Mayor June Rowlands

Former Mayor of Toronto June Rowlands, whose run lasted from 1991 to 1994, was the first woman ever to become the Mayor of Toronto. While that is one of the things that she will always be known for, her short time as the Mayor of Toronto also included one incident that will forever keep her in the minds of other Torontonians and more. I am referring to her banning of Toronto band, The Barenaked Ladies from performing at City Hall. While who is really to blame for the incident remains a bit of a mystery, it was stated that she banned the group because she felt their name objectified women. Ion turn this led to quite a bit of negative press for her but some great national and international recognition for the band.

Before becoming the first woman to hold the title of Mayor of Toronto, June Rowlands also held a chair on the Toronto Police Services Board from 1988 to 1991. As well, she had many years under her belt as a city councilor. During her time as the Mayor of Toronto, June Rowlands gained a reputation for being out of touch with the city due to a few incidents, one of which included a youth riot that wreaked havoc in the downtown core, even shutting down a large part of Yonge Street. She was accused of being unaware of the problem which happened only a few blocks from city hall. It wasn’t too surprising that June Rowlands retired from politics after being defeated for mayor by Barbara hall in 1994.