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History Post-confederation (1867-)

The Best Man for the Job

Joe Fratesi and the Politics of Sault Ste. Marie

by (author) Harvey Sims

Publisher
ECW Press
Initial publish date
Apr 2001
Category
Post-Confederation (1867-)
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781550224542
    Publish Date
    Apr 2001
    List Price
    $18.95
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781554906055
    Publish Date
    Apr 2001
    List Price
    $13.95

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Description

Exploring the why and the how of civic corruption in a Northern Ontario city, this compelling story begins in the late 1980s, when the official languages policies of Pierre Trudeau, Brian Mulroney, and David Peterson collided with the Sault’s deep-rooted resistance to bilingualism. The man at the center of the uproar over the city's infamous English-only resolution was Mayor Joe Fratesi, whose unwavering support for the resolution made him a wildly popular local hero. Unfortunately for him, it also killed any chance of his being appointed a judge, which sent him looking in other directions for career advancement. In 1995 he spotted another job he wanted, this one under the control of the city council he had dominated for years. He went for it, breaking the law repeatedly in the process, plunging the Sault into a bitter two-and-a-half year political and legal battle over ethics in public office. Harvey Sims was one of the Sault residents who fought Fratesi's appointment through the court system, and now he provides a sobering account of his hometown’s dysfunctional politics, greed, intimidation, lawbreaking, and contempt for basic standards in public office.

About the author

Contributor Notes

Harvey Sims is a former senior official of the federal government who now works as a freelance writer and consultant on public policy and governance issues. He lives in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.