Photo above: Former Caledon Mayor Marolyn Morrison greeting Olympic torch bearers as they travel through Bolton in December 2009.
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Let’s face it. Women have the capacity to change the world. For the better, or otherwise. Those who apply their vision, intelligence, and creativity, with integrity, fairness, and courage, have my utmost respect and admiration. The world desperately needs more of you.
Our JSC Empowering and Impactful Women of Caledon series focuses on such women who have made a positive impact on Caledon. They all share one thing in common – a desire to leave the world better than they found it.
This next story in our series features former Caledon Mayor Marolyn Morrison
One might be hard-pressed to find a woman who has made a more positive impact on Caledon than Marolyn Morrison. While there may be some who would disagree with that statement (such is the way of politics) she is a woman who spent over three decades serving and leading a community she loved. And she did it with the kind of fairness, courage, strength, and ego-last and residents-first approach that we yearn for in politicians today.
From when she first landed a seat as a Peel Public School Board Trustee in 1988 until she retired from her 20-year role on Caledon Council in 2014, Marolyn gave Caledon her all.
She served in her Trustee role for six years, the last two as Vice Chair of the Peel District School Board. Then she turned her attention to Caledon Council.
Marolyn won her initial seat as a Regional Councillor in 1994, beating the incumbent by a mere 19 votes. By the time she retired in 2014 after three terms as Mayor she was beating her opposition by substantial margins.
She had actually considered retiring in 2010 after her second Mayoral term but, with her typical community-first attitude, she decided the timing was wrong for Caledon.
“When 2010 came along I was truly concerned that there were too many developer issues facing Caledon, so I decided to seek one more term. It was a notable election because I became the first person to win all five wards. We went from 30 campaign volunteers in my first Mayoral race to over 300 in my third” she recalls
After living almost four decades in Caledon – five years in Caledon Village and the remainder in Inglewood – Marolyn, and her husband John, recently moved to western Canada to be nearer their three sons and their 11 grandchildren.
JSC caught up with Marolyn and spoke by phone and email about her time at the Caledon Council table and about current issues including Strong Mayor Powers.
We asked her to describe her general approach to the Mayoral position.
“That Caledon would determine how Caledon would grow, along with fiscal responsibility and taking care, as best we could, of our residents” she says adamantly. “And I never once did anything just for votes. Too many politicians do that. I take great satisfaction in being able to say I would get the facts and then make the right decision, for the right reasons, for the majority of my residents. Few decisions please everybody.”
Marolyn expressed that the best part of the job was being able to make a difference for residents. “Like improving the infrastructure available for youth. Such as buying the land for the Johnston Sport Park, building an arena in Caledon East and then twinning it” she says.
“I also loved being able to influence Provincial Policy on issues like aggregates, growth and environmental policies.”
And the worst part? “Dealing with Regional and Area Councillors that I knew were being influenced by people and entities from outside of Caledon for their own benefit.”
“The absolute worst moment for me came when my husband was threatened to try to get me to change my vote, and those of my Councillors, to meet the wishes of certain developers. Later he was assaulted because I would not bend.”
She also prides herself on leading a Council that focused on listening to residents and on maintaining fiscal responsibility.
We move the conversation to present day. I ask her opinion about Strong Mayor Powers and whether she would have used them.
Her response comes without hesitation. “Strong Mayor Powers are an abomination to democracy. A Mayor needs the input from their duly elected Council so that they can make informed decisions. No! I would not have used Strong Mayor Powers.”
Does she have concerns about the current administration and Caledon’s future?
“Of course I do. It is moving far away from what Caledon is, or was, all about. Most residents moved to Caledon for its rural nature, trails, rivers, Conservation hiking areas; a safe community of communities, and its environmental integrity.”
“My vision for growth along Mayfield Road was having large berms, undulating from one road to the next with many trees planted along the berms so Caledon would look different from the sprawl below it. You would know that you had entered something different and very special.”
With a municipal election just a few short weeks away I ask what she believes residents should be looking for in a new mayor.
“Honesty, integrity and the ability to do the right thing for the residents and the Town as a whole. Someone who has a holistic vision for all of Caledon and is not afraid to put it forward. Don’t shy away. Do not be afraid to ask those that want something from the Town of Caledon for something in return that will enhance life for your residents. And always listen to those who are the senior citizens in your community. They have much knowledge and are more than willing to share it. Listen carefully.”
Any advice for an incoming Mayor?
“First, listen to the people.”
“Then, get involved in committees that can have influence. For instance, when I was Mayor we started the Greater Toronto Countryside Mayors Alliance (GTCMA) and together we represented over 700,000 people. That was back in the early 2000’s. This gave us influence with the Province at Queens Park. The GTCMA was dissolved after I retired. With Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, Markham etc. the countryside Mayors could not, and did not, accomplish much. The big municipalities took over, leaving the countryside areas as small and insignificant and the Province saw that – even though the countryside Mayors’ area was the future growth area, which made it even more important.”
“As well, I helped start the Top Aggregate Producing Municipalities of Ontario (TAPMO). We were starting to make a difference, with the Mayors, Aggregate Producers Association and aggregate producers from around the province. We were finally getting somewhere, and we were ready to take our proposal to the Province, with all the parties on board including the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), where I sat on the Board of Directors.”
“In closing, the advice I would offer an incoming Mayor would be to care for the people and not be influenced by outside sources. As well to work with other levels of government, so they can ensure that residents are well served on many fronts that impact the community. Caledon has an MPP that has major influence at the Province and she has been shamefully silent. She needs to be enlisted to help Caledon. She is in a perfect position to advocate for Caledon. The next Mayor needs to use this opportunity, not for themselves, but for the Town of Caledon.”
“I loved Caledon and her people, and I found it to be the most wonderful community to live and raise our boys in! It is an amazing place, and worth protecting.”
