Editing June Rowlands

{{Short description|Canadian politician (1924–2017)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = June Rowlands
| image               = June Rowlands by Cavouk c1991 (cropped).jpg
| alt                 = June Rowlands, Mayor of Toronto from 1991 to 1994
| office              = Mayor of Toronto
| term_start          = December 1, 1991
| term_end            = November 30, 1994
| predecessor         = [[Art Eggleton]]
| successor           = [[Barbara Hall (politician)|Barbara Hall]]
| birthname           = June Pendock
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1924|5|14}}
| birth_place         = [[Saint-Laurent, Quebec]], Canada
| death_date          = {{death date and age|2017|12|21|1924|5|14}}
| death_place         = [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], Canada
| party               = [[Independent politician|Independent]] (municipal)
| spouse              = Harry Rowlands (div.)
| children            = 5
| order               = 60th
| otherparty          = [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] (federal)
}}

'''June Rowlands''' (née '''Pendock'''; May 14, 1924 – December 21, 2017) was a Canadian politician who was the [[List of mayors of Toronto|60th]] [[mayor of Toronto]] from 1991 to 1994.<ref>{{cite news |date=November 13, 1991 |title=Mayor Rowlands: time to reach out |page=A26 |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/466147591.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+13,+1991&author=&pub=Toronto+Star&desc=Mayor+Rowlands:+time+to+reach+out&pqatl=google |access-date=February 13, 2011 |archive-date=June 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628230215/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/466147591.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+13,+1991&author=&pub=Toronto+Star&desc=Mayor+Rowlands:+time+to+reach+out&pqatl=google |url-status=dead }}</ref> She was the first woman to serve as Toronto's mayor. Rowlands also served as a city councillor and was chair of the [[Toronto Police Services Board|Metropolitan Toronto Police Commission]].

==Early years==
Rowlands was born as '''June Pendock''' in 1924 in [[Saint-Laurent, Quebec]], and raised in Toronto. She graduated from the [[University of Toronto]].<ref name=sketch>{{cite news|title=Rowlands quick sketch|newspaper=The Hamilton Spectator|date=June 2, 1992|page=C6}}</ref> Before public life Rowlands worked as a customer representative with [[Bell Canada]].<ref name="v1.theglobeandmail.com">{{cite web |url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/theglobeandmail/obituary.aspx?n=june-rowlands&pid=190006197 |title=June Rowlands obituary |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |access-date=June 11, 2019}}</ref>  Rowlands served with the Association of Women Electors and National Council on Welfare in the 1970s.

She was also president of the Metro Family Service Association and served on the board of directors of the Central Mortgage and Housing Corp.<ref>{{cite news|title=June Rowlands: The enigma on city executive?|last=Shepherd|first=Harvey|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=December 9, 1978|page=16}}</ref>

She and her husband Harry Rowlands (1922–1989),<ref name="v1.theglobeandmail.com"/> whom she divorced, raised five children.<ref name=sketch/>

==Political career==
Rowlands was elected to [[Toronto City Council]] in [[1976 Toronto municipal election|1976]]. She served as the junior alderman for Ward 10 covering Rosedale and part of North Toronto.<ref name="1976TorontoResults">{{cite news |title=Voting Results |newspaper=The Toronto Star |date=December 7, 1976 |page=A11}}</ref> In 1978, she topped the vote in her ward becoming its senior alderman with the added duty of sitting on [[Metropolitan Toronto#Political structure|Metro Council]].<ref name="1978MetroResults">{{cite news |title=Metro Elections: How you voted |newspaper=The Toronto Star |date=November 14, 1978 |pages=A12–A13}}</ref>
In the 1980s, as a Metro Councillor, she was appointed to sit in the [[Toronto Transit Commission]] becoming the first woman member of that body.<ref>{{cite news |title=Godfrey returned as Metro Chairman |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=December 10, 1980 |page=13}}</ref>
She attempted to enter federal politics by running for the [[Liberal Party of Canada]] in the [[1984 Canadian federal election|1984 federal election]]. She ran in the suburban riding of [[York—Scarborough (federal electoral district)|York—Scarborough]], far from her electoral base in the [[old City of Toronto]], and was defeated by [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative]] [[Paul McCrossan]].<ref name="1984 results">{{cite news |title=How Canada voted |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=September 5, 1984 |pages=14–15}}</ref>

Rowlands remained on both Metro and Toronto City Councils until the [[1988 Toronto municipal election|1988 municipal election]] in which she did not run but accepted an appointment as Chair of the Police Commission.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rowlands to head police commission |first=Denise |last=Harrington |newspaper=Toronto Star |date=April 6, 1988 |page=A1}}</ref> In 1991, she left the commission after being replaced as commissioner by [[Susan Eng]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Controversial Susan Eng touted as head of Metro police board |first=Royson |last=James |newspaper=Toronto Star |date=March 23, 1991 |page=A1}}</ref>

===Mayor of Toronto===
Rowlands was elected mayor in [[1991 Toronto municipal election|1991]] after a campaign that focused on law and order. The election began with a group of three centre-right women: Rowlands, [[Susan Fish]], and [[Betty Disero]]. The left was mostly unified behind City Councillor [[Jack Layton]]. Eventually, right wing support coalesced around Rowlands, and she was elected by a two-to-one margin over Layton after the withdrawal of her fellow female candidates.<ref name="star2017" />

