Tom Gosnell
Encyclopedia
Thomas Charles Gosnell commonly called "Tom", was a mayor
of London
, Ontario
, Canada
from January 1, 1986 to March 6, 1994. He is the son of James Fredrick Gosnell
, known as "Fred", who was the mayor of London, Ontario, Canada briefly in 1972. Tom Gosnell is presently London City Council
's Deputy Mayor and Budget Chief.
and Burma while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force
during the Second World War
.
then jumped to the Board of Control in a "secret" ballot amongst council members, then ran as Mayor in 1971. Tom and his father would argue politics and later after his father's passing said "we used to fight a lot about politics, we were much alike. Black was black and white was white. Unfortunately he was right 90% of the time".
Tom Gosnell's brother Bill and former partner in Gosnell Paving Stone reflected in 1986 that his "younger brother was a political history buff" before he entered high school. "I suppose you can say our pop had a lot to do with shaping that, At a very early age he had taste buds for history and politics. He (Tom) gets mad when I refer to him as Joe Clark. Tom's always been controversial." His father died two months after Thomas Charles Gosnell was sworn in as London
's mayor.
In grade 13, Tom was a quarterback for the London Lords senior football team. He reflected in 1985 that he "hated running, and preferred game situations...when I played football the only time I ran was when a 300 pound lineman was tracking me down." Upon graduation from Laurier, Tom and Bill Gosnell played with Senior ORFU London Lords as two of the team's youngest players. "When Tom was with the Brantford Bisons (Ontario Junior Football Conference), the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
asked three or 4 of them to camp." Gosnell turned down the opportunity to try out as a tight end when he wanted to be a quarterback.
, the controversial Londoner and former owner of City Lights Book shop, was one of the few willing to comment about the new mayor
. "He was one of the worst aldermen in my experience. You couldn't get a hold of him. I had to bother and harass the guy to get him to call back," said Emery.
Tom responded that "the point is well made". As a business person and alderman often limited the public's access to him. "There were times in the past, and I'm the first to admit it, where I didn't get back to people as quickly as I could. And in some cases I didn't get back to them at all because along the way the message got lost or whatever."
Marc Emery
laid another charge that "Gosnell was elected because of his good looks and his father's name. (Tom) has 3 years to prove that wrong."
Gleeson had also tried to run for a federal Liberal nomination for London east when people such as Michael Coon, a salesman to Selby Young Printing stated, "We decided that Gleeson had declared his political colors and we hadn't, We could go into this (the mayoral race) apolitically."
Federally, the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
had beat the Liberal Party of Canada
under Pierre Trudeau
in the Canadian federal election, 1984
assisting any "Non" Liberal party at the time.
The "Gosnow" campaign started using "Gos Now!" buttons and the night before the election with Gleeson still favored, hundreds of green lawn sign
s sprung up in clusters on every major street corner in London. Some claim it was the decisive turning point in the campaign. Gosnell won by 2,847 votes.
In his university years Tom challenged authority, turning $2 parking tickets into 14-dollar summonses until one day the police arrived at his father's home on Warncliffe Road when Fred pulled Tom out of bed by the ankles one morning to find out why the police was at the door.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats
coach Tom Mooney
also had learned what it was like to be on the receiving end of Gosnell's temper. Gosnell unleashed a verbal tirade upon learning they wanted to try him out as a tight end and not a quarterback. The explanation was "rich in locker room vernacular lest there was any ambiguity in his position." "He was so blunt about it that it was very easy to be blunt back to him." Gosnell said "I realized at the time that I probably didn't have the ability to go on as a pro ball player, so it was a lot to do it." He then decided to run as mayor having reached his pinnacle of quarterback in semi-pro.
When he became mayor and until this day he still speaks his mind and when asked what he considered his most outstanding qualification to be mayor, he responded "I'm ".
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of London
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...
, 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....
, 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...
from January 1, 1986 to March 6, 1994. He is the son of James Fredrick Gosnell
James Fredrick Gosnell
James Fredrick Gosnell commonly called "Fred" was a mayor of London, Ontario, Canada from January 1, 1971 to March 6, 1972. His son Tom Gosnell was the mayor of London from 1986 to 1994 and is the present deputy mayor and budget chief....
, known as "Fred", who was the mayor of London, Ontario, Canada briefly in 1972. Tom Gosnell is presently 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....
's Deputy Mayor and Budget Chief.
Beginning years
Thomas Charles Gosnell was born in London, Ontario to Fred and Evelyn Gosnell with two siblings, William Douglas Gosnell, and sister Pamela Jane. He was raised by a respected man who was remembered as honorable and was quoted telling voters that he had no intention of offering a "batch of ridiculous promises. For me to do so would be nothing more than an insult to your intelligence and my integrity." His father believed in fighting for his country's freedom and practiced that as a London police officer and then saw military action in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Burma while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Introduction to politics
Tom Gosnell's first exposure to municipal politics was his father's successful campaign to be alderman for Ward 6 in 1966. James Fredrick GosnellJames Fredrick Gosnell
James Fredrick Gosnell commonly called "Fred" was a mayor of London, Ontario, Canada from January 1, 1971 to March 6, 1972. His son Tom Gosnell was the mayor of London from 1986 to 1994 and is the present deputy mayor and budget chief....
then jumped to the Board of Control in a "secret" ballot amongst council members, then ran as Mayor in 1971. Tom and his father would argue politics and later after his father's passing said "we used to fight a lot about politics, we were much alike. Black was black and white was white. Unfortunately he was right 90% of the time".
