Robert Yuill

Robert Frederick Murray (Bob) Yuill (1924—May 17, 2006) was a municipal politician in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He served on the North York city council for twenty-four years, at first as a ward councillor and later as a city controller. He was also a member of the Metro Toronto council.

Yuill was born in Toronto, and served in the Canadian reserve forces during World War II. He received a Commerce degree from the University of Toronto in 1948, and later operated a business forms company for twenty-five years.

Yuill was first elected to the North York Council in 1964, following a failed bid in 1962. He remained a ward councillor until 1976, when he campaigned successfully for a seat on the North York Board of Control. He served as a controller until 1988, when the position was eliminated. Yuill's controller position also gave him a seat on the Metro council, where he was a close ally of Paul Godfrey. He served on the powerful Metro budget committee in the late 1970s, [Alden Baker, "Ruling Metro: private deals, outer serenity", "Globe and Mail", 3 January 1978, P1.] and was also parks committee chair a member of the Canadian National Exhibition Association Board. [Jacquie McNish, "Metro politicians sniping at each other over 171,500 drop in CNE attendance", "Globe and Mail", 26 August 1980.] Yuill was also chair of the North York Papal Visit Committee in 1984, during John Paul II's visit to the city. ["Car permits planned", "Globe and Mail", 12 June 1984, M3.]

Yuill was a fiscal conservative. He opposed plans for Metro Toronto to provide financial aid to university students, and once described a proposed 34% raise for Metro managers as "baloney". [Michael Smith, "Aid to students is province's job Metro decides", "Toronto Star", 28 May 1986, A8; Jim Byers, "Committee urges 34 per cent hikes for Metro managers", "Toronto Star", 8 November 1986, A6.] He also supported an extension of the Spadina Expressway to downtown Toronto, arguing "Suburbs were designed for cars". [Marina Strauss, "Hopefuls want end to chaos in North York", "Globe and Mail", 30 October 1980, P4.]

He also held socially conservative views on some issues. During the 1970s, he recommended that North York Mayor Mel Lastman give a Mayor's Medallion to anti-gay rights advocate Anita Bryant during her visit to the city. Lastman declined. [Dick Beddoes, "Love? Ha! 'Twas all lies", "Globe and Mail", 5 January 1978, P8.] In 1985, he tried to convince Metro Council to cancel its grant to the Toronto Counselling Centre for Lesbians and Gays. ["133 Metro groups given civic grants worth $2 million", "Globe and Mail", 29 May 1985, M5. Yuill argued that the grant was discriminatory against heterosexuals. He also opposed municipal grants for AIDS support.] Yuill also supported an early workfare scheme in 1979, which was rejected by the Metro Council. [Dick Beddoes, "Job maker? Could be", "Globe and Mail", 31 January 1979, P8.] In 1988, he supported a ban on "Now Magazine" from parts of city hall as a response to the journal's adult-themed personal ads. [David Lewis Stein, "Flap over Now ban has turned quite nasty", "Toronto Star", 24 March 1988, A29.] He also argued that Toronto's police should be allowed to use "strong-arm tactics" to combat the city's drug problem. [Michael Smith, "'Get tough' in the war on drugs Metro told", "Toronto Star", 15 June 1988, A6.] He opposed the extension of Sunday shopping, and was skeptical of affirmative action. [Michael Best, "North York council divided on Sunday shopping plebiscite", 3 February 1988, A7; Dyanne Rivers, "Controllers wary of affirmative action", "Globe and Mail", 27 September 1984, M5.] In 1986, he was one of seven Metro Councillors to oppose a boycott of goods from South Africa. ["Metro rejects South African goods", "Toronto Star", 16 April 1986, A6. Yuill argued that the anti-apartheid measure would actually be harmful to South African blacks.]

Yuill opposed the construction of the Skydome in downtown Toronto, arguing that its location would lead to increased traffic jams. [Geoffrey York, "Metro defeats bid to reopen discussion on dome contribution", "Globe and Mail", 13 October 1984, P17.]

Toronto's municipal government system was significantly changed in 1988, with the introduction of direct elections to the Metro Council and the elimination of control boards. Yuill campaigned for a ward seat in North York, saying "I don't want to go down to Metro. I don't like it anymore. They're reckless spenders." [Bruce DeMara, "Status quo important in posh North York ward", "Toronto Star", 21 October 1988, A7.] He was defeated by Joanne Flint, a political newcomer, and was subsequently appointed as chair of the newly-created North York Parking Authority. [Gail Swainson, "North York's parking authority a patronage haven: councillor", 1 March 1990, N5. Councillor Anthony Perruzza described this as a patronage appointment.]

Yuill was known both for his frugality and his love of practical jokes. He once wore a sailor's cap to a Metro Toronto budget debate, to argue that council was spending money like drunken sailors.

He died of heart failure in May 2006, at age 82. He was buried in Elmville, in south Georgian Bay.

His son, Donald Yuill, is also a municipal politician in Toronto.

ources

*John Goddard, "Bob Yuill frugal, with a fun side", "Toronto Star", 23 May 2006, B03.

Footnotes

Persondata
NAME=Yuill, Robert Frederick Murray
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Yuill, Bob
SHORT DESCRIPTION=North York, Ontario politician
DATE OF BIRTH=1924
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=May 17, 2006
PLACE OF DEATH=