayor of the borough of York, Ontario in Metropolitan Toronto from 1970 to 1978 and was the municipality's longest-serving mayor.
White attended Harbord Collegiate Institute as a youth. A pharmacist by profession, White had served as an alderman in the borough for a decade when he was elected mayor in the December 1, 1969 municipal election, his term began one month late. White is credited with facilitating "participatory democracy" by involving citizen's groups in the decision making process and supported environmental causes as mayor such as cleaning up the Humber River and preserving parkland. White was re-elected in twice, defeating Fergy Brown in 1974 and 1976 before losing to Gayle Christie in 1978. He returned to politics in 1980, when he was elected to York's Board of Control, serving until his retirement in 1988. White died at the age of 90 of a brain hemorrhage.
White was York's first Jewish mayor.
An arena in Cedarvale Park is named after him.