Fergy Brown
Encyclopedia
James Fergus Brown is a retired politician in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. He served as Mayor of York from 1988 to 1994, and was listed as eighty years old in a 2003 newspaper report.
Brown was born in Scotland
, and moved to York, Ontario
at age five. He served in Canada's Bomber Command
during World War II
, and owned a pharmacy
in his private career. Brown was first elected to the York Borough Council in 1969
, defeating three challengers in the city's fourth ward, and was re-elected in 1972
.
He campaigned for Mayor of York in 1974
and 1976
, but lost to Philip White both times. On the second occasion, his margin of defeat was fewer than 300 votes. He also campaigned for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
in 1977
as a candidate of the Progressive Conservative Party
, finishing second against New Democratic Party incumbent Tony Grande
in Oakwood
. In January 1978, he was appointed by Premier
Bill Davis
to the Metro Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.
After a four-year absence, Brown returned to York Council in 1978
via election to the city's Board of Control. The position also gave him an automatic place on the Metropolitan Toronto Council. He was re-elected in 1980
, 1982
and 1985
, and served as York's budget chief for this entire period.
Brown sought to replace Paul Godfrey
as Metro Chair in 1984, but finished second against Dennis Flynn
of Etobicoke
. He campaigned for a position on the police board later in the year, but lost to Art Eggleton
. Brown was named head of Metro's social service committee in 1985, and served as a member of the Toronto Transit Commission
.
He was elected to succeed Alan Tonks
as Mayor of York in 1988
, defeating former MPP Tony Grande by a significant margin. Brown highlighted his record of financial accountability on previous York Councils, and suggested that Grande did not have significant municipal experience to govern the city. He continued to serve on Metro Council, and supported Alan Tonks
over Dennis Flynn for council chair in 1988.
In 1990, Brown endorsed a controversial plan to sell part of Fairbank Park to a company run by Toronto-area developer Lou Charles. The details of the sale provoked charges of political corruption, and set in motion a series of events that eventually led to the arrest and conviction of Charles and some of his political allies. Metro police investigated Brown's role in the sale, but did not lay charges. In July 1991, Brown reversed his earlier position and help council defeat the proposed sale. Several media reports from this period depict him as being unable to maintain order over the dysfunctional York Council.
Brown was re-elected to the mayor's office in 1991
over his old rival Philip White. He helped ensure passage of a compromise Market Value Assessment tax plan for Metro Toronto in 1992, although this plan was later overturned by the provincial government of Bob Rae
.
Brown was defeated in 1994
by Frances Nunziata
, who had spearheaded opposition to the Fairbank sale in 1990. The campaign centred around leadership issues: Brown pointed to his many years in office, while Nunziata argued that he did not show decisive leadership during the controversy. The contest was marked by open animosity between the candidates, and Brown refused to travel to Nunziata's headquarters on election night to concede defeat.
Ideologically, Brown has been described as a "moderate Tory", a Red Tory
and an "old-fashioned conservative".
Brown currently serves as the president of the Board of Directors of The Learning Enrichment Foundation.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He served as Mayor of York from 1988 to 1994, and was listed as eighty years old in a 2003 newspaper report.
Brown was born in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and moved to York, Ontario
York, Ontario
York is a dissolved municipality in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it is located northwest of Old Toronto, southwest of North York and east of Etobicoke, where it is bounded by the Humber River. Formerly a separate city, it was one of six municipalities that amalgamated in 1998 to form...
at age five. He served in Canada's Bomber Command
Bomber Command
Bomber Command is an organizational military unit, generally subordinate to the air force of a country. Many countries have a "Bomber Command", although the most famous ones were in Britain and the United States. A Bomber Command is generally used for Strategic bombing , and is composed of bombers...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and owned a pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
in his private career. Brown was first elected to the York Borough Council in 1969
Toronto municipal election, 1969
Municipal elections were held in Toronto, Canada, on December 1, 1969. Across Metro Toronto there were few surprising results, and city of Toronto incumbent mayor William Dennison was easily re-elected...
