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About the Documentary

Her remarkable story, in her own words

“Unequalled. Remarkable. Unusual. Of which there is only one.” That is the Oxford dictionary’s description of the word unique — and unquestionably, it is the word that best describes Hazel McCallion.

Born the youngest of five children in the small fishing village of Port Daniel on the Gaspé coast, she acquired from her mother Amanda Maud the toughness and strong will that would eventually lead her to the political arena. The hockey arena also played an important role. As a young woman studying and working in Montreal, she dazzled her women’s hockey league teammates with her blazing speed and scoring prowess. Legend has it that she took a forward pass during a game and skated down the St. Lawrence River, not stopping until she reached the Toronto region. The rest, as they say, is history.

With a heart of gold, a will of steel and a fist of iron, Hazel managed the affairs of the City of Mississauga “like a business” for as long as many of her citizens can remember. Her tenure spanned nearly four decades. The reason for that longevity: she never lost touch with the people who put her in office. For 36 years she guided, with gusto, her little town’s transformation into the sixth-largest city in the nation.

Mississauga’s debt-free record of achievement and financial success was the envy of Canada, and perhaps North America. Her defining characteristics: incredibly smart, an uncompromising work ethic, an absolute fanatic about being prepared, unparalleled energy, and a fierce, tough-as-nails attitude when it came to protecting and promoting her city and her people.

Whether welcoming celebrities, world leaders or new companies to her city, hauling in a big salmon from the mouth of the Credit River, participating in a daily myriad of community events, or raising much needed funds for a local charity, Hazel McCallion did it with style and passion. This is her remarkable story, told in her own words, and by the people who knew her best.