His Worship
Rob Burton
45th Mayor of Oakville
Assumed office
13 November 2006
Preceded byAnn Mulvale
Personal details
SpouseWendy Burton
Residence(s)Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Alma materUniversity of New Mexico
Columbia University
Websitehttps://www.robburton.ca/

Rob Burton (born c. 1946)[1] is a Canadian businessman, journalist and politician. He currently serves as the mayor of Oakville, Ontario, in Canada. He was elected in the municipal elections of 2006,[2] having failed to unseat Ann Mulvale in 2003.[3] He was re-elected to office in the 2010,[4] 2014[5] and 2018 municipal elections.[6]

In a 2014 endorsement of his re-election campaign, the Toronto Star editorial board called Burton "among the best mayors in the Greater Toronto Area."[7]

Early career and education

Burton graduated from the University of New Mexico with a degree in history and economics before receiving a Master's of Science in Journalism from Columbia University.

After receiving his master's degree in 1971, he became a journalist for the Watertown Daily Times in New York State. He was recruited shortly after by CBC to help establish their new consumer rights programme Marketplace. He worked as a journalist and television producer until 1988, when he led the creation of the youth-focused television station YTV.[8] After founding the station, he went on to work as the general manager and vice-president of programming and production.[9]

Political career

Burton first ran for mayor in 2003. A dark-horse candidate up against five-term incumbent Ann Mulvale, Burton ultimately lost his first bid for Mayor by a grand total of 28 votes.[10] Burton ran again in 2006, managing to unseat Mulvale by a nearly 2000-vote margin.[11] Mulvale challenged Burton for the mayorship once again in 2010, but was soundly defeated by over 4000 votes.[12]

In his time as Mayor, Burton has been an outspoken advocate for growth control, environmental protection and greenspace. He is a vocal supporter of Ontario's Greenbelt, founding the "Municipal Leaders for the Greenbelt" alongside Ajax Mayor Steve Parrish and Toronto Councillor Glenn de Baeremaker, which he still chairs today. He is a vocal critic of Ontario's development industry, describing large developers as a 'cartel' in 2017, after suggestions that developers wanted to ease planning restrictions and greenspace protections to improve housing affordability.[13]

In 2015, Burton apologized for a series of tweets comparing Stephen Harper's use of veterans in the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires to Mussolini's Blackshirts and Hitler's Brownshirts.[14]

Burton is the founder and chair of the Ontario Auto Mayors, a group of municipal leaders in communities with a large automotive manufacturing presence, advocating for more coordinated support of Ontario's automotive sector among all three levels of government.[15] He has also served as the Chair of the Halton Police Services Board since 2014.[16]

Rob Burton won reelection in October 2022 by a narrow margin.[17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Oakville mayor's election challenged". Hamilton Spectator. December 6, 2003. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
  2. ↑ "Burton bounces Mulvale in upset". The Hamilton Spectator. 15 November 2006. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  3. ↑ Reinhart, Anthony (15 November 2003). "Oakville's 12-vote election hangover". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  4. ↑ "Oakville: Burton romps to victory". Toronto Star. 25 October 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  5. ↑ "Rob Burton re-elected in Oakville". Toronto Sun. 27 October 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  6. ↑ "2018 Results Summary with Percentages". Town of Oakville. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  7. ↑ "Most Halton Region mayors deserve re-election". Toronto Star. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  8. ↑ "ARCHIVED - Licence application - YTV Canada Inc". December 1987.
  9. ↑ "Rob's life of service & success".
  10. ↑ Rusk, James (12 March 2004). "Mulvale keeps job in Oakville recount". The Globe and Mail.
  11. ↑ "Mulvale lets go after 18 years as mayor of Oakville".
  12. ↑ "Burton trumps ex-mayor Mulvale". The Hamilton Spectator. 25 October 2010.
  13. ↑ "Oakville Mayor says developing greenbelt won't cool housing market | CBC News".
  14. ↑ Aghbali, Arman (29 August 2015). "Mayor criticized for comparing Harper's use of private security to dictators' militias". CBC News. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  15. ↑ "Home". automayors.ca.
  16. ↑ "Oakville Mayor Rob Burton to chair Halton police board — again".
  17. ↑ "Rob Burton wins fifth term as Oakville mayor in tight race | inHalton". insauga | Local Online News. 2022-10-25. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
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