The New Brampton Community Task Force was created in the past year by an accomplished group of citizens and business owners to promote “positive change and growth in the city of Brampton.” The group recently organized a Gala at the Rose Theatre with an impressive guest list including Premier William G. Davis and Mayor Hazel McCallion. Rod Rice, Chair of New Brampton recognized Premier Davis as “Brampton’s favourite son and great Canadian” prior to a performance by the Canadian Symphony Orchestra.
Premier Davis served from 1971 to 1985 as Premier of Ontario and has a storied history in Canadian politics. His legacy continues to permeate Canadian society in our Constitution, Charter of Rights and Freedoms, regional governance system, education system and mentorship of many politicians. Prior to serving as Premier, Mr. Davis served ten years as Education Minister where he transformed our university system, started our community college system, and instituted TVO.
In recognizing Premier Davis, Mr. Rice acknowledged that as Premier, Mr. Davis “made difficult decisions with respect to how municipalities were going to grow and govern themselves” and deal with the issue of “how a province and country would accommodate the tremendous growth on the horizon.” The decisions of Premier Davis lead to the creation of the City of Brampton, the City of Mississauga, and the Region of Peel in 1974, eventually creating two of the largest cities in Canada.
