David Crombie

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David Edward Crombie, PC , OC , BA (born April 24, 1936) is a Canadian politician, professor and consultant.

Crombie was a lecturer in politics and urban affairs at Ryerson in the 1960s when he became involved in Toronto's urban reform movement. At the time, the city had a very pro-development city council that approved projects that levelled neighbourhoods to make way for the construction of huge apartment blocks and office towers. Crombie became a leader with John Sewell and other urban reformers in a grassroots pro-neighbourhood movement that favoured curtailing development in favour of improving social services and prioritising community interests.

Crombie was elected to Toronto's city council in 1970, and became Mayor of Toronto in 1972, ushering in a reform era inspired by thinkers such as Jane Jacobs. Under Crombie's leadership, the city council developed city plans to manage development, imposed a 40 foot limit on new buildings, promoted public transit, opposed the construction of new highways, and enhanced community input in local government. These measures were popular with downtown Toronto but this was a turning point in Metropolitan Toronto's (later City of Toronto after 1997) growth history; many businesses disliked Crombie's urban-reform measures which were seen as anti-development policies and began to migrate towards Peel Region and York Region, which had lower taxes, fewer restrictions, and less opposition to growth.

Crombie was enormously popular as mayor, being re-elected in 1974 and 1976 with large majorities. He was described as the city's "tiny, perfect mayor". He left City Hall in 1978 to move to federal politics, winning a by-election as a Progressive Conservative candidate that gave him a seat in the Canadian House of Commons. Crombie served as Minister of Health and Welfare in the short-lived minority government of Prime Minister Joe Clark which was elected in 1979 but lost power the next year.

Crombie stood as a candidate at the 1983 Progressive Conservative leadership convention. He finished fourth and urged his supporters to vote for John Crosbie, rather than Brian Mulroney. This move probably hurt his chances at being appointed to a senior position in a future Tory cabinet.

After Mulroney led Conservatives to power in the 1984 election, Crombie became minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, and later Secretary of State and Minister of Multiculturalism. Frustrated in Ottawa, as a Red Tory in an increasingly conservative government, Crombie decided not to run in the 1988 election, and returned to urban affairs as head of the royal commission on the future of Toronto's waterfront. Crombie tried to find an alternative to Red Hill Creek Expressway but the Hamilton city council dismissed his compromise proposal out of hand as being insufficient.

Throughout the 1990s, he served in various advisory capacities to city and provincial governments relating to urban issues in the Toronto area. He serves as CEO of the Canadian Urban Institute.

On May 13, 2004, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada.

David Crombie is the father of actor Jonathan Crombie. He also has two daughters, Robin Crombie and Carrie Crombie

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Political offices
Preceded by William Dennison	Mayor of Toronto 1972–1978	Succeeded by Fred Beavis, acting
Parliament of Canada
Preceded by Donald Stovel Macdonald	Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre 1978–1988	Succeeded by David MacDonald