2019 Recipient of the Award for Excellence in the Cause of Parliamentary Democracy

David Crombie achieved national prominence first as Mayor of Toronto and later as a member of the House of Commons representing the Toronto riding of Rosedale.

As Minister of Health and Welfare in the government of Prime Minister Joe Clark in 1979, Mr. Crombie initiated a fundamental review of issues involved in Indian health, marking the start of a series of steps that led to significant reforms in the delivery of health care in First Nations communities.

His achievements in that regard earned him appointments as Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs and Secretary of State and Minister of Multiculturalism when Brian Mulroney formed a government in 1984.In 1993 he was a contender for the leadership of the national Progressive Conservative Party.

Mr. Crombie’s political career began with his election to Toronto City Council in 1970 after teaching politics and urban affairs at what was then Ryerson Polytechnical Institute. At City Hall he soon became a leader of a movement that challenged the prevailing support for aggressive urban development and indifference towards the impact of development on established communities.

He was elected mayor just two years later. He then achieved a national profile as City Hall under his leadership took bold steps to protect the city’s urban communities and to discourage development trends in Toronto that had been seen to reduce the livability of other modern cities. After being re-elected as mayor for two more terms Mr. Crombie ran successfully as a Progressive Conservative candidate in a 1978 by-election in Toronto’s Rosedale riding. He held that riding for the next ten years, retiring from politics ahead of the 1988 federal election. He is the last member of his party to represent the area federally.

Leaving politics did not end Mr. Crombie’s prominent role in public affairs. He has since served prominently as special advisor at Toronto City Hall and at Queen’s Park in connection with various public issues and initiatives, most significantly in matters relating to the transformation of Toronto’s waterfront. Reports authored by him continue to provide the blueprint for development and conservation strategies adopted by governments at all three levels.

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