June Rowlands
June Rowlands was the 67th mayor of Toronto, Ontario, and the first female to hold that office (beginning in 1991). Rowlands is probably best remembered for banning the Toronto pop group Barenaked Ladies from performing at a City Hall function, claiming that the group's name objectified women. The band shrugged it off good-naturedly and went on to great national and international success, but the issue became a bit of a cause celebre among many Toronto voters, who felt it an example of political correctness run amok.
Later in her term, Rowlands gained further notoriety when she seemed to be staggeringly uninformed about -- and even completely unaware of -- a large-scale youth riot that had shut down parts of Yonge Street, Toronto's main drag located just a few blocks east of City Hall. This widely-reported incident did not help Rowlands shed her 'out-of-touch' image.
In the end, after one term in office, Rowlands was defeated in 1994 by Barbara Hall, and retired from politics.
Referenced By
Barenaked Ladies | Culture and politics of Toronto | List of Toronto Mayors | List of mayors of Toronto | Toronto/Culture and Politics
|
