 |
Chris Korwin-Kuczynski | |
|---|---|
 Korwin-Kuczynski in 2002 | |
| Toronto City Councillor for (Ward 14) Parkdale–High Park | |
| In office December 1, 2000 –November 30, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | New riding |
| Succeeded by | Sylvia Watson |
| City Councillor for Ward 19 - High Park with David Miller | |
| In office January 1,1998 –November 30,2000 | |
| Preceded by | New riding |
| Succeeded by | Riding abolished |
| Toronto Councillor for Ward 2 - Parkdale | |
| In office 1985 –December 31,1997 | |
| Preceded by | New riding |
| Succeeded by | Riding abolished |
| Junior Alderman for Ward 2 - Parkdale with Ben Grys | |
| In office 1982–1985 | |
| Preceded by | Tony Ruprecht,Ben Grys |
| Succeeded by | Riding renamed |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1953 Toronto,Ontario |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation | Consultant |
Chris Korwin-Kuczynski (born 1953) is a former Canadian municipal politician. He served as a councillor in Toronto from 1981 to 2003,and was the city's deputy mayor for a time.
He was born in Toronto,and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from York University. He has been a director of the Polish-Canadian Congress,and has served as a special assistant to the federal Minister of State for Multiculturalism. He ran unsuccessfully for city council in 1980 as Chris Korwin but was successful on his second attempt,in a 1981 by-election.
In 1992,Korwin-Kuczynski successfully urged that the music group Barenaked Ladies be banned from performing a concert in Nathan Phillips Square because he believed their name objectified women. [1] This decision was widely ridiculed,and gave considerable publicity to the then-obscure band.
Korwin-Kuczynski was a member of the council's right-wing,and was a frequent ally of fellow councillor Tom Jakobek. [2] Kyle Rae has suggested that Korwin-Kuczynski became isolated on council when Jakobek left in 2000. [3]
In 1993,Korwin-Kuczynski was removed as chair of the Toronto Board of Health after criticizing a strongly worded AIDS prevention pamphlet published by the AIDS Committee of Toronto. [4] He had suggested that the committee,which received significant support from Toronto's gay community,be denied city funding if it continued publishing such materials. [5] Referring to his dismissal after the vote,he commented,"[t]he only real issue I think this all stems from is AIDS,the whole issue surrounding the gay issue". [6]
Kyle Rae,who is openly gay,has said that Korwin-Kuczynski was anti-gay during the early 1990s but later changed his views. In 2003,Rae was quoted as saying,"He's now generally supportive of these issues,but that didn't come easily." [3]
He opposed a 1996 municipal bill that banned smoking in restaurants and bars,and requested that provincial Premier Mike Harris veto the measure. [7]
Korwin-Kuczynski considered running for the Liberal nomination in Parkdale—High Park in the 1997 federal election,but ultimately declined. [8] He retired from the council in 2003,amid rumours that he would move into consulting work. [9]
He endorsed Dennis Mills's bid for re-election in the 2004 federal election,and a newspaper report from the period suggest that he was considering running as a Liberal candidate in the next federal election. [10]
On September 27,2006,he filed papers to run in the 2006 Toronto municipal election in Ward 14. However the next day he withdrew his nomination. This allowed him to retain a fundraising surplus of $21,742 left over from his last campaign. If he hadn't done this the money would have flowed into the city coffers. [11]
Korwin-Kuczynski is a former honorary captain of the Canadian Navy,and once served as a director on the board of the Royal Canadian Military Institute in Toronto.