Mel Lastman

Melvin Douglas (Mel) Lastman (b. March 9, 1933 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada), was the mayor of the former city of North York from 1972 until 1998. In 1998, North York amalgamated with the city of Toronto. Lastman ran for and won the mayoral race for the new city, beating incumbent Toronto mayor Barbara Hall. Re-elected in November 2000, he served his full final term. Lastman did not run for the 2003 municipal election.

Outside of his political career, Lastman ran a discount furniture store, Bad Boy Furniture. It eventually went bankrupt, but was later resurrected by his son.

Re-elected in November 2000 with an 80% majority, his closest opponent, civic activist Tooker Gomberg, drew just a little more than 8% of the vote.

Lastman shared Gomberg's three main campaign planks: committing Toronto to 100% recycling diversion by 2010 to replace the controversial Adams Mine Dump plan, agreeing with Prime Minister Jean Chrétien to end homelessness in Toronto, and appointing Jane Jacobs, the ethicist and urbanist to head the Toronto Charter Committee to explore the potential for more autonomy for Toronto. Jacobs had publicly endorsed Gomberg.

Lastman was supported by many in North York for operating that city efficiently and effectively, and for keeping property taxes low. He was also criticized for not listening to other city councillors. As mayor of Toronto, he was criticized for not being able to control city council, and for being too close to lobbyists.

Lastman was an outspoken politician, a trait that was sometimes problematic, but that also endeared him to many Toronto residents. He was sometimes prone to committing public gaffes. For example, Lastman injured Toronto's bid for the 2008 Olympic Games when he was asked whether he would go to a meeting in Mombasa, Kenya, and expressed concern about ending up in a pot of boiling water. While Lastman apologized profusely for the joke, it brought into question Toronto's reputation as an international city. Lastman was also ridiculed for greeting and shaking hands with members of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang when they held a convention in Toronto.

On November 10, 2003, David Miller was elected to replace him as city mayor. Lastman retired from politics, due to his deteriorating health. He had a heart attack on September 9, 2004, but is reportedly "doing absolutely fantastic", according to his son, Blayne.