Kay Gardner (born 1927) was a municipal politician in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

. She was born in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

and moved with her family to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

in 1929. The family lived in

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

and

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

. In 1947 she married a journalist, Ray Gardner, in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

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. In 1961, they moved to Toronto where Ray obtained a job with the

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...

. They have two sons. Gardner lived in the Forest Hill neighbourhood and worked for the local library. She organized library programs for seniors and conducted weekly film and lecture seminars. She helped to found a library worker's local chapter for the

Canadian Union of Public Employees The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE; french: Syndicat canadien de la fonction publique, links=no; french: SCFP, link=, label=none) is a Canadian trade union serving the public sector – although it has in recent years organized workpl ...

. In the 1970s she became involved in a campaign to save a former railway right of way called the Belt Line from development. Eventually this was turned into a pedestrian and bicycling trail called the Beltline Trail. It currently runs from

Yonge Street Yonge Street (; pronounced "young") is a major arterial route in the Canadian province of Ontario connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. Once the southernmost leg of provincial Hi ...

south of Davisville Avenue northwest to the Allen Road and

Eglinton Avenue Eglinton Avenue is a major east–west arterial thoroughfare in Toronto and Mississauga in the Canadian province of Ontario. The street begins at Highway 407 (but does not interchange with the tollway) at the western limits of Mississauga, as ...

West. In 1999, at the suggestion of councillor Michael Walker, Toronto City Council renamed the park the '' Kay Gardner Beltline Park'' in her honour.Minutes of the Council of the City of Toronto, October 26, 1999 and October 27, 1999, item 12.4

clause no. 35 of report no. 13 of the Toronto Community Council, September 27, 199

press release May 26, 200

/ref> She was best known for advocating for tenants' rights. She helped lobby the city to save three low-rise rental apartment buildings on Eglinton Ave. West from conversion to Condominium (living space), condominiums. At the time they were occupied mainly by seniors on fixed incomes. Her first act as a city councillor was to support a motion for the city to purchase the buildings. They were bought by Cityhome, the city's

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

housing company. Gardner first ran for office in 1978 but wasn't elected until 1985, representing Ward 11 in central Toronto. In 1988 she ran for council in the newly formed Ward 15. She served on both City Council and Metro Council until 1997. In November 1997 the first post-amalgamation election was held, and she ran for council in the newly created Ward 22, but came third behind

Anne Johnston Anne Johnston (1932 – June 26, 2019) was a Canadian politician and community activist. She was a longtime city councillor in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She was first elected to Toronto City Council in 1972, and served until 1985 when she ran ag ...

and Michael Walker. In 1984 she was awarded the Constance E. Hamilton Award. The award is named for Toronto's first female alderman. The award is given to women in Toronto who have made a significant contribution to helping Toronto women secure equitable treatment, economically, socially, and culturally.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gardner, Kay 1927 births Living people Toronto city councillors Women municipal councillors in Canada Women in Ontario politics Polish emigrants to Canada