Sandra Bussin
Encyclopedia
Sandra Bussin was a politician in Toronto
, Canada
. She was a municipal councillor for Toronto City Council
representing Ward 32, an area called the Beaches. From 2006 to 2010 she was Speaker of Toronto City Council
.
in fine arts from York University
.
Bussin is a former teacher and trustee for the Toronto District School Board
.
Prior to her election as a city councillor, Bussin served for 15 years as a senior political advisor at the provincial legislature
for NDP Member of Provincial Parliament Morton Shulman
.
, who championed the modernisation of the Ashbridges Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant
. Bussin was formerly past Chair of the Roundtable for a Clean and Beautiful City. During her time as councillor six incinerators were shut down. She also managed a $2.2 million renovation and extension of the Beaches Library. As well, $12 million was approved to build the new Main Square Recreation Centre and $750,000 for the new addition of the Kimberley Public School. Bussin acquired the Kew Williams (Gardener's Cottage) for community use. She secured $11 million for the landscape and active sport field plan in Ashbridges Bay area.
During her time on city council, Bussin was closely aligned with mayor David Miller
, who is considered to be on the left wing of the political spectrum.
of Toronto, jointly with Joe Pantalone
and Mike Feldman
.
In 2006, she was appointed as the first Speaker of Toronto City Council
.
Sandra Bussin was defeated by newcomer Mary-Margaret McMahon
in the municipal election held on October 25, 2010. McMahon defeated Bussin by a margin of over 2.5 to 1.
In September 2009, Bussin placed a live call to John Tory
's Newstalk 1010 Strong Opinions radio show to defend the legacy of outgoing Mayor David Miller. Bussin provided only her first name and denied that she worked for the City of Toronto. She then concluded her call by saying "And good luck to you, John, because you're a three-time loser. And I don't see you being successful in the future." After being revealed as the caller, Bussin apologized to both Tory and to city council. Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong
requested a review of Bussin's actions from Toronto integrity commissioner Janet Leiper.
In 2010, prior to her electoral defeat, Bussin faced criticism for her role in three unrelated zoning disputes involving an older house, the post-arson replacement of a commercial building, and a supportive-housing project for the mentally ill. Also that year, Bussin was criticized for allocating her office operating budget to community groups including youth sports teams, and a former restaurant employee told the Toronto Sun that he had been paid by the restaurant to "volunteer" for Bussin's campaign.
Unofficial results as of October 26, 2010 03:55 AM
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...
, 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...
. She was a municipal councillor for Toronto City Council
Toronto City Council
The Toronto City Council is the governing body of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors....
representing Ward 32, an area called the Beaches. From 2006 to 2010 she was Speaker of Toronto City Council
Speaker of Toronto City Council
The Speaker of Toronto City Council and Deputy Speaker of Toronto City Council serve as the presiding officers at meetings of Toronto City Council, Canada, as of December 1, 2006. The two positions were recommended by the Council appointed a three-member volunteer advisory panel and their report...
.
Background
Bussin was born in Toronto and grew up in the Dawes Road area. She attended Coleman Avenue Public School, then to Central Tech and Eastern Commerce. Bussin graduated with a BABachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in fine arts from York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
.
Bussin is a former teacher and trustee for the Toronto District School Board
Toronto District School Board
Toronto District School Board, also known by the acronym TDSB, is the English-language public school board for Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
.
Prior to her election as a city councillor, Bussin served for 15 years as a senior political advisor at the provincial legislature
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...
for NDP Member of Provincial Parliament Morton Shulman
Morton Shulman
Morton Shulman, OC was a Canadian politician, businessman, broadcaster, columnist, coroner, and physician.-Biography:...
.
Political views
Bussin was known at council as an environmentalistEnvironmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
, who championed the modernisation of the Ashbridges Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant
Ashbridges Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant
The Ashbridges Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant is the city of Toronto's main sewage treatment facility, and the largest such plant in Canada. One of four plants that service the city of Toronto, it treats the wastewater produced by some 1.3 million of the city's residents and has a capacity of...
. Bussin was formerly past Chair of the Roundtable for a Clean and Beautiful City. During her time as councillor six incinerators were shut down. She also managed a $2.2 million renovation and extension of the Beaches Library. As well, $12 million was approved to build the new Main Square Recreation Centre and $750,000 for the new addition of the Kimberley Public School. Bussin acquired the Kew Williams (Gardener's Cottage) for community use. She secured $11 million for the landscape and active sport field plan in Ashbridges Bay area.
