by Nea Maaty with contribution by Adonis Huggins
(Nea and Adonis are staff journalists with the FOCUS Media Arts Centre)

In this episode of St. James Town TV, we interviewed former Toronto Centre Riding Member of Provincial Parliament from 1999 to 2010, George Smitherman.

George Smitherman was the former Toronto Centre Riding Member of Provincial Parliament from 1999 to 2009 (representing the communities of St. Jamestown, Regent Park, Moss Park, Cabbagetown and Church and Wellesley).  George Smitherman served as Minister of Health and Long-Term Care from 2003 to 2007 and Minister of Energy and Infrastructure from 2008 to 2009. George was also the Deputy Premier of Ontario from 2006 to 2009. George resigned as a MPP to contest the mayoralty of Toronto in 2010, finishing second with 35.6% vote and losing to Doug Ford who won with 41% of the vote.  

George Smitherman was born in1964, one of four children, and spent his early years growing up in central Etobicoke, in the City of Toronto. His parents were from a middle-class working background and were not very educated.  His mother managed the family as his father worked very hard managing a trucking business. George was 11 or 12, when his parents were divorced, but this experience was interesting to him because both of his parents got better partners that are much suited to them in his opinion and he enjoyed getting a bigger family over time although it was disruptive in the beginning.

George went to high school at Burnhamthorpe Collegiate Institute and became the student council president at the early age of 15. George left high school to work in his father’s business but his interest in politics drew him back. George moved downtown and get involved as an organizer in the Liberal Party.

Moving downtown became the beginning of life for George. Here he was able to express himself more openly and to come out as a gay person. Continuing to nurture his interest in politics, George climbed the party ranks and worked as Chief of Staff and as Senior Advisor to Ontario cabinet ministers as well as to federal ministers.  George Smitherman was also Chief of Staff and Campaign Manager to Mayor of Toronto Barbara Hall. It was during this time, Smitherman later admitted, that he was involved in Toronto Party scene and addicted to drugs.

“Quitting anything can be tough and cocaine had a real grip on me. The lowest point came when my cocaine tastes trended from powder to crack … In my experience, the crack-cocaine high is unrivalled in its euphoria … I had many false starts on the path to sobriety aided by professional help, willpower and cardio exercise.” George continues to emphasize that coming out and discussing issues is the best process to start recovery.

Free from addiction, in 1999 Smitherman was nominated as the Liberal Party candidate for Toronto Centre Riding. Winning the riding, George was elected Minister of Provincial Parliament (MPP). As the area MPP from 1999 to his resignation in 2010, George Smitherman had the opportunity to meet and work with many residents and groups in the St. James Town and Regent Park area who were working to make the neighbourhood stronger. During this time George also became minister of health, minister of infrastructure and Energy, and deputy premier.

 In 2010 George stepped down as a MPP to challenge Rob Ford for the Mayoralty of Toronto.  The campaign for mayor was a hard fought and bitter campaign and George Smitherman narrowly loss to Rob Ford.  However, the most difficult struggle that George had to contend with would come three years later and had nothing to do with politics.

George Smitherman married his partner Cristopher Peloso in 2007 near Elliot lake, in Ontario. Two years later they decided to raise a family and they had been approved as adoptive parents of two young children by the Toronto’s aid society.  Peloso, suffering with chronic depression, took his own life in 2013.

“I had no choice but to survive,” said Smitherman speaking of the tragedy. “I had two children 3 and 5 and they woke up the next day and I had to explain to them that dad is not coming back home. They still needed to be fed. If they hadn’t been there who knows…but they were and we soldiered on and we had that love and support of people and community.”

In talking about his loss, George expressed fondness for Barbara Hall and her husband Max and their role in supporting him and his family through this difficult time. George also strongly believes that openness and discussing issues like mental health and addiction is the best process to start recovery and fight against, stigma.  As his two children grew older, George discussed the issues of mental health with them and let them know that Christopher died by his own hands.

Retired from politics, George Smitherman’s family is fully central to his life and expresses joy in raising his children and finding love and companionship with a new partner named Ronaldo. George also let us know that he loves the diversity of the St. James Town and having purchased a condo in the neighbourhood, will be returning to St. James Town as a resident.
 
As a Member of Provincial Parliament, as a Gay politician, as a loving father of two, George Smitherman will always be Unconventional George.