Susan Fennell

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Susan Fennell in her mayoral chain of office.

Susan Fennell is the current mayor of Brampton, Ontario and a former commissioner of the National Women's Hockey League.

Background

Susan Fennell was born in Montreal, Quebec. She completed an Honours Bachelor of Science in environmental science from the University of Toronto at Mississauga in 1977. She and her husband John have two adult children, Michael and Joey. Before entering politics she worked for 11 years for Toledo Scale.

Political career

Mayor Fennell warming up the crowd, before the 2005 season opener for hockey team the Brampton Battalion.

Fennell's first foray into politics was with her 1988 election to Brampton City Council for Ward 3. That same year she was first elected to the Board of Governors of Sheridan College, where she served as one of the directors until 1995. During her time as a city councillor, Fennell was actively involved in several committees, including those for Economic Development and Official Plan Review. This period also saw Fennell active on the Airport Tri-Municipal Committee, the Brampton Board of Trade, and the Downtown Business Improvement Area.

In 1991, Fennell was elected to Peel Regional Council to represent Wards 3 and 4. Her first term as a regional councillor saw her chair the Brampton Budget Committee and saw the first zero-tax increase in Peel Region's history in 1993. During her stint at the regional council, Fennell also chaired the Public Works Committee and the Economic Development Committee. She was also involved in the governing council of the Board of Trade and the Highway 427 Extension Committee.

The 1993 federal election, saw her run as the Progressive Conservative candidate in the Brampton riding, finishing third.

In 2000, Fennell defeated three-term incumbent Peter Robertson for the Brampton mayoralty. She was re-elected in 2003, defeating councillor Bill Cowie by a 28% margin. While mayor, Fennell has been heavily involved in the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, twice serving as chair of the Infrastructure and Transportation Committee, as well as being a part of the Big City Mayor's Caucus. She is currently also a member of the Peel Regional Police Services Board, the Large Urban Mayors Caucus of Ontario, the board of Hydro One Brampton and the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance. During Fennell's tenure as mayor, Brampton has become debt free.

She acted to protect Brampton's position on Peel Regional Council, including unsuccessfully lobbying the Ontario Legislature against a proposed bill which increases the seats on Peel Regional Council in Mississauga's favour instead of allotting more in Brampton's favour to provide for future population growth in Brampton as was recommended by a provincial facilitator.

Supporting and advocating to advance Gay Rights

Ms. Fennell is well regarded for her ethusiastic support for Gay Rights. On July 5, 2006 she proclaimed July 8 - 15 as Gay Pride Week in the City of Brampton.. Susan was a champion for the cause while on Peel Region Council to push to embrace the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community of Peel and offer municipal programs and support at Peel Region. http://www.region.peel.on.ca/health/commhlth/posspace/info.htm

Hockey commissioner

Fennell was instrumental in the creation of the National Women's Hockey League, the premier women's hockey league in North America. She served as its commissioner from its inception in 1999 until her resignation in July 2006.

Honours

Fennell is an honorary member of the Brampton Kiwanis and Zonta clubs, and has been honoured with Rotary International's Paul Harris Fellowship. In 2005 she was named an honorary member of the William Osler Health Centre Board of Directors. She is also a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal.

In 2006 she was inducted into the City of Brampton Sports Hall of Fame in the "Builder" category for her role in the creation and growth of the NWHL.