Rowlands is commonly associated with a 1991 incident in which the emerging Toronto pop group [[Barenaked Ladies]] was barred from performing at the city's annual New Year's Eve show at Nathan Phillips Square on the grounds that the group's name objectified women. Rowlands maintained that the decision was taken by city staff in the Protocol Office, not herself.<ref name="star2017" /> On September 5, 1994, Rowlands attempted to present a [[key to the city]] to the Barenaked Ladies before their concert in Toronto. However, the band refused to accept it, with Barenaked Ladies singer [[Steven Page]] later stating, "she doesn't have my vote",<ref>{{cite news|url=https://stcatharinesstandard.newspapers.com/image/1021941932|title=No thanks to mayor|date=September 6, 1994}}</ref> in reference to the [[1994 Toronto municipal election|election]] later that year.

After one term in office, Rowlands was defeated in [[1994 Toronto municipal election|1994]] by [[Barbara Hall (politician)|Barbara Hall]], and retired from politics.<ref name="star2017" />

== Death ==
Rowlands died in her sleep at a long-term care facility in downtown Toronto on December 21, 2017, aged 93.<ref name="star2017">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/12/21/former-toronto-mayor-june-rowlands-dead-at-age-93.html |title=Former Toronto mayor June Rowlands dead at age 93 |first1=Jenna |last1=Moon |first2=Vjosa |last2=Isai |work=[[Toronto Star]] |date=December 21, 2017}}</ref>

Toronto Mayor [[John Tory]] offered his condolences, and flags at [[Toronto City Hall]], [[Metro Hall]] and other civic centres were lowered to [[half-mast]] until December 29, 2017.<ref>{{cite press release| url=https://www.toronto.ca/home/media-room/news-releases-media-advisories/?nrkey=ECC218A56D869E58852581FE0053AD30| title=City of Toronto mourns passing of former Mayor June Rowlands| date=December 22, 2017| first=Jennifer| last=Wing| publisher=[[City of Toronto government]]}}</ref>

== June Rowlands Park ==
{{Infobox park
| name = June Rowlands Park
| photo = 
| photo_caption = 
| map = 
| map_width = 
| type = 
| location = 220 Davisville Ave, [[North Toronto]] ([[Davisville Village]])
| coords = {{Coord|43|42|02|N|79|23|18|W|region:CA-ON_type:landmark|display=inline}}
| area = 
| created = 1923<ref name=rename />
| operator = [[Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division]]
| status = 
| open = 
| website = [http://www.toronto.ca/parks/prd/facilities/complex/78/index.htm June Rowlands Park]
}}

'''June Rowlands Park''', formerly Davisville Park, was renamed in 2004 in recognition for her dedication to the City of Toronto.<ref name=rename>
{{cite web |url=http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/2004/agendas/council/cc040518/ts4rpt/cl014.pdf |title=Renaming of Davisville Park to June Rowlands Park |date=May 18, 2004 |work=Report No.4 of the Toronto South Community Council |publisher=City of Toronto |access-date=April 13, 2012}}</ref> Located on the northwest corner of Davisville Avenue and Mount Pleasant Road (within her old Ward 10), the park is the recreational hub of the area, with a baseball diamond, a children's playground named after [[Sharon, Lois and Bram]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Skinner |first=Justin |date=2015-04-01 |title=Sharon, Lois and Bram playground in June Rowlands Park |url=https://www.toronto.com/news/sharon-lois-and-bram-playground-in-june-rowlands-park/article_26f90772-d76c-5638-9314-3ad29cd5f0b9.html |access-date=2024-04-11 |website=Toronto.com |language=en}}</ref> and a wading pool.<ref>[http://ellidavis.com/toronto/neighbourhoods/davisville-village The Elli Davis Team: Davisville Village]</ref> The Davisville Tennis Club operates six courts along the north side of the park on Millwood Road.<ref>[http://www.davisvilletennisclub.com/location.aspx Davisville Tennis Club location]</ref>

==References==
{{Archival records|title=June Rowlands fonds|location=|inventory_number=Fonds 1335|description_URL=http://gencat.eloquent-systems.com/torontodetail.html?key=58869|dates=|access_conditions=}}
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}
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{{succession box|
before=[[Clare Westcott]] |
title=[[Toronto Police Services Board|Chair of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Commission]] |
years=1989–1991 |
after=[[Susan Eng]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{TorMayors}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowlands, June}}
[[Category:1924 births]]
[[Category:2017 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century mayors of places in Ontario]]
[[Category:Anglophone Quebec people]]
[[Category:People from Saint-Laurent, Quebec]]
[[Category:Politicians from Montreal]]
[[Category:Mayors of Toronto]]
[[Category:Toronto city councillors]]
[[Category:Metropolitan Toronto councillors]]
[[Category:Women mayors of places in Ontario]]
[[Category:Chairs of the Toronto Police Services Board]]
[[Category:University of Toronto alumni]]
[[Category:First women mayors]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian women politicians]]