40 Facts About Art Eggleton

Arthur C Eggleton was born on September 29,1943 and is a retired Canadian politician who served as the 59th and longest-serving mayor of Toronto from 1980 to 1991.

Art Eggleton was elected to Parliament in 1993, running as a Liberal in York Centre and served as a member of Parliament until 2004 when he declined to seek re-election.

Art Eggleton was appointed to the Senate in 2005, serving until he reached the mandatory retirement age of 75 in 2018.

Art Eggleton served as budget chief in the council elected in 1973 under David Crombie.

Art Eggleton was the Liberal Party candidate in the October 16,1978, federal by-election held in Toronto's west-end Parkdale electoral district in which he was defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Yuri Shymko.

Art Eggleton ran for re-election to Toronto City Council in Ward 4.

Art Eggleton was a member of Toronto City Council and the Metropolitan Toronto Council for 22 years.

Art Eggleton was Mayor of Toronto from 1980 to 1991, when he retired from municipal politics as the longest-serving mayor in Toronto history.

Art Eggleton supported the expansion and improvement of Toronto's parks and green spaces, including the creation of new parks and the development of existing ones.

In 1984, Eggleton assisted the Minister of Environment in opening the Martin Goodman Trail, named for the president and editor-in-chief of the Toronto Star, who died three years previously.

In June 2018 Art Eggleton introduced a bill to the Senate to create Canada's first National Food Program, which received support from the Government of Canada in 2019.

In 1990, Toronto Pride organizers filed a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Commission after Art Eggleton did not officially declare the day.

Art Eggleton voted in favour of Bill C-38 known as the Civil Marriage Act which legalized same-sex marriage in Canada.

Art Eggleton won by a significant margin, receiving 92,994 votes to Johnston's 59,817.

In recognition of his service to the city, Art Eggleton received Toronto's highest honour, the Civic Award of Merit in 1992.

Art Eggleton ran in the 1993 election in the suburban Toronto riding of York Centre, again as a Liberal, and won election.

Art Eggleton was appointed to the position of President of the Treasury Board and Minister for Infrastructure in the new cabinet.

Art Eggleton retained his seat in the 1997 election, and was appointed Minister of National Defence.

In 1999, Art Eggleton supported Canada's involvement in NATO's campaign in Kosovo.

Art Eggleton was re-elected again in the 2000 election, and continued as Minister of Defence, focusing on sweeping changes to the National Defence Act which implemented changes to the military justice system, including the set up of several oversight entities including the nation's first ever Military Ombudsman and a Military Police Complaints Commission.

Art Eggleton improved compensation and benefits for Canadian Forces personnel and their families dedicating roughly $700 million in funding to provide housing and pay under the quality of life program.

In November 1999, Art Eggleton established a new ministerial advisory board focused on gender integration and employment equity in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Art Eggleton toured Canadian peacekeeping forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Kosovo and the Central African Republic.

Art Eggleton pushed for increased procurement of equipment and the continued modernization of the Canadian Armed Forces during his time as Minister for National Defence.

In January 2002, Chretien and Art Eggleton were accused of misleading Parliament.

Art Eggleton stepped down from cabinet in May 2002, amid allegations of a breach of cabinet minister conflict guidelines by hiring a former girlfriend for a research contract and after ethics counsellor, Howard Wilson, concluded Art Eggleton breached conflict guidelines for cabinet ministers.

Art Eggleton then became a member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade.

On May 13,2004, Art Eggleton announced he would not be a candidate in the 2004 federal election, making way for the nomination of Ken Dryden as the Liberal candidate in York Centre.

Art Eggleton was appointed to the Senate by Paul Martin on March 24,2005.

Art Eggleton served as both chair and Deputy Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science, and Technology for 12 years in which his focus was on social justice and health care issues.

Art Eggleton served on the Bureau of Liberal International, representing the Liberal Party of Canada, as a vice-president for two years and treasurer for one year.

Art Eggleton was co-opted to the Bureau of Liberal International as a vice president at the 185th Executive Committee in Cape Town, South Africa in November 2010.

Art Eggleton served on the Senate Modernization Committee, and at different times on the National Finance, Transportation and Communications committees.

Art Eggleton started and convened the Open Caucus a non-partisan discussion open to all Senators and MPs on major issues of the day bringing together expert panelists to dialogue with parliamentarians.

Art Eggleton retired from the Senate on September 29,2018, upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75.

In July 2018, Art Eggleton wrote, with fellow Canadian Senator Raymonde Saint-Germain, calling for an update to Canadian privacy legislation, adapting it to protect people's data given the rise of new technologies.

Art Eggleton was the Chair of the World Council on City Data's Advisory Board.

Art Eggleton published an e-book with four other authors make the case for basic income in Canada.

Art Eggleton serves on the board of directors of Toronto Kiwanis Boys and Girls Club, a charity that offers social service to youth in Toronto.

Art Eggleton is a Vice-President of Liberal International, an international consortium of liberal and progressive democratic political parties and citizen groups headquartered in London, England and promoting liberal democracy and liberal values as well as being President of the Canadian Group of Liberal International.