# Gus Harris

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Canadian politician (1908–2000)

Gus Harris 5th Mayor of Scarborough, Ontario In office 1978–1988 Preceded by Ken Morrish, interim Succeeded by Joyce Trimmer 31st Reeve of Scarborough, Ontario In office 1956–1957 Preceded by Oliver E. Crockford Succeeded by Albert Campbell Personal details Born Augustus Vincent Patrick John Harris[1] (1908-07-17)July 17, 1908 Liverpool, England Died February 20, 2000(2000-02-20) (aged 91) Scarborough, Ontario, Canada Party New Democratic Party Other political affiliations Co-operative Commonwealth Federation Spouse Anna Children 5

**Augustus Vincent Patrick John Harris** (July 17, 1908 – February 20, 2000) was a [Canadian](/source/Canadian) [politician](/source/Politician). He was born in [Liverpool](/source/Liverpool), England. He was the mayor of [Scarborough, Ontario](/source/Scarborough%2C_Ontario) from 1978 to 1988. Although he was a relatively conservative, pro-development mayor, Harris's political roots were in the [labour movement](/source/Labour_movement), the [Co-operative Commonwealth Federation](/source/Co-operative_Commonwealth_Federation) and the [New Democratic Party](/source/New_Democratic_Party). He was a long-time [socialist](/source/Socialist) and [pacifist](/source/Pacifist) who was a [conscientious objector](/source/Conscientious_objector) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II).[1]

## Early life

Gus Harris grew up in poverty in [Liverpool](/source/Liverpool), in a home with no [indoor plumbing](/source/Plumbing), saying later that thin soup was his usual supper and an egg or apple were considered luxuries.[1] His father died when he was three years old. When he was ten, his mother, an Irish [Roman Catholic](/source/Roman_Catholic), married his [Protestant](/source/Protestant) stepfather.

Harris later recalled: "I was born to a great degree of poverty... in an area where there was tremendous religious bigotry and a deep feeling of racial superiority of the British against other nations."[1]

Harris's stepfather was a [boilermaker](/source/Boilermaker) and "was always out of work or [striking](/source/Strike_action) in sympathy with other people or being locked out. So early in my life I was molded as a [socialist](/source/Socialist) and a [pacifist](/source/Pacifist) because I saw a generation of young people absolutely deprived of any sense of worth because in the early 1920s in England the poverty was just as bad as in the [Depression](/source/Great_Depression)."[1]

Seeing posters promoting immigration to Canada by depicting "golden fields of corn", Harris and several friends decided to go to Canada in 1929 to make their fortunes and then return to England after six months. However, when he arrived he was pennliless, having had his baggage stolen. He remained in Canada and made a life, eventually marrying. When [World War II](/source/World_War_II) broke out in 1939, and influenced by the [United Church of Canada](/source/United_Church_of_Canada), he declared himself a [conscientious objector](/source/Conscientious_objector) and was sent to [Banff, Alberta](/source/Banff%2C_Alberta) to cut down trees. During this period, his first child was born but died after ten days; Harris was not permitted to go home for the funeral.[1]

## Political career

After the war, he got involved with the [co-operative movement](/source/Co-operative_movement), [credit unions](/source/Credit_union), and [trade unions](/source/Trade_union) and entered politics in Scarborough, first being elected as a [school board](/source/School_board) trustee in 1946 and became chairman of the school board in May 1949 after the previous chairman resigned.[2] He was first elected to Scarborough Township council in 1950, and then was elected [reeve](/source/Reeve_(Canada)) of the township in 1956, unseating eight-term incumbent [Oliver E. Crockford](/source/Oliver_E._Crockford). After being defeated by [Albert Campbell](/source/Albert_Campbell_(Canadian_politician)) in the following year's election, he went on to return to Scarborough council and served on the [Board of Control](/source/Board_of_Control_(municipal_government)) when the township became a borough and then a city in 1983.

He was also progressive on social issues calling for [gay rights](/source/Gay_rights) at a 1979 human rights rally.[3]

Harris never accepted financial donations to his political campaigns from any source so that he would not be captive to any interests. As mayor, he refused to use the chauffeur-driven limousine that was offered to [Metropolitan Toronto](/source/Metropolitan_Toronto)'s city and borough mayors and continued to live in a modest, semi-detached house that he and his wife had bought in 1942.[1] Shortly before the nomination deadlines for the 1988 municipal elections in Ontario, Harris announced he would not seek re-election as mayor, and was officially succeeded by [Joyce Trimmer](/source/Joyce_Trimmer) as mayor, in early December 1988.

## Retirement

Although retired from active politics, Harris occasionally spoke on various municipal issues in the late 1980s and early 1990s, such as [transit](/source/Toronto_Transit_Commission) concerns and the proposal for the potential amalgamation of [Metropolitan Toronto](/source/Metropolitan_Toronto). On February 20, 2000, He died at the age of 91 due to complications from [Parkinson's disease](/source/Parkinson's_disease).[4] A nature trail that passes through Warden Woods Park on [Taylor-Massey Creek](/source/Taylor-Massey_Creek) was named in his honour.[5]

## Memorable quotes

On 11 December 1973 during a debate on the fate of the community on the [Toronto Islands](/source/Toronto_Islands), Harris, a [Controller](/source/Board_of_Control_(municipal_government)) at the time, was firmly against the idea of retaining the houses. He said at one point, "These people have launched as vicious a propaganda campaign as I've ever seen. You can see the fine hand of Island public relations in this City proposal. I've had it with their heart-rending stories."[6] Joyce Trimmer, Harris' successor as mayor originally lived on the Toronto Islands.[7]

In July 1988, just prior to his retirement as mayor, he spoke about how Scarborough was maturing as a city. He said, "They won't be calling this place Scarberia much longer."[8]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-bio_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-bio_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-bio_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-bio_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-bio_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-bio_1-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-bio_1-6) "This mayor just couldn't stomach riding in a limousine", *Toronto Star*, November 25, 1985, page D5

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** "Chairman Resigns From School Board", *The Globe and Mail*, 18 May 1949, page 5.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Way to Go: CLGRO 1975 - 2000: A Short History. Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Ontario. ["CLGRO: A Short History"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070906182050/http://www.web.net/clgro/history.htm). Archived from [the original](https://www.web.net/clgro/history.htm) on 2007-09-06. Retrieved 2008-06-05.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Gus Harris was a no nonsense politician. *CBC News*. February 21, 2000. [\[1\]](https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.199937)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** City of Toronto officially names the Gus Harris Trail. City of Toronto. May 30, 2002. [\[2\]](http://wx.toronto.ca/inter/it/newsrel.nsf/9da959222128b9e885256618006646d3/ff4318420cb0eff485256df60045f09b?OpenDocument) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110716200950/http://wx.toronto.ca/inter/it/newsrel.nsf/9da959222128b9e885256618006646d3/ff4318420cb0eff485256df60045f09b?OpenDocument) 2011-07-16 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Jon Caulfield. The Tiny Perfect Mayor. 1974. John Lorimer & Company. Toronto. p. 88.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-StarObit_7-0)** Tracy Huffman (2008-05-21). ["Joyce Trimmer, 80: Former mayor of Scarborough"](https://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/428046). [Toronto Star](/source/Toronto_Star).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Robert Fulford. Accidental City. 1995. MacFarlane, Walter & Ross. Toronto. p. 112.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Gus Harris](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gus_Harris) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gus_Harris?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.