Chris Friel
Encyclopedia
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
.
degree in Political Science
from the University of Waterloo
(1989). Before running for office, he was the executive director of a non-profit government agency.
Both of his parents were active in politics. His father, James Friel, was involved in the labour movement and ran for a trustee position on the Brant County Board of Education
in 1976
. His mother, Judy Friel, ran for a seat on the Brantford city council
in 2000
.
After his loss in 2003, he worked in business and economic development with the Ontario Native Affairs Secretariat.
, defeating one-term incumbent Bob Taylor
. He was only twenty-seven years old at the time. He was re-elected in 1997
, defeating right-wing candidate Andy Woodburn by a significant margin. He initially planned to stand down in 2000, but later changed his mind and was re-elected for a third term
.
Friel became mayor during a period of economic difficulties for Brantford; shortly after his election, he described the city as having the worst downtown in Canada. He later presided over a period of economic growth for the city.
Friel initially opposed the Brantford Charity Casino
, describing it as a "scam" designed to shift money from the city to the province. He was quoted as saying, "What bothers me is that the government used to do these capital projects to build a country. . . . Now the government is doing work that is building gaming. It's like they've given up, there's no creativity." He later accepted the casino's presence and tried to ensure it would provide some benefits to his community, though he still described it as an economic mistake.
He helped establish Laurier Brantford
, a local division of Wilfrid Laurier University
. He was also mayor when the Brantford Eaton's
closed and took part in overseeing the site's transformation into a call centre
. During his second term, he spoke in favour of keeping the Brantford Hydro-Electric Commission as a public utility.
Friel encouraged merger discussions between Brantford and neighbouring Brant County in 2000. At one stage, he said that he would ask the province to impose a decision on restructuring if the county declined talks. Brant County Mayor Ron Eddy strongly opposed this position, and Friel later acknowledged that producing a local agreement would be impossible. During the same period, Friel argued that the Six Nations people have a legitimate claim to the land surrounding the Grand River
, six miles in each direction. Generally, Friel was known for having good relations with local indigenous groups.
Friel strongly supported Brantford's anti-smoking by-law, citing his own father's death from lung cancer
at a relatively young age. He himself took a three-month leave of absence in 2002 due to serious health issues.
Friel was defeated in the 2003 mayoral election
, losing to Mike Hancock
by only fifteen votes. He chose not to seek a recount. He challenged Hancock again in the 2006 election
and lost by 165 votes. When Hancock did not seek re-election in 2010, Friel ran for mayor again and won by a significant margion.
A newspaper article from 2000 described his political style as "flamboyant, sometimes truculent." When running for re-election in 2003, he acknowledged that he had been an unorthodox mayor.
Member of Parliament
(MP) Jane Stewart, who served as a cabinet minister in Jean Chrétien
's government. He strongly criticized provincial premier
Mike Harris
at a 2001 Labour Day
rally, although he was more complimentary toward Chris Hodgson
, Harris's municipal affairs minister.
Friel sought the Liberal Party
nomination for Brant
in the buildup to the 2004 federal election
, but lost to Lloyd St. Amand
.
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 1994 to 2003 and was re-elected to the same position in the 2010 municipal election
Brantford municipal election, 2010
The 2010 Brantford municipal election was held on October 25, 2010, to elect a mayor, city councillors, and school trustees in the city of Brantford, Ontario.-Results:...
.
Early life and private career
Friel was born and raised in Brantford. He has an Honours Bachelor of ArtsBachelor 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...
degree in Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
from the University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
(1989). Before running for office, he was the executive director of a non-profit government agency.
Both of his parents were active in politics. His father, James Friel, was involved in the labour movement and ran for a trustee position on the Brant County Board of Education
Brant County Board of Education
The Brant County Board of Education is a former school district in the Canadian province of Ontario. In the late 1990s, it was amalgamated with the Norfolk County Board of Education and the Haldimand County Board of Education to create the Grand Erie District School Board....
in 1976
Brantford municipal election, 1976
The 1976 Brantford municipal election was held on December 6, 1976, to elect a mayor, councillors, and school trustees in Brantford, Ontario, Canada...
. His mother, Judy Friel, ran for a seat on the Brantford city council
Brantford 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 2000
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:...
.
After his loss in 2003, he worked in business and economic development with the Ontario Native Affairs Secretariat.
Mayor of Brantford
Friel was first elected as mayor of Brantford in the 1994 municipal electionBrantford 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:...