Tom Gosnell's brother Bill and former partner in Gosnell Paving Stone reflected in 1986 that his "younger brother was a political history buff" before he entered high school. "I suppose you can say our pop had a lot to do with shaping that, At a very early age he had taste buds for history and politics. He (Tom) gets mad when I refer to him as Joe Clark. Tom's always been controversial." His father died two months after Thomas Charles Gosnell was sworn in as London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's mayor.
Sports, sunshine and good times
Tom Gosnell was more rebellious as a teenager, arguing over his father over politics a great deal and devoting his spare time to sports, sunshine and good times. According to Tom's older brother Bill "Tom was one for enjoying fun and good-looking gals," and the fun generally included football.In grade 13, Tom was a quarterback for the London Lords senior football team. He reflected in 1985 that he "hated running, and preferred game situations...when I played football the only time I ran was when a 300 pound lineman was tracking me down." Upon graduation from Laurier, Tom and Bill Gosnell played with Senior ORFU London Lords as two of the team's youngest players. "When Tom was with the Brantford Bisons (Ontario Junior Football Conference), the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
asked three or 4 of them to camp." Gosnell turned down the opportunity to try out as a tight end when he wanted to be a quarterback.
Alderman
Thomas Charles Gosnell had not been short of controversy during his seven years as alderman. Marc EmeryMarc Emery
Marc Scott Emery is a Canadian cannabis policy reform advocate, as well as a former cannabis seed seller. He is currently serving a five year sentence in a United States federal prison for selling cannabis seeds....
, the controversial Londoner and former owner of City Lights Book shop, was one of the few willing to comment about the new mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
. "He was one of the worst aldermen in my experience. You couldn't get a hold of him. I had to bother and harass the guy to get him to call back," said Emery.
Tom responded that "the point is well made". As a business person and alderman often limited the public's access to him. "There were times in the past, and I'm the first to admit it, where I didn't get back to people as quickly as I could. And in some cases I didn't get back to them at all because along the way the message got lost or whatever."
Marc Emery
Marc Emery
Marc Scott Emery is a Canadian cannabis policy reform advocate, as well as a former cannabis seed seller. He is currently serving a five year sentence in a United States federal prison for selling cannabis seeds....
laid another charge that "Gosnell was elected because of his good looks and his father's name. (Tom) has 3 years to prove that wrong."
"Gosnow"
At 34, Tom Gosnell announced he was running on Sept 3, 1985 for mayor at the London City Press Club. The odds seemed against him but of the six competing for the mayor's position he had the best chance. In private his father "Fred" was harboring doubts as Gleeson was a formidable foe. Canada had just gone through a period of high interest rates and high unemployment and there was an appetite for change. Tom was also as well known as many long-time politicians during the campaign as his father popularized the family name.Gleeson had also tried to run for a federal Liberal nomination for London east when people such as Michael Coon, a salesman to Selby Young Printing stated, "We decided that Gleeson had declared his political colors and we hadn't, We could go into this (the mayoral race) apolitically."
Federally, the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
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....
had beat the Liberal Party of Canada
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...
under Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
in the Canadian federal election, 1984
Canadian federal election, 1984
The Canadian federal election of 1984 was held on September 4 of that year to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada...
assisting any "Non" Liberal party at the time.
The "Gosnow" campaign started using "Gos Now!" buttons and the night before the election with Gleeson still favored, hundreds of green lawn sign
Lawn sign
Lawn signs are used for local advertising. They can be used by business such as real estate and are popular in election campaigns in some countries. They are small signs that can be placed on the property of a business or on the lawns of a candidate's supporters...
s sprung up in clusters on every major street corner in London. Some claim it was the decisive turning point in the campaign. Gosnell won by 2,847 votes.
"I'm Aggressive"
Tom Gosnell reflected for the LF Press in 1986 that his opinionated side comes from his father. During his university years when he let his hair grow long and wore peace patches on the pockets of his blue jeans, the father and son did not get along famously.In his university years Tom challenged authority, turning $2 parking tickets into 14-dollar summonses until one day the police arrived at his father's home on Warncliffe Road when Fred pulled Tom out of bed by the ankles one morning to find out why the police was at the door.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
coach Tom Mooney
Tom Mooney
Thomas, Tom or Tommy Mooney may refer to:*Thomas Mooney , American labor leader in San Francisco*Thomas Mooney , Northern Irish footballer...
also had learned what it was like to be on the receiving end of Gosnell's temper. Gosnell unleashed a verbal tirade upon learning they wanted to try him out as a tight end and not a quarterback. The explanation was "rich in locker room vernacular lest there was any ambiguity in his position." "He was so blunt about it that it was very easy to be blunt back to him." Gosnell said "I realized at the time that I probably didn't have the ability to go on as a pro ball player, so it was a lot to do it." He then decided to run as mayor having reached his pinnacle of quarterback in semi-pro.
When he became mayor and until this day he still speaks his mind and when asked what he considered his most outstanding qualification to be mayor, he responded "I'm ".