Esther Shiner

Esther Shiner (February 12, 1924 – December 19, 1987) was a municipal politician in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She served on the North York city council from 1973 until her death, and was also a member of the Metropolitan Toronto council. She served as North York's Deputy Mayor in the 1980s.

Early life and career

Shiner's parents were Jewish refugees from Poland. She was raised in modest circumstances, and attended the University of Toronto for a year before marrying and becoming a homemaker. Shiner was an active Zionist, and was a member of Hadassah in her youth.

Municipal politician

Shiner was elected as an alderman for North York's fourth ward in the 1972 municipal election. Her primary issue was the Spadina Expressway, which she wanted to expand as far as downtown Toronto. Shiner fought several battles with Premier Bill Davis on this issue, and unsuccessfully tried to have a city-wide plebiscite on expansion in 1985. The Expressway was partly expanded in the 1970s, but further expansions were prevented by the Davis government.

Shiner was elected to the North York Board of Control in 1976, and remained a member until her death. The position gave her an automatic seat on the Metropolitan Toronto Council. She served on Metro's transportation committee for several years, and was a frequent rival to fellow councillor Anne Johnston. [Marina Strauss, "Toronto fumex [sic] at idling motors, plans bylaw to turn them off", "Globe and Mail", 22 March 1979, P5; "Two Metro councillors just love to hurl insults", "Globe and Mail", 8 April 1985, M5. As a member of the transportation committee, Shiner criticized the Toronto Transit Commission's new streetcars in the early 1980s, arguing that people could become caught underneath the front. The TTC yielded to her demands, and introduced a protective barrier in 1984. The barrier was nicknamed as the "Shiner Skirt".] She was also appointed to the management board of the O'Keefe Centre for the Performing Arts in 1979, and remained a board member until 1986. ["Shiner gets O'Keefe board post", "Globe and Mail", 11 April 1979, P5; Jim Byers, "Race is on for posts on Metro's boards", "Toronto Star", 24 November 1986, A6.] Shiner supported the principle of amalgamation for Toronto's six municipal governments in 1978, on the grounds that it would yield a better transportation system. [Alden Baker, "Federation formed to handle boom is 25 years old today", "Globe and Mail", 15 April 1978, P4.]

In 1982, she helped convince North York City Council to name a street after Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenburg, who is credited with saving the lives of over 100,000 Hungarian Jews in World War II. ["North York to honor hero in street-naming ceremony", "Globe and Mail", 5 April 1982, P5.]

Shiner held conservative views on several issues. She opposed councillor Howard Moscoe's plan for campaign donation limits in 1984, arguing that it would be unworkable. [John Sewell, "Progressive North York?", "Globe and Mail", 16 April 1984, M1.] She also criticized an affirmative action plan for North York employees, and suggested that a housing task force for the city could become an expensive waste of time. [Dyanne River, "Controllers wary of affirmative action", "Globe and Mail", 27 September 1984, M5; "Shiner assails housing task force", "Globe and Mail", 17 January 1986, A15.] Shiner considered challenging Mel Lastman for Mayor of North York in 1985, but declined. [Dyanne Rivers, "Vacationing Greene to ponder challenging Lastman as mayor", "Globe and Mail", 31 July 1985, P14.]

She died in December 1987, at age 63. The North York City Council held a moment of silence in her honour in January 1988, and the civic square carillons played "Moon River" and "Somewhere Over The Rainbow", two of her favourite songs. ["Regions link up in battle over trash", "Toronto Star", 12 January 1988, A6.] Later in the year, the North York Civic Stadium in the Bathurst and Finch area was renamed the Esther Shiner Stadium. ["Stadium to be named for Shiner", "Globe and Mail", 13 July 1988, A13.] Her son, David Shiner, is a municipal politician in Toronto.

ources

*"Esther Shiner: North York politician earned wide respect" (obituary notice), "Globe and Mail", 21 December 1987, A19.

Electoral record

Results taken from the "Toronto Star", 11 November 1980.
The final results confirmed the election of Shiner, Yuill, Sutherland and Gardner.
Electors could vote for four candidates. The percentages are determined in relation to the total number of votes.

Results taken from the "Toronto Star", 3 December 1974.
The final official results were not significantly different.

Results taken from the "Toronto Star", 5 December 1972.
These results obviously do not reflect the final totals. Shiner pulled ahead of Perry when the final eighteen polls were counted, and was listed in the next day's "Star" as winning by twelve votes, 2,326 to 2,314.

Footnotes