Mel Lastman, former mayor of Toronto, has died

Mel Lastman, former mayor of Toronto, has died.

Lastman was mayor of North York from 1972 to 1997.

When the merger united the independent districts with the old city of Toronto, he became the first “mega-mayor” of the massive new Toronto in 1997.

It served until 2003.

Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford conveyed his condolences in a tweet Saturday night.

“It saddens me very much to learn of the passing of Mel Lastman,” he wrote. “He was a great mayor and touched many lives. Mel, we will really miss you. My thoughts are with the Lastman family at this difficult time. “

Before turning to city politics, Lastman founded the Bad Boy chain of furniture stores, which would grow to more than 40 locations across the country.

As a businessman, Lastman was known for his quirky publicity stunts, such as selling two-dollar bills for one dollar, which he called the “best two-for-one deal you could find.”

In 1975, three years after Lastman became mayor of North York, he sold the chain to focus squarely on his political career. It was not until 1991 that his son Blayne relaunched the chain with the same name.

Lastman’s funeral is scheduled for Monday at 10 a.m. at Benjamin’s Park Memorial Chapel in North York.

More to come