During her time on city council, Bussin was closely aligned with mayor David Miller
David Miller (Canadian politician)
David Raymond Miller is a Canadian politician. He was the 63rd Mayor of Toronto and the second since the 1998 amalgamation. He was elected to the position in 2003 for a three-year term and re-elected in 2006 for a four-year term...
, who is considered to be on the left wing of the political spectrum.
City Councillor
Elected in 1997 to the first council of the newly amalgamated City of Toronto, Bussin served four terms as City Councillor for Ward 32 Beaches-East York. In the council term from 2003 to 2006, Bussin served as a Deputy MayorDeputy Mayor
Deputy mayor is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official in many local governments. Many elected deputy mayors are members of the city council who are given the title and serve as acting mayor in the mayor's absence...
of Toronto, jointly with Joe Pantalone
Joe Pantalone
Joe Pantalone is a former Canadian politician, city councillor for Ward 19, one of two wards in Trinity—Spadina. He served as deputy mayor under David Miller from 2003 to 2010...
and Mike Feldman
Mike Feldman
Michael "Mike" Feldman was city councillor for Ward 10 from 1992 to 2010, and former Deputy Mayor, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Feldman was first elected in 1992 to the City Council of what was then the City of North York...
.
In 2006, she was appointed as the first Speaker of Toronto City Council
Speaker of Toronto City Council
The Speaker of Toronto City Council and Deputy Speaker of Toronto City Council serve as the presiding officers at meetings of Toronto City Council, Canada, as of December 1, 2006. The two positions were recommended by the Council appointed a three-member volunteer advisory panel and their report...
.
Sandra Bussin was defeated by newcomer Mary-Margaret McMahon
Mary-Margaret McMahon
Mary-Margaret McMahon is a Canadian politician, who was first elected to Toronto City Council in the 2010 city council election, she defeated Toronto City Council Speaker Sandra Bussin in Ward 32 ....
in the municipal election held on October 25, 2010. McMahon defeated Bussin by a margin of over 2.5 to 1.
Controversies
In 2009, Bussin won financial support from Toronto City Council to take legal action against a local publication, Ward 32 News, which she claimed had made untrue and defamatory statements about her. This case was criticized by councillor Mike Del Grande, who was quoted by the Toronto Star as saying that "taxpayers could be easily intimidated by a councillor who has the financial backing of the city".In September 2009, Bussin placed a live call to John Tory
John Tory
John Howard Tory is a Canadian businessman, political activist, former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, former Member of Provincial Parliament and broadcaster...
's Newstalk 1010 Strong Opinions radio show to defend the legacy of outgoing Mayor David Miller. Bussin provided only her first name and denied that she worked for the City of Toronto. She then concluded her call by saying "And good luck to you, John, because you're a three-time loser. And I don't see you being successful in the future." After being revealed as the caller, Bussin apologized to both Tory and to city council. Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong
Denzil Minnan-Wong
Denzil Minnan-Wong is a Toronto city councillor representing one of the two Don Valley East wards, Toronto City Council Ward 34. He is the son of Denzil Minnan-Wong, Sr., a Chinese immigrant who became a prominent member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. His father died in 1988 at...
requested a review of Bussin's actions from Toronto integrity commissioner Janet Leiper.
In 2010, prior to her electoral defeat, Bussin faced criticism for her role in three unrelated zoning disputes involving an older house, the post-arson replacement of a commercial building, and a supportive-housing project for the mentally ill. Also that year, Bussin was criticized for allocating her office operating budget to community groups including youth sports teams, and a former restaurant employee told the Toronto Sun that he had been paid by the restaurant to "volunteer" for Bussin's campaign.
Election results
| 2010 Toronto election Toronto city council election, 2010 For information on the campaign for mayor see Toronto mayoral election, 2010The 2010 Toronto council election was held on October 25, 2010 to elect councillors to represent Toronto's 44 wards at Toronto City Council... , Ward 32 |
||
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Mary-Margaret McMahon Mary-Margaret McMahon Mary-Margaret McMahon is a Canadian politician, who was first elected to Toronto City Council in the 2010 city council election, she defeated Toronto City Council Speaker Sandra Bussin in Ward 32 .... |
15,159 | 65.144% |
| Sandra Bussin | 5,998 | 25.776% |
| Keith Begley | 753 | 3.236% |
| Bruce Baker | 477 | 2.05% |
| Brad Feraday | 354 | 1.521% |
| Martin Gladstone | 210 | 0.902% |
| Neil Sinclair | 190 | 0.817% |
| Albert Castells | 66 | 0.284% |
| Kieron Pope | 63 | 0.271% |
| Total | 23,270 | 100% |
Unofficial results as of October 26, 2010 03:55 AM