Bob Taylor (Ontario politician)
Encyclopedia
Bob Taylor is a politician
in the Canadian
province of Ontario
. He was the mayor
of Brantford from 1991 to 1994 and was a city councillor on two separate occasions.
, the son of a United Church of Canada
minister. He later moved to London, Ontario
, where one of his first political activities was working as campaign manager for David Suzuki
in a student election. He holds Bachelor of Arts
, Bachelor of Physical Education
, and Master of Education
degrees and has worked as an elementary school
principal.
Originally a Liberal
, Taylor joined the New Democratic Party
in the 1970s to support Brant
Member of Parliament
(MP) Derek Blackburn
. He rejoined the Liberals in the 1980s and supported Ontario Liberal Party
candidate Dave Neumann
in the 1987 provincial election
.
Taylor was a member of the Brantford Public Utilities Commission
for ten years before his first appointment to city council in 1990.
in 1990 as a replacement for Brad Ward
, who was forced to resign his seat after winning election to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
.
After serving on council for one year, Taylor was elected as Brantford's mayor in the 1991 municipal election
over one-term incumbent Karen George
. The election was expected to be close, but Taylor won by a significant margin. In 1993, he supported an abortive proposal by Bob Rae
's provincial government to shift some public sector jobs from Toronto
to Brantford. When Rae's government cancelled the initiative, Taylor led a protest delegation to Queen's Park
. He lost to challenger Chris Friel
in the 1994 municipal election
.
Taylor returned to city council in 1997
, winning an open seat in Brantford's third ward. Over the next three years, he served on the city's corporate services, social services, and community development committees and was part of a special committee examing issues relating to the opening of the Brantford Charity Casino
. He criticized Friel's efforts to amalgamate Brantford with Brant County in 2000, describing the mayor's style as heavy-handed. Taylor was narrowly defeated in his bid for re-election in the 2000 municipal election
.
He supported Mike Hancock
's successful bid to become mayor of Brantford in 2003
and was co-chair of Liberal MP Lloyd St. Amand
's successful re-election campaign in the 2006 federal election
.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in the Canadian
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...
province of 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....
. He was the mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Brantford from 1991 to 1994 and was a city councillor on two separate occasions.
Early life and career
Taylor was born in northern SaskatchewanSaskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, the son of a United Church of Canada
United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
minister. He later moved to London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, where one of his first political activities was working as campaign manager for David Suzuki
David Suzuki
David Suzuki, CC, OBC is a Canadian academic, science broadcaster and environmental activist. Suzuki earned a Ph.D in zoology from the University of Chicago in 1961, and was a professor in the genetics department of the University of British Columbia from 1963 until his retirement in 2001...
in a student election. He holds Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor 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...
, Bachelor of Physical Education
Bachelor of Physical Education
A Bachelor of Physical Education is a bachelor degree granted by some universities. In many Canadian universities it has been replaced by a Bachelor of Kinesiology. The degree can include topics such as sport science, coaching, and outdoor education..In India, Bachelor of Physical Education...
, and Master of Education
Master of Education
The Master of Education is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in a large number of countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum and instruction, counseling, and administration. It is often conferred for educators advancing in...
degrees and has worked as an elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
principal.
Originally a Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
, Taylor joined the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
in the 1970s to support Brant
Brant (electoral district)
Brant is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1949 and since 1968.The federal riding was created in 1903. It consisted of Brant County excluding Brantford....
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) Derek Blackburn
Derek Blackburn
Derek Nigel Ernest Blackburn was a Canadian Member of Parliament from 1972 to 1993. He was elected as a candidate of the New Democratic Party in the riding of Brant in Ontario...
. He rejoined the Liberals in the 1980s and supported Ontario Liberal Party
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
candidate Dave Neumann
Dave Neumann
David Emil Neumann is a politician in the Canadian province of Ontario. He was the mayor of Brantford from 1980 to 1987 and served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Liberal from 1987 to 1990...
in the 1987 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1987
The Ontario general election of 1987 was held on September 10, 1987, to elect members of the 34th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada.The governing Ontario Liberal Party, led by David Peterson, was returned to power with a large majority...
.
Taylor was a member of the Brantford Public Utilities Commission
Brantford Public Utilities Commission
The Brantford Public Utilities Commission is a former municipal commission in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. Once a powerful body in the city, it was dismantled in 1996 and eliminated entirely in 2001....
for ten years before his first appointment to city council in 1990.
