Family Day seems like a good day to remember that politics, like so many other lines of work, can often be a family affair. My favourite example comes from Quebec, where Daniel Johnson Sr. (1966-68) and his two sons, Pierre Marc Johnson (1985) and Daniel Johnson Jr. (1994), all became premiers of Quebec — and represented three different parties, no less.
You might be surprised to learn that, in the recently completed 43rd parliament at Queen’s Park, there were at least eight MPPs whose dads were also in politics.
The fathers of Jill Dunlop, Doug Ford, Mike Harris Jr., John Jordan, Brian Saunderson, and John Yakabuski were all MPPs. Harris’s dad, of the same name, was Ontario’s 22nd premier. Caroline Mulroney’s father was Canada’s 18th prime minister. Laurie Scott’s dad was an MP.
In fact, the Saunderson connection to politics goes back to the turn of the 20th century, when W.J. Saunderson (Brian’s great-grandfather) was a three-term member of Toronto city council. Brian has actually followed in his great-grandfather’s and father’s footsteps, given that he started his political life as a municipal politician before successfully running for the Ontario legislature in 2022.
His father, Bill Saunderson, was a lifelong volunteer and backroom influencer for the Progressive Conservative party going back decades. In the 1960s, he and some of his buddies created a group of political organizers and called themselves the “Spades” (as in the suit in a deck of cards). Each Spade was assigned a number — Bill was the seven of spades — as they tried to get PC party president Dalton Camp elected in the Eglinton riding in the 1965 federal election. They came within 2,000 votes, but, in the end, five-time winner Mitchell Sharp prevailed.
Mike Harris Jr. (left) with his father, former premier Mike Harris. (Steve Paikin)
Bill Saunderson got into politics in the first place as a teenager, riding his bicycle and canvassing with PC candidates in York Region. It seemed a logical extension of the politics that were always discussed at his family’s dining-room table. But he never had the urge to put his name on a ballot until he was in his sixties. And, even then, it seemed a rather quixotic adventure.
Saunderson ran for the PCs in 1995, despite not personally knowing the party’s leader, Mike Harris, and despite the party’s being 25 points behind at the beginning of that campaign. But Harris managed to win that election, and Saunderson, thanks to his business background, became economic-development minister.
About two decades later, his son Brian, a lawyer and the middle of his three adult children, found himself getting increasingly involved in local issues in Collingwood. Brian was also quite the athletic star, having competed in the 1988 (Seoul) and 1992 (Barcelona) Summer Olympics for the Canadian rowing team.
“Rowing was a good grooming-ground for politics,” Brian says during a recent visit with his dad and me at his parents’ North Toronto home. “You sit down and go backwards.”
As Brian became less enamoured with what he saw the local council doing, his father weighed in, saying, “Brian, you’ve gotta run, ’cause if you don’t like what’s being done, run. These guys are jerks. They don’t know what they’re doing.” (Yes, Bill can be plain-spoken.)
So Brian successfully contested the position of deputy mayor of Collingwood in 2014 — four years later, he was elected mayor.
“Civic involvement was the common thread between my dad and me,” Brian says. “If you had strong passions about something, you got involved.”
In 2022, the provincial seat in Simcoe–Grey opened up after three-decade veteran Jim Wilson retired. Brian went for it and, just like his dad, became an MPP. He garnered a whopping 51 per cent of the vote. He’s now seeking re-election in one of Ontario’s safest Tory seats, against Liberal candidate Ted Crysler, New Democrat Benton Tinkler, and the Greens’ Allan Kuhn.
During his first few weeks in the house in 2022, Mike Harris Jr. sat in front of Brian. The two noted that their dads had served together — and that now they were serving together.
“It does come up,” Brian says. “In the big scheme of things, most people don’t know. But it does show the continuity. It’s very circular in that building.”
Even Bill chimes in about Mike Jr. “He was a page at Queen’s Park when I was there,” he recalls. “I took him to lunch a couple of times.”
One of the first things Brian noticed at Queen’s Park was his father’s name engraved on the wall. (Every MPP since Confederation has had his or her name engraved on the walls.)
“I snuck out of one of our orientation sessions to find his name,” Brian admits. Bill, who has seen his name as well, added, “It was good to see they had the ‘u.’ They did not misspell it!” (The Saundersons have often seen their name misspelled as “Sanderson.”)
In fact, there are other reminders of Bill’s time at the legislature. His picture is on the wall among all the previous ministers in the Ministry of Economic Development offices. Brian saw it when he was the parliamentary assistant to the minister in the last term. And Bill’s signature is on a cartoon penned by Andy Donato in one of the meeting rooms.
W.J. Saunderson (left); W.J. Saunderson's membership card for the 1927 Conservative National Convention, featuring a portrait of Sir John A. Macdonald. (Courtesy of the Saunderson family)
Obviously, the one thing that would complete the symmetry of father and son at Queen’s Park would be Brian being appointed to cabinet. As a rookie MPP, he says, “I needed to work from the ground up, and I’ve enjoyed all of it. It’s a good way to learn what’s going on.”
However, he adds, “I have the skill set to contribute” as a minister.
I decide to ask 92-year-old Bill a mischievous question.
“When you see the premier, do you ever ask him, ‘When are you going to put my son in cabinet?’” I ask.
“I’ve never said that!” Bill assures me.
“But I bet you think it,” I add.
“I think so,” Bill acknowledges. “I would hope Brian was offered a chance to join the cabinet.”
One of Brian’s problems is geography. There are five MPPs that serve the Simcoe district — and four are in cabinet (Jill Dunlop, Doug Downey, Andrea Khanjin, and Caroline Mulroney).
“But I’m not bitter and don’t feel thwarted,” Brian says. “I enjoy the work I’m doing.”
As it’s time to wrap up our visit, Brian wants to put one more thing on the record. “Watching Dad’s career and how he made a difference through his civic and political involvement and becoming an MPP was a shining example for me,” he says. “Becoming an MPP wasn’t necessarily part of my plan, but it was always something I found worthy and worth pursuing.”
Upon hearing that, a proud Bill adds, “You’ve done well, Brian.”
This is the second in a series of candidate profiles. To read about the Liberals’ Stephanie Smyth, click here. Watch for upcoming profiles of Ottawa Centre NDP candidate Catherine McKenney and Kitchener Centre Green candidate Aislinn Clancy.
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