Emil Kolb appointed Peel chair for sixth term

Peel Regional Chair Emil Kolb wears the Chain of Office standing alongside Brampton Mayor Susan Fennell (left) and Town of Caledon Mayor Marolyn Morrison (right).

The Region of Peel’s new 24-member council appointed Caledon’s Emil Kolb as regional chair for a sixth term. The election took place at the Region’s 2006 inaugural meeting held at the Rose Theatre in Brampton.

Kolb is the longest serving Peel chairman and now leads an expanded council into its first four-year term.

As the head of Peel Regional council, the chair’s role is pivotal to the workings of council, providing leadership and ensuring the business proceedings move smoothly and effectively. Peel Region is the first government in Canada to be awarded the National Quality Institute’s top honour for excellence, the Canada Award for Excellence Gold Trophy.

“We are entering a new era of partnership and leadership that, over the next four years, will result in even more council involvement and recognition for the Region of Peel as a well-run organization providing leading-edge programs, services and access for our citizens,” said Kolb during the inauguration. “As your regional chair, I pledge to continue to strive to bring people and ideas together.”

Later, Kolb said he’s greatly honored to serve the new and improved council, which sees an additional Brampton councillor and two more from Mississauga. Kolb said population growth in the region legitimizes these additions. The four-year term will help Peel deal with the senior levels of government as the extra year gives them more time for long-range planning and financial matters.

With regards to Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion’s cries for secession, Kolb said he’s always been a firm believer in a strong, unified regional government which has more clout and buying power than smaller, individual municipalities. There are definite roles for each to play.

Kolb noted when he was first elected chair in 1991, he made it his (and council’s) goal to be debtfree and he’s proud to have achieved that goal. It’s up to council to maintain that and keep tax increases to the level of inflation.

Kolb said funding of GO and pooling continue to be major issues facing the region.

Peel contributes some $16 million annually to fund GO Transit capital projects, but the region believes the province and perhaps federal government should bear the burden. This cost should not be placed on the property taxpayer.

Peel, York and Halton contribute a whopping $200 million combined annually to the City of Toronto to offset its social program costs. This pooling, mandated several years ago, has always been a sore spot for regional governments who receive little in the way of services for such a large financial commitment. Peel has always maintained this arrangement is unfair and if the province wants to help Toronto, the costs should be more evenly spread out across the GTA.

When asked if this may be his last term, Kolb said he “never says never.” If his health continues on as it is, there’s no stopping him. He will celebrate his 71st birthday this January.

Last year, Kolb celebrated his 40th anniversary in public office. He began his career in the early 1970s as an Albion Township councillor. From 1985 to 1991, he served as mayor of Caledon for two terms.

In addition to his role as Regional Chair, he is also chair of the Peel Police Services Board, a position he has held since January 1996. He is committed to

the well-being of the community and has actively supported Peel children’s charities including the Children’s Safety Village, Peel Children’s Centre, Peel Children’s Aid and the United Way. For his many contributions to society and the community he received the prestigious Commemorative Golden Jubilee Medal of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Kolb has been a regional councillor since the establishment of Peel Regional government in 1973. Emil Kolb was born in 1936 in Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan and raised in the Bolton area. The Kolb family has farmed in the former Township of Albion since 1939. Kolb owns and operates a family farm with son Paul, daughter-in-law Marion and their family in the Bolton area.

The Regional Municipality of Peel was incorporated in 1974 on the principle that certain community and infrastructure services are most cost-effectively administered over a larger geographic area. The Region of Peel serves an estimated 1.2 million residents in the Cities of Mississauga and

Brampton and the Town of Caledon. For more information on the Region of Peel, call 905-791-7800, or visit their Web site at peelregion.ca.