Big Daddy: Frederick G. Gardiner and the Building of Metropolitan Toronto

Author:   Timothy Colton
Publisher:   University of Toronto Press
ISBN:  

9781442639294


Pages:   246
Publication Date:   15 December 1980
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   To order   Availability explained
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Big Daddy: Frederick G. Gardiner and the Building of Metropolitan Toronto


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Overview

Frederick Gardiner's public life was rich and long, from his initiation into politics as a Toronto schoolboy before the First World War, through his involvement with the Ontario Conservative party and suburban politics in the 1930s and 1940s, on through his years as first chairman of Metropolitan Toronto (1953-61), to the relinquishing of his last public office in 1979. This is a readable and perceptive biography of the exuberant and powerful politician who captured the public imagination of Toronto and created a legend around himself during his lifetime. The book focuses mainly on Gardiner's experience as founding boss of Metropolitan Toronto. This first metropolitan government in North America was in many ways his personal machine. Gardiner made an indispensable contribution to its effectiveness and to its very survival. He presided over an unprecedented boom in urban development and construction. His public works projects included the first urban expressway in Canada (the Gardiner Expressway). Gardiner's political nickname, 'Big Daddy,' fits him well. He revelled in his reputation as a political bulldozer, and was often described as the Canadian equivalent of Robert Moses, the famous and feared coordinator of construction for New York City. Gardiner was a man for the times, an unusual person whose character seemed to match the requirements of a city bursting at its seams. His lack of interest in public participation generated great controversy and left a lasting impression on Toronto's metropolitan government. Readers concerned with politics and urban government will learn much from Gardiner's experiences and conduct as he wrestled with his political surroundings and with urban policy problems such as planning, housing, and transportation. And this portrait of a dynamic and aggressive man who symbolized the Toronto on a generation ago will appeal to those who remember these years.

Full Product Details

Author:   Timothy Colton
Publisher:   University of Toronto Press
Imprint:   University of Toronto Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.00cm , Length: 22.60cm
Weight:   0.380kg
ISBN:  

9781442639294


ISBN 10:   1442639296
Pages:   246
Publication Date:   15 December 1980
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order   Availability explained
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

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Timothy J. Colton is Morris and Anna Feldberg Professor of Government and Russian Studies and the Chair of the Department of Government at Harvard University.

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