In celebration and honour of the Honourable
William "Bill" Grenville Davis , former Premier of Ontario and Brampton champion, the City of Brampton has commissioned this memorial artwork dedicated to his legacy. It was installed in the summer of 2025 and is situated at the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA), located near Brampton City Hall and Gage Park.
The City is thankful for a financial contribution from the Province of Ontario, which made this memorial public artwork possible.
If ever there was a commitment to building a good foundation, it was embodied in the unique political figure and a giant of Ontario's education system, William Grenville Davis. Our artwork aims to represent the fundamental character of Davis as someone who unlocked the secrets of building a working whole out of, more frequently than not, opposing political elements. Beyond pure politics and in the interest of ordinary people, he (who always said "we") was reaching "across the aisle", a quality rarely found in current politics.
The positive/negative space interplay that is formed by a collection of abstract shapes gracefully evolves to reveal a silhouette portrait of Bill Davis, just for a moment and at a certain angle, offering a personal and intimate glimpse into an actual personbehind Ontario's fundamental transformation during his tenure. The dual imagery not only celebrateshis individuality but also serves as a metaphor for the multifaceted nature of his leadership and public service.
The visual experience changes with patterns of sunlight throughout the day and across seasons. This dynami c interplay between the artwork and its natural environment serves as a living, breathing homage to Davis's dedication to environmental stewardship, ensuring that the natural world he cherished continues to play a role in his memorialization. It's a design that celebrates not just the person, but his vision of a harmonious coexistence with nature. It celebrates Davis's legacy, not just a political figure, but also as a leader who touched and continues to influence many lives to this day and beyond.
Xiaojing Yan and Lilly Otasevic
Biography of Bill Davis
By Steve Paikin
The story of Ontario's second longest-serving premier ever begins here in Brampton.
William Grenville Davis was born Jul 30, 1929, to Vera and A. Grenville Davis, who was a crown attorney in the Flower City. "Bill" was only 29 years old when he won his first election as the Progressive Conservative candidate in the riding of Peel in 1959. He won personal re-election six more times in Brampton.
He became Minister of Education in 1962, overseeing a huge expansion of the system: an unprecedented school-building boom; extending public funding to the separate school system to the end of grade 10; the creation of several new universities, and the system of colleges of applied arts and technology, the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) and TVOntario to encourage lifelong learning.
In 1971, Davis succeeded John Robarts, becoming Ontario's 18th premier. He won four general elections in 1971, 1975, 1977, and 1981. His governments brought French-language services to where numbers warranted; stopped the Spadina Expressway which would have carved up Toronto neighbourhoods; created the Niagara Escarpment Commission to protect our internationally recognized biosphere; brought in rent review to protect tenants; and created regional governments to improve local public services. But his crowning achievement was the mediating role he played in the early 1980s, allowing for the successful repatriation of the Canadian Constitution with an accompanying Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Davis retired as premier in 1985, having never lost an election. He continued to serve his community and country whenever called upon. His life's work was recognized when he was made a companion of the Order of Canada in 1986 and the Order of Ontario in 1987.
His accomplishments were born from a passion to make his country, province, and beloved city better. In both his public and private life, he honoured civility, decency, and respect given and earned, and did so with humour and humility. Beyond his passion for service, what mattered to him most was his family and friends, enjoying both at his home on Main Street in Brampton and his family cottage on Georgian Bay.
