Rob Burton

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His Worship
Rob Burton
RobBurtonOakville.jpg
Burton in 2018
45th Mayor of Oakville
Incumbent
Assumed office
November 13, 2006
Website www.robburton.ca

Rob Burton (born c. 1946) [1] is a Canadian businessman, journalist and politician. He currently serves as the 45th mayor of Oakville. He was elected in the municipal election 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]

Contents

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. [7] After founding the station, he went on to work as the general manager and vice-president of programming and production. [8]

Political career

Electoral history

Burton first ran for mayor in 2003. Up against five-term incumbent Ann Mulvale, Burton ultimately lost his first bid for mayor by a total of 28 votes. [9] Burton ran again in 2006, managing to unseat Mulvale by a nearly 2000-vote margin. [10] Mulvale challenged Burton for the mayorship once again in 2010, but was soundly defeated by over 4000 votes. [11] In the 2014 election, Burton won with about two-thirds of the vote. [12] He was strongly endorsed by the Toronto Star editorial board. [13] He was re-elected with a plurality in 2018. [14] Rob Burton won re-election in 2022 by a narrow margin. [15]

Mayorship

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. [16]

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. [17]

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. [18] He has also served as the Chair of the Halton Police Services Board since 2014. [19]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Oakville mayor's election challenged". Hamilton Spectator. December 6, 2003. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Burton bounces Mulvale in upset". The Hamilton Spectator. November 15, 2006. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  3. ↑ Reinhart, Anthony (November 15, 2003). "Oakville's 12-vote election hangover". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Oakville: Burton romps to victory". Toronto Star. October 25, 2010. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Rob Burton re-elected in Oakville". Toronto Sun. October 27, 2014. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  6. ↑ "2018 Results Summary with Percentages". Town of Oakville. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  7. ↑ "ARCHIVED - Licence application - YTV Canada Inc". December 1987.
  8. ↑ "Rob's life of service & success".
  9. ↑ Rusk, James (March 12, 2004). "Mulvale keeps job in Oakville recount". The Globe and Mail.
  10. ↑ "Mulvale lets go after 18 years as mayor of Oakville". November 15, 2006.
  11. ↑ "Burton trumps ex-mayor Mulvale". The Hamilton Spectator. October 25, 2010.
  12. ↑ Gregory, Michael (October 27, 2014). "UPDATED: Burton claims victory in Oakville's mayor's race". InsideHalton.com. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Most Halton Region mayors deserve re-election". Toronto Star. October 23, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Oakville election: Rob Burton re-elected mayor". CBC. October 22, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Rob Burton wins fifth term as Oakville mayor in tight race | inHalton". insauga | Local Online News. October 25, 2022. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Oakville Mayor says developing greenbelt won't cool housing market | CBC News".
  17. ↑ Aghbali, Arman (August 29, 2015). "Mayor criticized for comparing Harper's use of private security to dictators' militias". CBC News. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Home". automayors.ca.
  19. ↑ "Oakville Mayor Rob Burton to chair Halton police board — again". January 30, 2015.
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