The accession consists of material documenting the Shedlowsky (later Shields) and Iseman families. The records consist of items such as: telegrams, invitations, photographs, and home movies.
Custodial History
The records were donated by Mel Shields, who had them in his apartment. He is planning to donate the business records to the OJA as well.
Administrative History
Melvin Shields was born in 1940 and was raised in Toronto. He was the son of Harry Shields and Esther Shields (née Iseman). Harry came to Canada after the First World War with his parents and attended school in Toronto. His family name was Sheldlowsky, which was changed to Shields before he married Esther in 1937. They had another son, Lorne, who was born in 1943.
During their early years of marriage, the couple lived with Esther's parents, Rose and Harry. During the war, the Iseman's helped bring to Canada two Jewish boys, the Furmans, from England. The boys stayed with friends of the family when they arrived in Canada. The boys' parents wrote to the Isemans and were very appreciative of the sacrifices they made for their children.
The family took many trips together to Niagara Falls, Pontypool, and other camping resorts. The couple also took trips with friends and adult family members to Acapulco and Miami. When they were older, the boys were sent to summer camps such as Camp Tamarack and Camp Rockwood, where Mel was a counsellor.
Harry owned a sportswear business called Shields Sportswear Ltd., which was located at 349 Queen Street West. Esther served on the board of the Mozirer Society for many years.
File consists of three photographs documenting a Mel Lastman party at a McDonald's. Included are images of Phil Givens dressed as a judge with other unknown guests and a photograph of Mel Lastman with an unknown party guest.
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Biography
Melvin Douglas Lastman was born in Toronto on 9 March 1933, the son of Rose and Louis Lastman. Raised in the Kensington Market area, he attended Ryerson Public School and Central High School of Commerce, where he was president of the school council. Lastman left high school to work at an appliance store and, in 1955, opened his own appliance store. By the late 1960s, he owned a chain of forty stores, Bad Boy Appliances, throughout Ontario. Lastman lived in North York and, in 1969, ran successfully for the North York Board of Control. In the 1972 municipal election, he was elected as mayor of North York, a position he held for twenty-five years until North York became part of the newly created City of Toronto on 1 January 1998. With the provincially-mandated creation of the new City of Toronto by the amalgamation of Metropolitan Toronto and the six local municipalities, Lastman decided to run for mayor against the other major contender, former City of Toronto mayor Barbara Hall. He won the 1997 election and was sworn in on 1 January 1998. Lastman was easily re-elected in the 2000 mayoralty election; however, in February 2003, Lastman announced that he would not be seeking re-election in the November municipal election.
In 1953, Mel Lastman married Marilyn Bornstein. They have two married sons and six grandchildren.
Material Format
moving images
Name Access
Anshei Minsk Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)
Lastman, Mel
Scheinberg, Ellen
Geographic Access
Toronto
Kensington Market
Original Format
Digital videocassette
Copy Format
DVD
Source
Oral Histories
In this clip, former Toronto mayor Mel Lastman remembers playing as a child at the Minsk Shul in Kensington Market.