Hurricane Hazel wins 11th term in Mississauga

A number of mayoral races across the Greater Toronto Area were close to the end, but not in Mississauga.

IncumbentHazel McCallion secured a landslide victory — securing 91 per cent of the vote — to win her 11th straight term.

McCallion, called Hurricane Hazel by supporters, has held office since 1978. She credits her success to hard work, honesty and spending time out in the community.

"I do enjoy being out with my people," she said. "Whether it's arts, or sports, or social functions or whatever, I think I give it 100 per cent of my time and I think people appreciate it."

McCallion, 85, said she doesn't think herage was an issue during the campaign.

"Voters don't have concerns about age; it's performance they're concerned about," she said. "It's not the number of years. It's what you can do on behalf of your city."

She said she's not sure whether this will be her final term in office.

"I will not determine that," she said. "If my health holds out and if I can continue to perform as I have in the past, I will make that decision in three or three-and-a-half years."

In Mississauga's Ward 6, former Liberal MP Carolyn Parrish won her bid for a council seat with 48.5 per cent of the vote, 10 per cent ahead of her nearest competitor.

Things were a bit tighter in the mayoral race in Burlington, where former MPP Cam Jackson, who left provincial politics to run municipally, won with 35.9 per cent of the vote. Joan Lougheed trailed at 32.9 per cent.

The following are mayors elected Monday night in other parts of the GTA:

• Ajax - Steve Parish.
• Brampton - Susan Fennell.
• Markham - Frank Scarpitti.
• Milton - Gord Krantz.
• Newmarket - Tony Van Bynen.
• Oakville - Rob Burton.
• Oshawa - John Gray.
• Pickering - Dave Ryan.
• Richmond Hill - Dave Barrow.
• Vaughn - Linda Jackson.
• Whitby - Pat Perkins.

For the first time, voters in Ontarioelected mayors, councillors and school trustees for four-year terms. Previously, municipal elections were held every three years.