Pam McConnell 1946 - 2017

Municipal Politician. Advocate for Social Justice and Poverty Reduction

Pam McConnell was born in Carlisle, United Kingdom. Her father died after serving in the Second World War. Pam was adopted by her mother’s second husband. They subsequently had five more children. The family emigrated to Canada in 1954 when Pam was nine years old.

Pam was a teacher before entering politics. In 1982, she was elected as a Toronto Board of Education school Trustee, a position she held for twelve years. In 1994, Barbara Hall was elected Mayor; the same year, Pam was elected to City Council. She was a Councillor for Ward 28 from its creation in 2000 and elected every term until her death in 2017. In total, she won 14 consecutive elections and served with five Mayors.

As a Toronto Councillor and as a Deputy Mayor, she always advocated for the well-being of housing co-ops, its members and for affordable housing for all. Pam raised her family in the Spruce Court Co-operative where she had very deep roots and served as President of the Co-op Board. She lived there for 40 years. She and her husband Jim received the Century of Co-operation Award in 2010.

Pam served as chair of the Toronto Police Board from 2004 to 2005, overseeing the election of new police chief Bill Blair. She has been credited for her major role in the revitalization of the Regent Park neighbourhood in downtown Toronto. When the Trump Hotel was being built in Toronto, she made sure that Trump made a substantial financial commitment to the building of the aquatic centre in Regent Park. In July 2018, Toronto City Council voted to name the aquatic centre the Pam McConnell Aquatic Centre.

She was also a tireless advocate for women’s rights and social justice. In her final term, she led the way for the City’s poverty reduction strategy and shelter spaces.

She designed the Toronto Regional Champion Campaign Protégé Program – a mentorship program pairing young women with City women Councillors to inspire and familiarize young women with the job of municipal Councillor and provide them with hands on experience. In remembrance of Pam, the program presents the Pam McConnell Award for Young Women in Leadership to recognize the exceptional leadership of young women in the City of Toronto.

Pam McConnell will be remembered for her 35 years of public service. She was respected by all Councillors who worked with her. She has been described as a woman who proudly and enthusiastically served her city. She was truly passionate about her work, her family, and her friends.

Awards and Honours

In 1997, the Duke of Edinburgh Award for her work with inner city youth
In 2013, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of her decades of public service
In 2018 (posthumously), the Roll of Honour, Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).
The FCM also created the Pam McConnell International Award for Gender Equality to recognize “the contributions of a Canadian municipal expert to the advancement and promotion of gender equality in FCM’s programs.”