Mills, Dennis

Four-term Toronto-Danforth Liberal MP and part-time promotional impresario. He is a bizarre combination of the personalities of PT Barnum and Pierre Trudeau, a man at once solidly committed to political realities like elections and committees and also, when bored, to grandiose yet often successful schemes that other elected officials wouldn’t even think of. His latest rock and roll venture, the Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto featuring the Rolling Stones, was a masterpiece of private-public partnership and
logistical execution. It helped turn the city’s economy around, possibly made it impossible for Paul Martin Jr. not to give him a cabinet post and clearly cemented his place as the Liberal’s big kahuna in Toronto politics. It was also another example of why Mills is among the half-dozen federal politicians it would be interesting to be stranded on a desert island with: the conversations wouldn’t ever be boring, and he’d probably find a way to get you home.

Eric Blair

Return to the Dooney's Dictionary index.