Karen George
Encyclopedia
Karen George is a politician in the Canadian
province of Ontario
. She served as the mayor
of Brantford from 1987 to 1991.
In 1992 she entered the field of Financial Planning, starting as an associate with Bright and Associates and in 1994 opening an office "George and Edmison Partners" in partnership with Ken Edmison. She obtained her Certified Financial Planning Certificate and her Level 2 insurance licence.
in 1976
and was re-elected in 1978
, 1980
, and 1982
. During this time she served as Board Chair for two consecutive years. She was elected to the Brantford City Council
in 1985
, winning the first seat in the city's third ward.
She argued in favour of restoring the death penalty at a 1986 meeting of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario
.
Mayor
George was chosen as mayor of Brantford by a council vote in September 1987, after Dave Neumann
resigned the office by virtue of being elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
. She defeated rival candidate John Starkey by a vote of six to four.
George was mayor of Brantford when Massey Combines Corp. closed down operations in the city, throwing 425 people out of work. Describing the closure as a terrible blow to the community, she worked with federal Member of Parliament
Derek Blackburn
to find new employment opportunities for those affected. Later in the same year, she worked to obtain a grant from the provincial government to construct an industrial park
in the city.
Re-elected to a full term in 1988
, George criticized the federal government's cuts to Via Rail
service in late 1989. She unexpectedly lost the mayoralty by a significant margin in the 1991 municipal election
.
George was instrumental in the decision by Council to construct a new Police Station and to turn a downtown department store into and award winning Library. She worked with a community committee to obtain $2.5M from the Provincial and Federal Governments to complete the restoration of the historic Capital Theater. This resoration led to the newly renamed Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts being awarded the Prestigious “Theatre Preservation Award” presented by the League of Historic American Theatres. She was also instrumental in obtaining $7M in Federal and Provincial Funding to complete the construction of the Icomm Centre which has subsequently become the home of the Brantford Charity Casino.
In 1999, George chaired a citizen's committee that examined payment for councillors, police board members and appointees to Brantford Hydro. She supported Mike Hancock
's successful bid to become mayor of Brantford in 2003
and his bid for re-election in 2006
.
, but later joined the Progressive Conservatives
. She opposed a suggestion, made in 1996, that her party should merge or cooperate with the Reform Party of Canada
. In 1984 she contested the nomination for the Progressive Conservative Party, losing to Rick Sterne. After the Progressive Conservative Party merged with the Canadian Alliance
in 2003, she joined the resultant Conservative Party of Canada
. In the 2008 federal election
, she was an organizer for Conservative candidate Phil McColeman
.
In the 1999 provincial election
, George was the campaign manager for Progressive Conservative
candidate Alayne Sokoloski.
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....
. She served as 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 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. She was appointed to a federal small business consultative committee in 1986.In 1992 she entered the field of Financial Planning, starting as an associate with Bright and Associates and in 1994 opening an office "George and Edmison Partners" in partnership with Ken Edmison. She obtained her Certified Financial Planning Certificate and her Level 2 insurance licence.
Municipal politician
George was elected to the Brant County Board of EducationBrant 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...
and was re-elected in 1978
Brantford municipal election, 1978
The 1978 Brantford municipal election was held on November 13, 1978, to elect a mayor, councillors, and school trustees in Brantford, Ontario, Canada...
, 1980
Brantford municipal election, 1980
The 1980 Brantford municipal election was held on November 10, 1980, to elect a mayor, councillors, and school trustees in Brantford, Ontario, Canada...
, and 1982
Brantford municipal election, 1982
The 1982 Brantford municipal election was held on November 8, 1982, to elect a mayor, councillors, and school trustees in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. The surrounding rural and small-town municipalities also held elections on the same day.-Results:...
. During this time she served as Board Chair for two consecutive years. She was elected to 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 1985
Brantford municipal election, 1985
The 1985 Brantford municipal election was held on November 12, 1985, to elect a mayor, city councillors, and school trustees in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. The rural and small-town communities surrounding Brantford also held elections on the same day.-Results:...
, winning the first seat in the city's third ward.
She argued in favour of restoring the death penalty at a 1986 meeting of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario
Association of Municipalities of Ontario
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario is a non-profit organization representing municipal and regional governments in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created on June 22, 1972 through a merger of the Ontario Municipal Association and the Ontario Association of Mayors and Reeves...
.
Mayor
George was chosen as mayor of Brantford by a council vote in September 1987, after 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...
resigned the office by virtue of being elected 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...
. She defeated rival candidate John Starkey by a vote of six to four.
George was mayor of Brantford when Massey Combines Corp. closed down operations in the city, throwing 425 people out of work. Describing the closure as a terrible blow to the community, she worked with federal 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,...
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...
to find new employment opportunities for those affected. Later in the same year, she worked to obtain a grant from the provincial government to construct an industrial park
Industrial park
An industrial park is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development...
in the city.
Re-elected to a full term in 1988
Brantford municipal election, 1988
The 1988 Brantford municipal election was held on November 14, 1988, to elect a mayor, councillors, and school trustees in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. Elections were also held in the rural and small-town communities around the city.-Results:...
, George criticized the federal government's cuts to Via Rail
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
service in late 1989. She unexpectedly lost the mayoralty by a significant margin 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....
.
George was instrumental in the decision by Council to construct a new Police Station and to turn a downtown department store into and award winning Library. She worked with a community committee to obtain $2.5M from the Provincial and Federal Governments to complete the restoration of the historic Capital Theater. This resoration led to the newly renamed Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts being awarded the Prestigious “Theatre Preservation Award” presented by the League of Historic American Theatres. She was also instrumental in obtaining $7M in Federal and Provincial Funding to complete the construction of the Icomm Centre which has subsequently become the home of the Brantford Charity Casino.
In 1999, George chaired a citizen's committee that examined payment for councillors, police board members and appointees to Brantford Hydro. She 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 his bid for re-election in 2006
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 :...
.
Federal and provincial politics
George was initially a member of the New Democratic PartyNew 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...
, but later joined the Progressive Conservatives
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
. She opposed a suggestion, made in 1996, that her party should merge or cooperate with the Reform Party of Canada
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
. In 1984 she contested the nomination for the Progressive Conservative Party, losing to Rick Sterne. After the Progressive Conservative Party merged with the Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
in 2003, she joined the resultant Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
. In the 2008 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2008
The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
, she was an organizer for Conservative candidate Phil McColeman
Phil McColeman
Phil McColeman is a Canadian politician, who was elected to represent the electoral district of Brant in the 2008 Canadian federal election. He is a member of the Conservative Party.-External links:*...
.
In the 1999 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1999
An Ontario general election was held on June 3, 1999, to elect members of the 37th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, George was the campaign manager for Progressive Conservative
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...
candidate Alayne Sokoloski.