, defeating three challengers in the city's fourth ward, and was re-elected in 1972
Toronto municipal election, 1972
The 1972 Toronto municipal election was held December 4, 1972 to elect the governments of Toronto, the five other boroughs, and the government of Metro Toronto as well....
.
He campaigned for Mayor of York in 1974
Toronto municipal election, 1974
The 1974 Toronto municipal election was held on December 2, 1974 in Metropolitan Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Mayors, controllers, city councillors and school board trustees were elected in the municipalities of Toronto, York, East York, North York, Etobicoke and Scarborough.David Crombie was...
and 1976
Toronto municipal election, 1976
The Toronto municipal election of 1976 was held on December 6, 1976 in Metropolitan Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Mayors, city councillors and school board trustees were elected in the municipalities of Toronto, York, East York, North York, Etobicoke and Scarborough.Toronto Mayor David Crombie and...
, but lost to Philip White both times. On the second occasion, his margin of defeat was fewer than 300 votes. He also campaigned for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
in 1977
Ontario general election, 1977
The Ontario general election of 1977 was held on June 9, 1977, to elect the 125 members of the 31st Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
as a candidate of the Progressive Conservative Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
, finishing second against New Democratic Party incumbent Tony Grande
Tony Grande
Anthony William Grande was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1975 to 1987, as a member of the New Democratic Party .-Background:...
in Oakwood
Oakwood (electoral district)
Oakwood was a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada. It was created for the 1975 provincial election, and was retained until redistribution in 1999. It was abolished into Davenport, Eglinton—Lawrence, York South—Weston and St. Paul's...
. In January 1978, he was appointed by Premier
Premier of Ontario
The Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet. The Executive Council Act The Premier of Ontario...
Bill Davis
Bill Davis
William Grenville "Bill" Davis, was the 18th Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1971 to 1985. Davis was first elected as the MPP for Peel in the 1959 provincial election where he was a backbencher in Leslie Frost's government. Under John Robarts, he was a cabinet minister overseeing the education...
to the Metro Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.
After a four-year absence, Brown returned to York Council in 1978
Toronto municipal election, 1978
The Toronto municipal election of 1978 held on Monday, November 13, 1978, was the first seriously contested mayoralty race in Toronto, Canada, since David Crombie took office in the 1972 election...
via election to the city's Board of Control. The position also gave him an automatic place on the Metropolitan Toronto Council. He was re-elected in 1980
Toronto municipal election, 1980
The 1980 Toronto municipal election was held on November 10, 1980 in Metropolitan Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Mayors, controllers, city councillors and school board trustees were elected in the municipalities of Toronto, York, East York, North York, Etobicoke and Scarborough.Art Eggleton narrowly...
, 1982
Toronto municipal election, 1982
The 1982 Toronto municipal election was held on November 8, 1982 in Metropolitan Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Mayors, controllers, city councillors and school board trustees were elected in the municipalities of Toronto, York, East York, North York, Etobicoke and Scarborough.Art Eggleton was...
and 1985
Toronto municipal election, 1985
The 1985 Toronto municipal election was held to elect members of municipal councils, school boards, and hydro commissions in the six municipalities that made up Metropolitan Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The election was held on November 12, 1985.-Mayor:...
, and served as York's budget chief for this entire period.
Brown sought to replace Paul Godfrey
Paul Godfrey
Paul Victor Godfrey, CM, OOnt is a businessman and former Canadian politician. During his career, Godfrey was a North York alderman, Chairman of Metro Toronto, President of the Toronto Sun and head of the Toronto Blue Jays. He was instrumental in bringing the Toronto Blue Jays to Toronto and has...
as Metro Chair in 1984, but finished second against Dennis Flynn
Dennis Flynn
Christopher Dennis Flynn O.Ont, was Chairman of Metropolitan Toronto from 1984 to 1988. Flynn rarely used his first name and was commonly known as Dennis Flynn.-Background:...
of Etobicoke
Etobicoke, Ontario
Etobicoke is a dissolved municipality located within the current city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the western section of the current city, it had an official population of 338,117 as measured by the 2001 Census and 334,491 people as of the 2006 Census. While it only contains 13% of...
