Norman "Norm" Gardner (born February 13, 1938) is a politician and administrator in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is a former North York and Toronto City Councillor, serving most recently as chair of the Toronto Police Services Board (1998–2003). He was subsequently chair of the board of the Mackenzie Institute for several years.
Private life and career Gardner served ten years in the Canadian Forces, and was a member of The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, a Primary Reserve unit.
He has been the regional manager for a pharmaceutical company.Toronto History He owns Toronto's Steeles Bakery, and often brought doughnuts, bagels and other baked goods from his store to distribute at council meetings in the 1980s and 1990s.John Sewell, "Politically perfect in North York", The Globe and Mail, 21 May 1986, A8. He was president of the provincial Armourdale Liberal Association in 1974, and served on the Labour Committee of the Ontario Liberal Party in the same period."Election '74", Toronto Star, 28 November 1974, A19.
North York councillor
Ward councillor Gardner was first elected to the North York city council in 1976, following two unsuccessful attempts. He was re-elected as an alderman in 1978, and was selected as one of the city's representatives on the Metro Toronto council in December of the same year."North York elects four to Metro seats", The Globe and Mail, 5 December 1978, P4. He soon became a reliable ally of Metro Chair Paul Godfrey.Alden Barker, "Paul Godfrey: lots of power, no election expenses", The Globe and Mail, 9 October 1980, P5. Gardner won the support of local Progressive Conservatives in his municipal campaigns, and left the Liberals to take out a Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario membership in 1980.Paulette Peirol, "Controller in North York seeks Liberal nomination", The Globe and Mail, 3 March 1987, A14.
He supported Canada's boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow as a protest against the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. He also recommended that Canada consider banning Soviet vessels from its trading ports.Norman Gardner, "Invasion 'brutal, unwanted'", The Globe and Mail, 2 February 1980, P7.
Controller
Gardner was elected to the North York Board of Control in 1980, a position that gave him an automatic seat on the Metro Council. He supported grants to community groups in the 1980 campaign to alleviate social problems, and was described in a The Globe and Mail editorial as a possible voice of progressive reform.Marina Strauss, "Hopefuls want end to chaos in North York", The Globe and Mail, 30 October 1980, P4; "The borough elections", The Globe and Mail, 5 November 1980, P6. He was narrowly defeated in 1982, but returned to the Board of Control in 1985. His supporters in the 1985 election included former Toronto Mayor John Sewell, who said that Gardner's election would add "continuity, restraint and attention to administrative detail" to the Board of Control.John Sewell, "Spirit of compromise for Board of Control", The Globe and Mail, 8 November 1985, A13.
An avid gun collector in private life, Gardner served on the federal firearms advisory council after his defeat. He argued against tighter restrictions on gun ownership, saying "We're not the people who commit crime. Why make it tougher for somebody who is looking after his collection in a responsible manner?"Denys Horgan, "Recent study cited Canada's gun build-up small concern, police say", The Globe and Mail, 20 September 1984, M5.
Gardner ran for the Metro Toronto Police Commission after his 1985 re-election, losing on his first bid to Toronto Mayor Art Eggleton in a Metro Council vote.Alden Baker, "Eggleton retains seat on police board", The Globe and Mail, 11 December 1985, A18. Gardner again contested the seat following Eggleton's resignation in 1986 and defeated Jack Layton, his only challenger, by a vote of thirty-two to six.
Shortly after his appointment to the Police Commission, the Toronto Star newspaper quoted him as saying that store owners should arm themselves against robbers. Gardner said he was misquoted, and that he had been talking about the response of store owners in Calgary and Montreal to recent shootings in those cities. The Star refused to retract its story."New police commissioner backs guns for merchants", Toronto Star, 10 December 1986, A1; Yves Lavigne, "Police commissioner 'misquoted' on guns", The Globe and Mail, 11 December 1986, A3; Lynne Ainsworth, "Commissioner's gun statements lead to calls for his resignation", Toronto Star, 11 December 1986, A3. Some councillors suggested that Gardner be recalled from the commission, but no action was taken.
Gardner tried to discourage complaints against police officers for car chases in crowded urban areas. Critics argued that such chases put pedestrians at risk. Gardner warned that cars could become sanctuaries for criminals if the police discontinued such chases.Walter Stefaniuk and Nicholas Pron, "Ten Metro police officers hurt as car rams roadblock in chase", Toronto Star, 12 February 1987, A7.
Gardner was generally on the right wing of the North York council, although he took progressive positions on some issues. He endorsed a proposal to create co-operative housing for low-income families in the city, and later supported a five-year grant to a paper recycling firm."North York approves co-op", Toronto Star, 27 May 1986, N6; Michael Best, "Grant to recycling firm called 'outrageous'", Toronto Star, 14 July 1987, N2. He also opposed plans for Sunday shopping extensions in the late 1980s.Michael Best, "North York council divided on Sunday shopping plebiscite", Toronto Star, 3 February 1988, A7.
