McCallion's son testifies at Mississauga inquiry

The judicial inquiry in Mississauga that is looking into a controversial failed real estate deal heard testimony from Peter McCallion on Tuesday, the son of the city's legendary mayor.

The 57-year-old strode into the inquiry dressed in black, wearing a black cowboy hat. 

Peter McCallion said he lives near his mother, Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion, and sees her regularly - but didn't discuss the deal with her.

The City of Mississauga Judicial Inquiry is investigating the circumstances surrounding a failed $14.4 million deal for a parcel of land to build a hotel and convention centre near Square One.

Peter McCallion tried to broker the land deal with the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System [OMERS], which is also a minority shareholder in the city's hydro utility, Enersource.

On Monday, inquiry counsel William McDowell said Peter McCallion was part of a preferred group picked by the mayor to build the development.  He was also let off the hook when it came to thousands of dollars in fees and potentially millions of dollars in development charges.

On Tuesday McCallion said he did recall a dinner with his mother and key stakeholders.  He also said he remembers having her witness a trust document involving the company, World Class developments and himself.

McCallion said he brought most of the partners together for the group and loaned his own money to the company but didn't expect anything else from the group.

He said he wanted to handle condo sales once the development was done.

McCallion testified on Tuesday that he didn't own World Class Developments, but later changed his answer after questioning from one of the city's lawyers who got him to admit he owned a 16 per cent share in the company.

"I believe that, yes," said McCallion when questioned about whether he was entitled to 16 per cent of the company's profits.

The commission has already heard that the Mississauga mayor was working behind the scenes to push for the deal for a hotel and convention centre in the city centre.

The lawyer for Hazel McCallion, 89, says she now recognizes that there could have been a perception of her using her influence for family gain, but that was never her motivation. 

Peter McCallion will continue his testimony on Wednesday.