Bonnie Crombie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bonnie Crombie
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| Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party | |
| Assumed office December 2, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | John Fraser (interim) |
| 6th Mayor of Mississauga | |
| In office December 1, 2014 – January 12, 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Hazel McCallion |
| Succeeded by | Carolyn Parrish |
| Mississauga City Councillor | |
| In office September 26, 2011 – December 1, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Eve Adams |
| Succeeded by | Carolyn Parrish |
| Constituency | Ward 5 (Britannia Woods-Malton) |
| Member of Parliament for Mississauga—Streetsville |
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| In office October 14, 2008 – May 2, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Wajid Khan |
| Succeeded by | Brad Butt |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Bonnie-Michelle Teresa Bernadette Stack
February 5, 1960 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Political party | Ontario Liberal |
| Other political affiliations |
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| Spouse |
Brian Crombie
(m. 1984; div. 2020) |
| Children | 3 |
| Residences | Mississauga, Ontario, Canada |
| Alma mater |
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| Profession |
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Bonnie Crombie, born on February 5, 1960, is a Canadian politician and businesswoman. She is currently the leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, a major political party in Ontario, Canada. She took on this role on December 2, 2023.
Before leading the Ontario Liberal Party, Bonnie Crombie was the mayor of Mississauga, a large city in Ontario. She was mayor from December 2014 until January 2024. She also served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Mississauga—Streetsville from 2008 to 2011. An MP is someone elected to represent their area in the national government. From 2011 to 2014, she was a city councillor for Ward 5 in Mississauga, helping to make decisions for her local community.
In 2023, she ran for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party. She promised to bring the party back to the middle ground of politics. She won the election and became the new leader. She resigned as mayor of Mississauga on January 12, 2024, to focus on her new role. This led to a special election to choose a new mayor for Mississauga.
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Early Life and Education
Bonnie Crombie was born on February 5, 1960, in Toronto, Ontario. Her parents were immigrants from Poland. When she was three, her parents separated. Bonnie and her mother moved to her grandparents' home in Toronto.
When Bonnie was nine, her mother remarried Michael Sawarna. He adopted Bonnie, and she took his last name. The family settled in Etobicoke. Bonnie attended Michael Power/St. Joseph High School. She described her stepfather as a "solid, hard-working, decent, honest man."
In 1982, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto. She studied political science and international relations. Later, in 1992, she earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Schulich School of Business.
Before starting her political career, Crombie worked in business. She was a marketing manager for companies like McDonald's Canada and the Walt Disney Company. She also managed government relations for the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
In 1984, she married Brian Crombie. They had three children: Alex, Jonathan, and Natasha. The couple divorced in 2020.
Federal Politics (2008–2011)
Becoming a Member of Parliament
In the 2008 Canadian federal election, Bonnie Crombie was elected as an MP. She represented the area of Mississauga—Streetsville. She won against the person who was previously the MP, Wajid Khan. He had switched from the Liberal Party to the Conservative Party.
After being elected, she worked with Justin Trudeau on a committee for the Liberal Party. She also became the Liberal Party's spokesperson for Crown corporations. These are companies owned by the government.
Losing Her Seat
In the 2011 Canadian federal election, Crombie lost her seat. She was defeated by the Conservative candidate, Brad Butt. Butt received more votes than Crombie in that election.
Municipal Politics (2011–2024)
Becoming a City Councillor
On September 19, 2011, Bonnie Crombie won a special election. This allowed her to become a city councillor for Ward 5 in Mississauga. She took over from Eve Adams. Crombie won by a small number of votes.
Becoming Mayor of Mississauga
After Hazel McCallion, the long-time mayor of Mississauga, retired, the 2014 mayoral election was very important. It was the first time in many years that the mayoral race was truly competitive. Bonnie Crombie decided to run for mayor.
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At first, another candidate, Steve Mahoney, was ahead in the polls. However, Hazel McCallion publicly supported Crombie on October 12. This changed everything. Crombie's support quickly grew. In the election, Crombie won with a large majority of the votes.
Crombie ran for re-election as mayor in 2017 and won again in the 2018 mayoral election. She won with a very high percentage of the votes. She secured her third term as mayor in the 2022 mayoral election, also by a large margin.
During her time as mayor, Crombie supported the idea of breaking up the Region of Peel. This is a larger government body that Mississauga is part of. In 2023, the provincial government agreed to support this idea.
In November 2023, Crombie announced that she would not run for mayor again in 2026. She said she would finish her three terms as mayor. She also mentioned that she would likely run to become a Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) in the 2026 provincial election.
After winning the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party, Crombie announced her resignation as mayor. She stepped down on January 12, 2024. She wanted to complete the city's budget process before leaving. Carolyn Parrish became the new mayor after her.
Provincial Politics (2023–Present)
Running for Liberal Leader
In early 2023, there were talks that Bonnie Crombie might run for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party. The election was set for December. She was seen at important party meetings, which added to the speculation.
On May 23, 2023, Crombie officially confirmed she was thinking about running. On June 14, she launched her campaign in Mississauga. She took a break from her mayor duties from October 7 to November 27 to focus on her campaign. She returned briefly to help with the city's budget.
Crombie was seen as a strong candidate in the Liberal leadership race. She promised to make life more affordable for people. She also wanted to improve healthcare, build more homes, and fight climate change. She was elected as the party leader on December 2, 2023. She officially resigned as mayor on January 12, 2024.
Future Plans
On January 25, 2024, a provincial seat in Milton became open. This happened when the current MPP resigned. Crombie said she was thinking about running for that seat. However, she later decided not to. Instead, Galen Naidoo Harris ran for the Liberals in Milton.
On March 18, 2024, Crombie announced that if she became premier after the 2026 election, she would not put a provincial carbon tax in place. This is different from the approach of the federal Liberal Party. The next day, she said she would not comment on the federal carbon tax. She stated, "I'm not here to tell the federal government how to do their job."
On August 21, 2024, the Ontario Liberal Party announced speakers for their yearly meeting. These included former British Columbia Premier Christy Clark. This move was seen as a way to show that the Ontario Liberals are different from the federal Liberals.
On September 21, 2024, Crombie and the Ontario Liberal Party showed off their new logo. Their new slogan is "More for You." On December 3, 2024, Crombie again said that the Prime Minister's carbon tax was "wrong."
Images for kids
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Bonnie Crombie's signature
