She Shoots! She Scores!

U of T Mississauga celebrated the legacy of Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion in November with a musical play based on her life and times. The original production, “She Shoots! She Scores!”, was commissioned to honour the mayor as she retires after nearly five decades in municipal and regional politics. It chronicles her life from her youth in Gaspé, Quebec, through to her remarkable political career.

After the performance, Deep Saini, U of T Mississauga’s vice-president and principal, presented McCallion with a bound edition of the script. He thanked the mayor for her service to the city and her long-standing support of the university. “Mayor McCallion has been the greatest of friends, a booster and a champion of this campus,” he said. “She advocated for the establishment of the Mississauga Academy of Medicine, encouraged her councillors to support our expansion, and always said yes to the hundreds of requests to visit our campus.”

McCallion, whose last day of office was at the end of November, was visibly moved by the tribute. “This was a fantastic presentation that showcased the talent that exists within the walls of this university,” she observed. “I have always said that if you give the best with whatever you do, the best comes back to you. The best came back to me tonight. This is a beautiful ending to my 36 years as mayor.”

Directed by alumna Melissa Jane Shaw, “She Shoots! She Scores!” was performed by students from the joint theatre and drama studies programs of U of T Mississauga and Sheridan College. Theatre Erindale’s founding artistic director, Patrick Young, wrote the musical.

See more pictures from U of T Mississauga‘s tribute to Hazel McCallion: click here.