, defeating one-term incumbent Bob Taylor
Bob Taylor (Ontario politician)
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.-Early life and career:...
. He was only twenty-seven years old at the time. He was re-elected 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...
, defeating right-wing candidate Andy Woodburn by a significant margin. He initially planned to stand down in 2000, but later changed his mind and was re-elected for a third term
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:...
.
Friel became mayor during a period of economic difficulties for Brantford; shortly after his election, he described the city as having the worst downtown in Canada. He later presided over a period of economic growth for the city.
Friel initially opposed 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...
, describing it as a "scam" designed to shift money from the city to the province. He was quoted as saying, "What bothers me is that the government used to do these capital projects to build a country. . . . Now the government is doing work that is building gaming. It's like they've given up, there's no creativity." He later accepted the casino's presence and tried to ensure it would provide some benefits to his community, though he still described it as an economic mistake.
He helped establish Laurier Brantford
Laurier Brantford
Laurier Brantford is a satellite campus of Wilfrid Laurier University located in Brantford, Ontario. The other campus of the University is in Waterloo, Ontario....
, a local division of Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University is a university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It also has campuses in Brantford, Ontario, Kitchener, Ontario and Toronto, Ontario and a future proposed campus in Milton, Ontario. It is named in honour of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the seventh Prime Minister of Canada....
. He was also mayor when the Brantford Eaton's
Eaton's
The T. Eaton Co. Limited was once Canada's largest department store retailer. It was founded in 1869 in Toronto by Timothy Eaton, an Irish immigrant. Eaton's grew to become a retail and social institution in Canada, with stores across the country, buying offices across the globe, and a catalogue...
closed and took part in overseeing the site's transformation into a call centre
Call centre
A call centre or call center is a centralised office used for the purpose of receiving and transmitting a large volume of requests by telephone. A call centre is operated by a company to administer incoming product support or information inquiries from consumers. Outgoing calls for telemarketing,...
. During his second term, he spoke in favour of keeping the Brantford Hydro-Electric Commission as a public utility.
Friel encouraged merger discussions between Brantford and neighbouring Brant County in 2000. At one stage, he said that he would ask the province to impose a decision on restructuring if the county declined talks. Brant County Mayor Ron Eddy strongly opposed this position, and Friel later acknowledged that producing a local agreement would be impossible. During the same period, Friel argued that the Six Nations people have a legitimate claim to the land surrounding the Grand River
Grand River (Ontario)
The Grand River is a large river in southwestern Ontario, Canada. From its source, it flows south through Grand Valley, Fergus, Elora, Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, Paris, Brantford, Caledonia, and Cayuga before emptying into the north shore of Lake Erie south of Dunnville at Port Maitland...
, six miles in each direction. Generally, Friel was known for having good relations with local indigenous groups.
Friel strongly supported Brantford's anti-smoking by-law, citing his own father's death from lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
at a relatively young age. He himself took a three-month leave of absence in 2002 due to serious health issues.
Friel was defeated in the 2003 mayoral election
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....
, losing to 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...
by only fifteen votes. He chose not to seek a recount. He challenged Hancock again in the 2006 election
Brantford municipal election, 2006
The 2006 Brantford municipal election was held on November 13, 2006, to elect a mayor, councillors, and school trustees in the city of Brantford, Ontario.-Results :...
and lost by 165 votes. When Hancock did not seek re-election in 2010, Friel ran for mayor again and won by a significant margion.
A newspaper article from 2000 described his political style as "flamboyant, sometimes truculent." When running for re-election in 2003, he acknowledged that he had been an unorthodox mayor.
Federal and provincial politics
Friel was a political ally of BrantBrant (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) Jane Stewart, who served as a cabinet minister in Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
's government. He strongly criticized provincial 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...
Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
at a 2001 Labour Day
Labour Day
Labour Day or Labor Day is an annual holiday to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for...
rally, although he was more complimentary toward Chris Hodgson
Chris Hodgson
Chris Hodgson is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1994 to 2003, and a cabinet minister in the governments of Mike Harris and Ernie Eves...
, Harris's municipal affairs minister.
Friel sought the Liberal Party
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...
nomination for 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....
in the buildup to the 2004 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
, but lost to 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....
.
Electoral record
- See the 2010 Brantford election page for information on defeated candidates other than Turmel.
- See the 2003 Brantford election page for information on Tooke.
- See the 2000 Brantford election page for information on Raymond and Gallant.
- See the 1997 Brantford election page for information on Barlett and Clement.
- See the 1994 Brantford election page for information on Lancaster.