. He campaigned for a position on the police board later in the year, but lost to Art Eggleton
Art Eggleton
Arthur "Art" C. Eggleton, PC is a former Canadian Cabinet minister and Mayor of Toronto, and is currently a Senator representing Ontario.-City council:...
. Brown was named head of Metro's social service committee in 1985, and served as a member of the Toronto Transit Commission
Toronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
.
He was elected to succeed Alan Tonks
Alan Tonks
Alan Tonks is a Canadian politician. He was the Liberal MP for the federal electoral district of York South—Weston in Toronto from 2000 to 2011, and was the final Metro Toronto Chairman before the amalgamation of Metro Toronto into the new City of Toronto.-Background:Tonks is the son of the late...
as Mayor of York in 1988
Toronto municipal election, 1988
The 1988 Toronto municipal election was held to elect members of municipal councils, school boards, and hydro commissions in the six municipalities that made up Metropolitan Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The election was held November 14, 1988.-Metro:...
, defeating former MPP Tony Grande by a significant margin. Brown highlighted his record of financial accountability on previous York Councils, and suggested that Grande did not have significant municipal experience to govern the city. He continued to serve on Metro Council, and supported Alan Tonks
Alan Tonks
Alan Tonks is a Canadian politician. He was the Liberal MP for the federal electoral district of York South—Weston in Toronto from 2000 to 2011, and was the final Metro Toronto Chairman before the amalgamation of Metro Toronto into the new City of Toronto.-Background:Tonks is the son of the late...
over Dennis Flynn for council chair in 1988.
In 1990, Brown endorsed a controversial plan to sell part of Fairbank Park to a company run by Toronto-area developer Lou Charles. The details of the sale provoked charges of political corruption, and set in motion a series of events that eventually led to the arrest and conviction of Charles and some of his political allies. Metro police investigated Brown's role in the sale, but did not lay charges. In July 1991, Brown reversed his earlier position and help council defeat the proposed sale. Several media reports from this period depict him as being unable to maintain order over the dysfunctional York Council.
Brown was re-elected to the mayor's office in 1991
Toronto municipal election, 1991
The 1991 Toronto municipal election was held on November 12, 1991 to elect councillors in Metropolitan Toronto, Canada, and mayors, councillors and school trustees in Toronto, York, East York, North York, Scarborough and Etobicoke....
over his old rival Philip White. He helped ensure passage of a compromise Market Value Assessment tax plan for Metro Toronto in 1992, although this plan was later overturned by the provincial government of Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
.
Brown was defeated in 1994
Toronto municipal election, 1994
The 1994 Toronto municipal election was held in November 1994 to elect councillors in Metropolitan Toronto, Canada, and mayors, councillors and school trustees in Toronto, York, East York, North York, Scarborough and Etobicoke....
by Frances Nunziata
Frances Nunziata
Frances Nunziata is a Toronto city councillor for Ward 11 York South-Weston . She is the sister of former Member of Parliament John Nunziata....
, who had spearheaded opposition to the Fairbank sale in 1990. The campaign centred around leadership issues: Brown pointed to his many years in office, while Nunziata argued that he did not show decisive leadership during the controversy. The contest was marked by open animosity between the candidates, and Brown refused to travel to Nunziata's headquarters on election night to concede defeat.
Ideologically, Brown has been described as a "moderate Tory", a Red Tory
Red Tory
A red Tory is an adherent of a particular political philosophy, tradition, and disposition in Canada somewhat similar to the High Tory tradition in the United Kingdom; it is contrasted with "blue Tory". In Canada, the phenomenon of "red toryism" has fundamentally, if not exclusively, been found in...
and an "old-fashioned conservative".
Brown currently serves as the president of the Board of Directors of The Learning Enrichment Foundation.