A state funeral for former Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion will be held on Valentine’s Day, on what would have been her 102nd birthday.
McCallion, nicknamed “Hurricane Hazel” for her direct and vocal political style, passed away on Jan. 29 at the age of 101.
She served as Mississauga’s mayor for 36 years for 12 consecutive terms, from 1978 to 2014, before retiring from politics at the age of 93.
The state funeral will be held at 1 p.m. on Feb. 14 at Paramount Fine Foods Centre located near Matheson Road and Highway 403 in Mississauga.
Limited seating will be available for members of the public who wish to attend in-person, and tickets will be made available free of charge at noon on Feb. 9. Those who are attending the funeral on Feb. 14 are being asked to arrive at the centre by 10 a.m.
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Among those in attendance at the funeral will be Premier Doug Ford, Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell, and Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie.
The funeral service can also be viewed at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga. The service will be also livestreamed on the Government of Ontario’s YouTube channel.
The province says flags will be flown at half-mast across Ontario on the day of the funeral.
Ahead of the funeral, McCallion will in state at Mississauga City Hall on Feb. 12-13. Members of the public will be able to pay their respects on both days from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The public can sign an online condolence book or a printed version, which will be available at Mississauga City Hall.
In lieu of flowers, the McCallion family has asked that donations be made to Trillium Health Partners Foundation or to the Hazel McCallion Charitable Foundation for Arts, Culture and Heritage.
