Join us for our Saturday Matinee on August 29, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. on our YouTube channel as we continue to visit our archive of fascinating presentations and lectures.

This week we will be featuring the Mary Fix Memorial Lecture: “A Milestone Lecture by Hazel McCallion” which originally took place on November 18, 2003 at the Mississauga Central Library.

The theme of the highly anticipated lecture was the celebration of civic heritage and spirit during which Hazel McCallion provided a self assessment of her 25 years as Mayor, as of November 2003, and reflected on many her years of service in public office.

Speakers also acknowledge the incredible contributions and dedication to heritage preservation and celebration by the incomparable Mary Fix (1896 – 1972) who was herself a prominent political figure and heritage advocate.

Heritage Mississauga is honoured to present this historic lecture featuring two iconic political powerhouses whose tenacity and leadership continue to inspire generations.

Mary Fix (1896-1972)
Mary Fix was one of Canada’s first female municipal leaders. An accomplished, widely travelled lawyer, she was the reeve of the Township of Toronto (as Mississauga was known before 1968) in 1955 and again from 1957 to 1959. She headed a reform movement dedicated to healthier neighbourhoods, better planning, and an overhaul of antiquated management practices.

A former international purchasing director for the T. Eaton Company, and fluently bilingual in English and French, she held leadership positions in various national and provincial organizations representing municipalities. She also served a term as warden of Peel County.

Mrs. Fix was a champion of the heritage movement. She was instrumental in the preservation of Bradley House and in the formation of the Toronto Township Historical Foundation, predecessor to Heritage Mississauga (the Mississauga Heritage Foundation).

Always assertive and often confrontational, Mrs. Fix was sharply critical of her “good ol’ boy” predecessors. “They are doing petty jobs,” she complained. “While they argued about $2 boots for firemen, they had no time to look at the $3 million debenture debt they were piling behind them.”

After retiring from politics, Mrs. Fix spent time on many community projects, such as writing about local history and chairing the library board. In her will, she left her property to the municipality. The grounds are a public park, and the modest but charming home has been used by various social-service agencies.