Hired at 101 to manage Canada’s largest airport


  • Hazel McCallion, a former hockey player, began her political career in her 60s


  • McCallion was the mayor of Toronto’s most prosperous municipality for 40 years


  • In addition to managing Toronto Airport, the largest in the country, McCallion is an advisor to the Canadian government and the University of Toronto-Mississauga.

Who said you can’t start a new life at 60? Hazel McCallion was born in 1921; that is, he is 101 years old. If being a centenarian is in itself worthy of interest, it is even more so if you are hired for direct toronto airport at this age, and if, in addition, you are a woman and have started a new professional career almost when others are retiring. These are exactly McCallion’s credentials. They call it ‘Hurricane’ and it’s not for less.

A life full of challenges

When Hazel McCallion was born, the first airplane flight motorized was not even 20 years old. A century and many lifetimes later, McCallion has been hired to lead the Canada’s largest airportthat of the City of Toronto.

Where does this force of nature come from? Hazel McCallion was professional hockey player during his youth. During these years he earned the nickname ‘Hurricane’ for lThe speed and strength of his style of play. However, McCallion is not known for her sporting activity, but for having been during 40 years mayor of MississaugaToronto’s wealthiest municipality and the country’s sixth largest city.

He wanted to retire at 94

At 94, the mayor of Mississauga wanted to retire from the municipal management. However, three years later, after act as an advisor of the Premier of Ontario (an authority similar to that of a regional president), she was appointed as a director of the board of directors of the Greater Toronto Port Authority, a position that involves airport management. How could he have remained close to political power all these years? For the Premier of Ontario, “McCallion is a icon of Canadian culture and societyin addition to one political encyclopedia of the country”. Politics was indeed the protagonist of a major exhibition on his life when he was 100 years old.

But let no one expect this “hurricane” to be a chinese vase of politics, the typical president who is equally respected and ignored. In the case of the airport, the surprise is that at the age of 101, he was asked to renew his position for three morewhich would end his term at 104 years.

even more active

If anyone sees in the management of the airport a sort of golden retreat, is not correct. McCallion has also decided to extend his term as special adviser at the university of Toronto-Mississauga.

For their part, the citizens of Ontario hope that McCallion will continue to be force of nature that has characterized its management for years. “I am happy that Ms McCallion has agreed to continue serving to the Greater Toronto Airports Authority,” said Omar Alghabra, federal transportation minister, in a statement, which highlighted Hazel McCallion’s role during the over 40 years old of service to the community.

Alvin Nguyen

"Amateur introvert. Pop culture trailblazer. Incurable bacon aficionado."

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