Municipal politician
Taylor was appointed to the Brantford city councilBrantford City Council
The Brantford City Council is the governing body of Brantford, Ontario.The council consists of a mayor and ten councillors, two representing each of five wards...
in 1990 as a replacement for Brad Ward
Brad Ward
Bradley Richard Ward is a former politician in the Canadian province of Ontario. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 1995 as a New Democrat and was a minister in Bob Rae's government from 1993 to 1995....
, who was forced to resign his seat after winning election to 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...
.
After serving on council for one year, Taylor was elected as Brantford's mayor in the 1991 municipal election
Brantford municipal election, 1991
The 1991 Brantford municipal election was held on November 12, 1991, to elect a mayor, councillors, and school trustees in Brantford, Ontario, Canada.Bob Taylor, who had served on council for only one year, was elected as mayor over incumbent Karen George....
over one-term incumbent Karen George
Karen George
Karen George is a politician in the Canadian province of Ontario. She served as the mayor of Brantford from 1987 to 1991.-Private career:During the 1970s and 1980s, George co-owned a company that operated two day care centres, originally started in 1949 by her mother Beryl Angus...
. The election was expected to be close, but Taylor won by a significant margin. In 1993, he supported an abortive proposal by 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....
's provincial government to shift some public sector jobs from Toronto
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...
to Brantford. When Rae's government cancelled the initiative, Taylor led a protest delegation to Queen's Park
Queen's Park
There are a number of places in the world called Queen's Park or Queens Park.- Australia :* Queens Park, New South Wales, suburb* Queens Park, Victoria ** Queens Park, Newtown, Victoria Queen's Park Golf Course...
. He lost to challenger Chris Friel
Chris Friel
Chris Friel is a politician in the Canadian province of Ontario. He was the mayor of Brantford from 1994 to 2003 and was re-elected to the same position in the 2010 municipal election.-Early life and private career:...
in the 1994 municipal election
Brantford municipal election, 1994
The 1994 Brantford municipal election was held on November 14, 1994, to elect a mayor, councillors, and school trustees in the city of Brantford, Ontario.In the mayoral contest, Chris Friel defeated one-term incumbent Bob Taylor.-Results:...
.
Taylor returned to city council in 1997
Brantford municipal election, 1997
The 1997 Brantford municipal election was held on November 10, 1997, to elect a mayor, councillors, and school trustees in the city of Brantford, Ontario...
, winning an open seat in Brantford's third ward. Over the next three years, he served on the city's corporate services, social services, and community development committees and was part of a special committee examing issues relating to the opening of the Brantford Charity Casino
Brantford Charity Casino
OLG Casino Brantford, formerly the Brantford Charity Casino, is a charity casino located in Brantford, Ontario.-Summary:Since the casino opened in 1999, it has drawn a small number of tourists into this city, though far fewer than was first predicted since numerous other casinos have been opened...
. He criticized Friel's efforts to amalgamate Brantford with Brant County in 2000, describing the mayor's style as heavy-handed. Taylor was narrowly defeated in his bid for re-election in the 2000 municipal election
Brantford municipal election, 2000
The 2000 Brantford municipal election was held on November 13, 2000, to elect a mayor, city councillors, and school trustees in the city of Brantford, Ontario, Canada.-Results:...
.
He supported Mike Hancock
Mike Hancock (Canadian politician)
Mike Hancock was the previous mayor of the city of Brantford, Ontario, Canada. He was elected to the position in the 2003 municipal elections, defeating three-term incumbent Chris Friel by 11668 votes to 11653...
's successful bid to become mayor of Brantford in 2003
Brantford municipal election, 2003
The 2003 Brantford municipal election was held on November 10, 2003, to elect a mayor, city councillors, and school trustees in the city of Brantford, Ontario....
and was co-chair of Liberal MP Lloyd St. Amand
Lloyd St. Amand
Lloyd St. Amand is a Canadian politician and a former Member of Parliament for the riding of Brant. He is a member of the Liberal Party of Canada....
's successful re-election campaign in the 2006 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
.
Electoral record
- See the 1997 Brantford election page for information on Gillespie.
- See the 1994 Brantford election page for information on Lancaster.
- See the 1991 Brantford election page for information on Luciani.