Mayor Mel Lastman Bad Boy

On My Walk: Remembering Mel Lastman – Toronto’s 63rd Mayor and “Mr. Bad Boy”

On my walk at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery, Toronto, I discovered the grave of the unforgettable Mel Lastman, the city’s 63rd mayor and one of its most colourful public figures.

Mel’s entrepreneurial spirit began early, selling fruit and vegetables at his family’s Kensington Market grocery store as a child. Naturally gifted in sales, he soon switched to used appliances, setting up shop on nearby College Street. By 1955, at just 22 years old, he opened a small-frame building at Kennedy and Eglinton in Scarborough and launched Bad Boy Furniture—a name now etched into Toronto’s retail history.

Known for his flashy stunts and undeniable charisma, Mel’s marketing antics became legendary. In one memorable promotion, he flew to the Arctic in the 1960s to “sell a refrigerator to an Eskimo.” He was a born showman, and Torontonians loved him for it.

Mel entered politics in 1969, winning a seat on North York city council, and just three years later, in 1972, he became mayor of North York, a position he would hold for an astonishing 25 years. When Ontario’s provincial government pushed through the controversial amalgamation of Toronto’s municipalities, Mel ran for the top job—and in 1998, he defeated the popular Barbara Hall to become the first mayor of the new, megacity Toronto.

Perhaps one of the most memorable—and debated—moments of his tenure came in January 1999, when a record-breaking 118 cm (46.5 in) of snow paralyzed the city. Mel famously called in the Canadian Armed Forces for help clearing the snow, drawing national headlines. Whether you approved or not, for many—including my own daughters—it was one of the most exciting days in memory.

Beyond the media moments, Mel had real impact. He was instrumental in:

• Bringing World Youth Day to Toronto in 2002

• Pushing forward the Sheppard subway line

• Promoting Yonge and Sheppard as a growing urban hub

Love him or not, Mel was a force—an icon who truly moved Toronto.

Mel Lastman passed away on December 11, 2021, at the age of 88, and was laid to rest beside his beloved wife, Marilyn, who had died less than two years earlier in January 2020.

From Kensington Market to City Hall, Mel never stopped selling—his ideas, his passion, and his vision for a bigger, bolder Toronto.