Former councillor Margaret McCarthy a ‘passionate’ advocate for Flamborough
She served 16 years, working to bring the rural area new schools, an arena and safer roads
Former councillor Margaret McCarthy is being remembered as a tough and passionate advocate for her Flamborough constituents.
She put on a full-court press in 2008, when city council cancelled a tax subsidy from Flamboro Downs slots to the former town of Flamborough and applied it to the entire city.
She took out a full-page ad asking residents to pack a council meeting on removing the slots subsidy, and was reprimanded by Mayor Fred Eisenberger for many interruptions during the meeting. Later, she warned councillors they would need security if they attended a meeting she organized to talk about the tax situation in Flamborough.
McCarthy — who died April 26 of cancer at age 61 — was one of Flamborough’s longest-serving politicians. She served 16 years, first as the Ward 2 councillor (west Waterdown) on town council from 19942000, and then as the first councillor for Ward 15 on the new amalgamated council from 2000-2010.
“She was a passionate girl,” said her husband Jim. “She hated bullies and she always spoke up. She stood her ground. She did her homework and then she did her vote. It didn’t matter how others voted.”
In a 2007 interview, she said, “I’ve never considered myself a politician. I’ve always wanted to help the community.”
Her legacy is on the ground in Flamborough. She was on the ground floor in 1996 supporting a YMCA for Waterdown (it opened in 2001) and two new schools for Waterdown — Allan Greenleaf Public School, which opened in 2000, and Guardian Angels Catholic Elementary School, which opened in 2001. The latter was outside the urban boundary, and planning regulations did not support it.
She backed a new twin-pad arena at the site of the North Wentworth Community Centre. The $19-million Harry Howell Twin-Pad Arena, first proposed in 1998, opened in 2010. She also fought against St. Marys Cement’s plan to build a quarry near Carlisle, and pushed for town parks at Courtcliffe trailer park in Carlisle, and a dairy farm north of Waterdown (now Joe Sams Park).
Mark Shurvin, who served as Flamborough’s last mayor, and was a Ward 3 councillor, recalled sitting beside McCarthy and witnessing her “passionate advocacy that she provided for her constituents.”
“She fought the good fight with guts, style and grace,” he said on social media.
Former Hamilton mayor Larry Di Ianni served 10 years on city council with McCarthy. He recalled she was one of the suburban councillors who dealt with resentment among her constituents for amalgamation but also realized she owed them “good stewardship” because it was a reality.
“Margaret was chief among them who balanced those two quasi-contradictory mandates really well,” Di Ianni told The Spectator. “She contributed enormously as we struggled to find our feet as a council. She was also tough.”
In a statement, Eisenberger said it was with “great sadness” he learned of McCarthy’s death. Flags at city hall were lowered to half-mast in her honour on April 27.
McCarthy was born May 31, 1960, the daughter of John and Patricia Woods. She moved to Waterdown from Burlington when she was eight. At 14, she went to Ireland with her father when he bought a hotel. She returned to Waterdown in 1980.
Her father then owned the former Midtown Motors dealership on King Street East. She worked with special-needs children and as the office manager at the dealership. She and her husband later operated a renovation business called Aero Home Improvements.
Her husband said she was diagnosed with cancer in 2014 and the doctors told her she did not have much time.
He called it her last battle as she exceeded that forecast by eight years.
McCarthy was the second suburban councillor to die in the last two months. Gary Birch was a longtime Glanbrook councillor. The former administrator with the HamiltonWentworth District School Board, and school teacher, died on March 19 at age 81.
He represented Ward 3 on council between 1980-2000.
McCarthy is survived by her husband, Jim, her son, James, her mother, Patricia, sister, Maureen, and brother, Martin. She was predeceased by her father, John, in 2003.