Mike Harris
Then: Progressive Conservative premier of Ontario who led the “Common Sense Revolution,” including the forced amalgamation of cities and school boards, huge spending cuts, downloading of costs onto municipalities and giant tax cuts.

Now: With his party polling low and plagued by the Ipperwash and Walkerton scandals, and his personal life apparently troubled, Mike Harris resigned as premier in 2002. He has since been a fellow at the Fraser Institute think tank and a director of Magna International.

Al Leach
Then: Minister of municipal affairs and housing who presided over amalgamation.

Now: He retired from politics in 1999 and served on the Toronto Police Services Board and the GO Transit board. Since 2005, he has apparently been retired from public life.

Steve Gilchrist
Then: As parliamentary assistant to the minister of municipal affairs and housing, he was the “attack dog” mouthpiece of amalgamation.

Now: After serving as municipal affairs minister in the Harris government’s second term, he stepped aside amidst a controversy (an investigation cleared him). He lost his seat in the 2003 provincial election and has served as vice-president of the Canadian Hydrogen Energy Company. He is the nominee to run for the federal Conservative party in Ajax-Pickering in the likely election later this year.

John Sewell
Then: The former mayor and municipal affairs columnist led the anti-amalgamation forces as leader of Citizens for Local Democracy.

Now: He ran unsuccessfully for provincial office in 1999, and wrote a column for EYE WEEKLY until 2005. In the 2006 municipal election, he ran unsuccessfully for council. He currently writes a monthly column for Post City Magazines and continues his activism.

Kathleen Wynne
Then: Co-chair of Citizens for Local Democracy opposing the amalgamation of cities and school boards.

Now: Wynne was elected as a school board trustee in 2000 and then as a member of provincial parliament in 2003. Since 2006, she has served as Ontario minister of education. She defeated John Tory, leader of the PC party, in her 2007
re-election bid.

Barbara Hall
Then: The mayor of pre­amalgamation Toronto and steadfast opponent of amalgamation.




Now: After losing mayoral races to Mel Lastman in 1997 and David Miller in 2003, Hall has remained active in politics. She is currently the chief commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

Mel Lastman
Then: The long-serving (and only) mayor of North York who opposed amalgamation and then, after the Conservatives began backing him for mayor, became in favour of it.

Now: After a contentious term as mayor, during which he called in the army to plow snow, suffered through a high-profile paternity suit (concerning adult children of a long-time mistress), shook hands with Hell’s Angels, and joked that he was afraid Africans would boil him in a pot and eat him, Lastman has returned to his first love: making annoying TV commercials for the Bad Boy furniture chain.
 

MORE ON THE MEGACITY

Megacity ever after: a brief history of amalgamation

Still Mike's Megacity: how the Harris Tories still haunt us