Toronto politicians, advocates and other prominent figures share important lesson imparted by their fathers

Supplied images of the family of Ont. Premier Doug Ford, including his father (left), NDP Leader Marit Stiles and her father (centre), and Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown and his father. (right)

For Father's Day, CP24.com and CTVNewsToronto.ca reached out to local politicians, community advocates, and other prominent figures in the city to ask them to share what important lesson they have learned from their dads.

Here are some of their responses, along with photos of their fathers.

ONTARIO PREMIER DOUG FORD

"My dad (late MPP Doug Ford Sr.) is the reason my brother Rob and I got involved in politics. He taught me the importance of customer service and that it's all about the people. Every single day, I'm working for the people and making sure they're getting what they need. That's the most important lesson from my dad and I carry it with me every single day."

Premier Doug Ford and his family. (Supplied)

ONTARIO NDP LEADER MARIT STILES

"My father taught me that it's never too late to change, take a risk and try something new. He has done so many different things with his life! And of course, he taught me to always shut off the lights when leaving a room (saves money & it helps the planet!)."

Marit Stiles, leader of the Ontario NDP, is pictured in this photo with her dad. (Supplied)

GREEN PARTY LEADER MIKE SCHREINER

"As a farmer, my dad taught me to love and care for the land that feeds us. As a leader in our small farming community, he taught me the importance of community service above self. These are values I have worked to live throughout my life and share with my kids."

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner and his father. (Supplied)

TORONTO CITY COUN. SHELLEY CARROLL

"To always keep your sense of humour, even in a crisis."

Shelley Caroll and her father. (Supplied)

TORONTO CITY COUN. DIANNE SAXE

"The biggest lesson I learned from my father (late MPP Morton Shulman, who also served as chief coroner of Ontario) is that we have a personal obligation to seek justice for ourselves and others, and to help repair the world. This is a central Jewish value. Those of us who are lucky, as I have been, have this obligation to a commensurately greater degree."

TORONTO CITY COUN. STEPHEN HOLYDAY

"You may remember my Dad, (former mayor of Etobicoke and longtime Toronto councillor) Doug Holyday, from his time in politics. However my story is a personal one:

The thing I learned from my Dad was to always find time, no matter how busy life gets, to spend with your family. I still remember my Dad getting up really early in the morning to take me to hockey practice when I was a young boy. Afterward we would often go to MacDonald’s for breakfast and talk about hockey. It was special time together and I still remember it well.

I found myself doing the same thing with my children years later, and was surprised how easy it was to get up at the crack of dawn to spend time with someone you love! I realized it wasn’t so important what you were doing, whether it was playing sports, doing a chore, shopping or playing game, it was precious time to make memories for ever and way to show your love. Spending quality time together is essential to a family and to being a Father, and central to all of the things you do in your life."

FORMER TORONTO MAYOR JOHN TORY

"Always be respectful. Treat every person the same and try as hard as you can to make a positive difference."

From right: John Tory, his son, his father and his grandson. (Supplied)

BRAMPTON MAYOR PATRICK BROWN

"I learned from my father to read the news everyday. He had me reading the newspapers at 6 years old. It was important to follow current events and look at every perspective."

Patrick Brown and his father. (Supplied)

SAMAN TABASINEJAD, AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVOCATE

"One lesson my father taught me is to indulge my curiosity. I get my inquisitive nature from him, which allows me to observe and question the world around me. This is an asset to the work I do: identify the problems in our city and work creatively to advocate for solutions."

Saman Tabasinejad with her father, Jalal. (Supplied)

LANRICK BENNETT JR., URBAN PLACEMAKER/TORONTO BICYCLE MAYOR

"My dad always pushed me to explore the world (people, places, things) but, to never do it by myself. Take others with you. Allow them the opportunity to see the magical pieces of the puzzle as well."

Lanrick Bennett Jr. with his father, Lanrick Bennett Sr., who passed away in April 2022 at the age of 82. (Supplied)

FLOYD RUSKIN, LONG-TIME COMMUNITY ACTIVIST FOR SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

"My dad was a professional baseball umpire. The thing I learned from him was: "Call 'em as you see 'em. You will be correct more often than not."

Floyd Ruskin with his father, Jack "Johnny" Ruskin, who passed away in 2006 at the age of 90.

PABLO VIVANCO, COMMUNITY ORGANIZER/ADVOCATE

With my country of birth, Chile, suffering under a military dictatorship and deep recession, my parents decided to take make a new life in Canada. For years, my father worked 60+ hours a week so we would always had food on the table, clothes on our back, and could also enjoy our childhood. I carry his example of selflessness, hard work, and integrity with me and try to emulate it in my day to day.

Vivanco with his father, Ricardo. (Supplied)

MARK J. RICHARDSON, AFFORDABLE HOUSING VOLUNTEER

"I learned about paying attention to details - and how to troubleshoot around complex problems and interdependencies to find viable solutions."

Mark Richardson with his mom, Eileen and father, Ken. (Supplied)

DIANA CHAN MCNALLY, FRONT-LINE COMMUNITY WORKER AND ADVOCATE FOR UNHOUSED PEOPLE

"Everyone in my family seems to have a different religious affiliation or belief system, but both my dad, Keith, and I are probably classifiable as Atheists and we don't believe in an afterlife. I remember shortly after my dad's mother – my grandmother – passed away in 2011, my dad and I spoke about the nature of life and death. He said to me – and this is a paraphrase – that because this life is all that there is, we all have a responsibility to care for others while we are here: those currently on this Earth and those to come. I try every day to live my life this way."

Diana Chan McNally with her father, Keith. (Supplied)

CATHY CROWE, LONG-TIME STREET NURSE

My dad Bill Crowe was a Mr. Christie cookie salesman and spent all his working day in and out of grocery stores talking to people all day long. He taught me that everyone is interesting and if you talk to them you'll find that out.

Cathy Crowe, with her father, Bill Crowe, who passed away in 1999 at the age of 81. (Supplied)