Provincial campaign He rejoined the Ontario Liberal Party in early 1987, and sought the party's nomination for Willowdale in the 1987 provincial election. He said that his previous membership in the Progressive Conservative Party was "a good vehicle to use in the interests of my constituents", but added that he did not renew his membership in 1986. He also said that Liberal Premier David Peterson had "done a good job" in office. Gardner lost the nomination to Gino Matrundola.Michael Best, "Willowdale Liberals nominate Matrundola", Toronto Star, 1 May 1987, A6.
Metro Toronto councillor (full-time)
First term Metro Toronto's system of government was changed in 1988, with the abolition of municipal control boards and the introduction of direct elections to Metro Council. Gardner was elected without opposition for the North York Centre ward. He supported Alan Tonks over Dennis Flynn for the position of Metro Chair, and was subsequently appointed to Metro's executive committee and re-appointed to the police commission.Jim Byers and Michael Smith, "Alan Tonks is voted new Metro Chairman", Toronto Star, 14 December 1988, A1; "Flynn wins appointment to executive committee", The Globe and Mail, 16 December 1988, A18; Sean Fine, "Metro Council appointments stick to conservative pattern", The Globe and Mail, 20 December 1988, A17. Gardner frequently defended Metro police officers against accusations of racism, and was sometimes described as resisting efforts towards police reform.Fiorella Grossi, "Tonks accused of racism after defending Metro police", The Globe and Mail, 28 April 1990", A12; Royson James, "Metro seeking control of police", Toronto Star, 8 June 1990, A5; Michael Valpy, "Who will reform police board?", The Globe and Mail, 18 December 1990, A8.
In early 1989, Gardner controversially recommended that the maximum age covered by the Young Offenders Act be lowered from 17 to 12.Sean Fine, "Try over-12s as adults, commissioner suggests", The Globe and Mail, 3 March 1989, A9. In 1991, he recommended a five-year minimum prison sentence without parole for criminals who use firearms in the commission of an offense."Jail sentences urged for armed criminals", The Globe and Mail, 19 April 1991, A10.
In January 1991, Gardner appeared before a House of Commons committee examining gun control legislation. The Toronto Star quoted him as telling the committee that "foreigners and illegal immigrants" were responsible for most illegal guns coming into the city. Another media report indicates that Gardner identified "Jamaican posses and Asian crime gangs" as being responsible for most of Toronto's illegal weapons.Jane Coutts, "Councillors reinforcing racism, Metro group says", 30 January 1991, A8. Reformist police commissioner Susan Eng requested that Gardner resign in light of these comments. He refused, stating that he had been misquoted.Robert MacLeod, "Gardner refuses to resign Denies remarks on immigrants", The Globe and Mail, 25 January 1991, A7. Gardner later opposed Eng's appointment as chair of the Police Services Board.Elaine Carey, "'Private' Eng stung by nature of attacks", Toronto Star, 6 April 1991, A2. Gardner himself served as interim chair prior to Eng's confirmation in office.
In late 1991, Gardner argued that attempts by the federal government to toughen gun controls would not make anyone in Metro Toronto safer.Tony Wong, "Toughen 'lax' gun law Eggleton tells Ottawa", Toronto Star, 26 September 1991, A6.
Second term Gardner was re-elected to council in 1991, was subsequently returned to the Police Services Board. In February 1992, he opposed a plan to allow civilian investigations to precede internal police probes into shootings by officers."Special investigations leader accused of bowing to pressure", The Globe and Mail, 4 February 1992, A7.
In March 1992, Gardner shot and wounded a man who was attempting to rob his bakery. It was later revealed that Gardner had a special "protection-of-life" permit that allowed him to carry a loaded weapon. He later said that he received this permit following a death threat, an assertion that commission chair Susan Eng questioned.Susan Eng, "Military and police must heed civilian rule", Toronto Star, 13 May 1996, A17. Eng called for him to resign pending an investigation, and councillor Brian Ashton suggested that Gardner should have been criminally charged to prevent Toronto shopkeepers from arming themselves and taking vigilante actions against criminals. Gardner denied that his actions constituted vigilantism, saying that the robber (who was unarmed) ran toward him yelling "Go ahead and shoot".Scott Feschuk and John L. Gray, "Charges urged over politician's gunplay", The Globe and Mail, 16 March 1992, A1; Gay Abbate, "Police seek man who saw Gardner shooting", The Globe and Mail, 17 March 1992, A11. The police declined to lay charges.
Gardner was a staunch supporter of the police administration during his tenure as a commissioner. In May 1992, Gardner was the only member of the Police Services Board to vote against restrictions on the use of firearms by police officers.Gay Abbate, "New curbs put on police use of guns", The Globe and Mail, 29 May 1992, A15. Later in the year, he supported a protest by the Metropolitan Toronto Police Association against a new provincial law that required officers to file a written report after drawing their guns.David Hilderley, "Only 7 forces visibly back Metro officers", The Globe and Mail, 12 October 1992, A11. Gardner also defended police use of pepper spray, stating that it prevented numerous injuries.Norman Gardner, "Pepper spray saves countless injuries", Toronto Star, 1 September 1992. In June 1994, he was the only police service board member to oppose a ban on the private ownership and possession of handguns.Gay Abbate, "Police board urges ban on handguns", The Globe and Mail, 24 June 1994, A8.