Megan Walker
Encyclopedia
Megan Walker is the executive director of the London Abused Women's Centre in London, Ontario
, Canada
, a community activist, a former AM radio co-host and also a former member of London City Council
from 1994-2000, representing Ward 6.
During her two, three-year terms on city council, Walker chaired the Community and Protective Services Committee, the Environment and Transportation Committee, the Middlesex-London Board of Health, the London Coordinating Committee to End Woman Abuse and the Taxi Driver Safety Task Force.
in west London. Of three members of city council offered money, Walker was the only person to contact the police.
Subsequently, former alderman/ London Hydro chairperson George Avola was convicted on three counts of municipal corruption
after a week-long trial in 1997.
In 1992, Walker received the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation
of Canada Medal honouring Canadians who have made a significant contribution to their fellow citizens, to their community or to Canada.
sports columnist, Morris Dalla Costa, with whom she co-hosted the Megan and Morris in the Morning radio show on CJBK
from 9 a.m. to 12 noon from September 2004 to February 2006.
candidate in the federal riding of London North Centre
for the November 27, 2006, by-election
called to fill the vacancy created when longtime Liberal
Member of Parliament
Joe Fontana
resigned from the Canadian House of Commons
to run in the 2006 mayoral election
in London.
Walker placed 4th, to the chagrin of her volunteers. Polls had shown that Walker was receiving support in the 40% range before the final days of the campaign.
are as follows:
|-
|Glen Pearson
|align="right"|13,287
|align="right"|34.84%
|align="right"|-5.27%
|-
|Elizabeth May
|align="right"|9,864
|align="right"|25.87%
|align="right"|+20.38%
|-
|Dianne Haskett
|align="right"|9,309
|align="right"|24.42%
|align="right"|-5.48%
|-
|Megan Walker
|align="right"|5,388
|align="right"|14.13%
|align="right"|-9.62%
|-
| Steven Hunter
|align="right"|145
|align="right"|0.38%
|align="right"|-0.09%
|-
| Robert Ede
|align="right"|77
|align="right"|0.20%
|align="right"|-
|-
|Will Arlow
|align="right"|53
|align="right"|0.14%
|align="right"|-
|- bgcolor="white"
|align="left" colspan=3|Total
|align="right"|38,123
|align="right"|100.00%
|align="right"|
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...
, 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...
, a community activist, a former AM radio co-host and also a former member of London City Council
London City Council
London City Council is the governing body of the city of London, Ontario, Canada.-Composition:One Councillor represents each of the 14 city wards along with the Mayor,Joe Fontana resulting in a 15-member city council....
from 1994-2000, representing Ward 6.
During her two, three-year terms on city council, Walker chaired the Community and Protective Services Committee, the Environment and Transportation Committee, the Middlesex-London Board of Health, the London Coordinating Committee to End Woman Abuse and the Taxi Driver Safety Task Force.
Exposes municipal corruption
Of note during Walker's first term on city council in 1995 was her willingness to go to the police after being offered money (several months after the deadline to donate to municipal election campaigns had expired) just prior to a committee vote on a key planning matter regarding the city's urban growth boundaryUrban growth boundary
An urban growth boundary, or UGB, is a regional boundary, set in an attempt to control urban sprawl by mandating that the area inside the boundary be used for higher density urban development and the area outside be used for lower density development.An urban growth boundary circumscribes an...
in west London. Of three members of city council offered money, Walker was the only person to contact the police.
Subsequently, former alderman/ London Hydro chairperson George Avola was convicted on three counts of municipal corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
after a week-long trial in 1997.
Fought for branch library service
Walker first became a community activist in the early 1990s when she resided in old east London and successfully fought to keep the area's Carson Branch Library open.In 1992, Walker received the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation
Confederation
A confederation in modern political terms is a permanent union of political units for common action in relation to other units. Usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution, confederations tend to be established for dealing with critical issues such as defense, foreign...
of Canada Medal honouring Canadians who have made a significant contribution to their fellow citizens, to their community or to Canada.
Co-hosted radio show with husband
Walker is married to veteran London Free PressLondon Free Press
The London Free Press is a daily newspaper based in London, Ontario, Canada.The London Free Press began as the Canadian Free Press, founded by William Sutherland in 1847. It first began printing as a weekly newspaper in 1849. In 1852, it was purchased for $500 by Josiah Blackburn, who renamed it...
sports columnist, Morris Dalla Costa, with whom she co-hosted the Megan and Morris in the Morning radio show on CJBK
CJBK (AM)
CJBK is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting in London, Ontario at 1290 kHz. The station, owned by Astral Media, has an effective radiated power of 10,000 watts, as a class B station. The station airs a news, talk and sports format...
from 9 a.m. to 12 noon from September 2004 to February 2006.
NDP candidate in federal by-election
Walker was 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...
candidate in the federal riding of London North Centre
London North Centre
London North Centre is an electoral district in the province of Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997....
for the November 27, 2006, by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
called to fill the vacancy created when longtime 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...
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,...
Joe Fontana
Joe Fontana
Joseph Frank "Joe" Fontana, PC is the current mayor of London, Ontario. He was previously a Liberal member of the Parliament of Canada for the riding of London North Centre....
resigned from the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
to run in the 2006 mayoral election
Ontario municipal elections, 2006
In the 2006 municipal elections in Ontario, voters in the province of Ontario, elected mayors, councillors, school board trustees and all other elected officials in all of Ontario's municipalities. These elections were regulated by the .- Date :...
in London.
Walker placed 4th, to the chagrin of her volunteers. Polls had shown that Walker was receiving support in the 40% range before the final days of the campaign.
Electoral Record
With 253 of 253 polls reporting, the official by-election results from Elections CanadaElections Canada
Elections Canada is an independent, non-partisan agency reporting directly to the Parliament of Canada. Its ongoing responsibility is to ensure that Canadians can exercise their choices in federal elections and referenda through an open and impartial process...
are as follows:
- 38,123 of 89,139 registered electors voted (42.8 per-cent turnout)
|-
|Glen Pearson
Glen Pearson
Glen Douglas Pearson is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a former Member of Parliament for London North Centre, and is a member of the Liberal Party of Canada.-Life and career:...
|align="right"|13,287
|align="right"|34.84%
|align="right"|-5.27%
|-
|Elizabeth May
Elizabeth May
Elizabeth Evans May, OC, MP is an American-born Canadian Member of Parliament, environmentalist, writer, activist, lawyer, and the leader of the Green Party of Canada. She was the executive director of the Sierra Club of Canada from 1989 to 2006. She became a Canadian citizen in 1978.May's...
|align="right"|9,864
|align="right"|25.87%
|align="right"|+20.38%
|-
|Dianne Haskett
Dianne Haskett
Dianne Louise Haskett was mayor of London, Ontario, Canada, from 1994 to 2000. She served two, three-year mayoral terms, making a priority of downtown revitalization, heritage preservation, economic development, neighbourhood protection, protecting the environment, international relations, trade...
|align="right"|9,309
|align="right"|24.42%
|align="right"|-5.48%
|-
|Megan Walker
|align="right"|5,388
|align="right"|14.13%
|align="right"|-9.62%
|-
| Steven Hunter
|align="right"|145
|align="right"|0.38%
|align="right"|-0.09%
|-
| Robert Ede
|align="right"|77
|align="right"|0.20%
|align="right"|-
|-
|Will Arlow
|align="right"|53
|align="right"|0.14%
|align="right"|-
|- bgcolor="white"
|align="left" colspan=3|Total
|align="right"|38,123
|align="right"|100.00%
|align="right"|