Michael C. Feldman

“The influence of individual character extends from generation to generation” - Macleod

Mike Feldman was born in Toronto to parents Annie (nee Berman) and Isadore (Izzie) Feldman. Izzie’s father, Mike’s grandfather Aubish, came to Toronto in 1908 from Chenstohover Poland to pave the way for his family to join him. Two years later, Izzie’s courageous and determined mother Esther, in the middle of the night, snatched her son away from an abusive ‘master’ for whom he had been apprenticing as a junior tailor to join Aubish in Toronto. They risked serious penalty by the tailor and authorities, had they been caught leaving. Annie’s family came to Toronto from Shetomer Ukraine in 1913 and Annie worked as a seamstress in a cap manufacturing shop in the garment district. Annie and Izzie were married in 1921.

Izzie was one of the first Jews to work for the T. Eaton Company. Even though he was very young, Eaton’s asked if he would supervise the Alteration Department promising that it would lead to a senior management position. He declined. Izzie couldn’t tolerate the company’s employment policies based on discrimination against ethnic minorities. In 1927 he, his brother and brother-in-law founded a men’s clothing factory under the name of Feldman Bros and Wise with the brand name, Varsity Brand Clothes. He and Annie and their four children: Art; Lila; Mike and Marcia lived with his in-laws near the garment district. Izzie would leave the house at 5:00 a.m. to turn on the steam boilers for the pressing machines so they would be ready for the operators when they arrived. 

Mike went to Ogden Public School, Harbord and Oakwood Collegiates and then to Torivale College. He admits he was a lousy student. He says he never had the patience to wait for his teachers to get to the point. One of his regrets is not pursuing a scholastic degree in higher education even though he did go on to coordinate and teach a credit course in Urban Studies in the Geography Department at York University.

“A happy marriage is a long conversation that always seems too short.” – Andre Maurois

Mike married Sue Rosen from Kitchener, Ontario in 1949. Her parents, Raizel and Yisruel Rosen arrived in Canada from Odessa, Russia in 1927 with her paternal grandparents, Avrahum and Pessel and three small children, Eve, Edythe and Jack. Soon after arriving in Kitchener, Sue and Percy were born. Yisruel started peddling in the countryside with a horse and buggy, the humble beginnings of I. Rosen and Sons, a secondary materials company that grew into one of the leading businesses of its kind in Kitchener. The family was very involved in the Beth Jacob Synagogue in Kitchener, with all the children attending religious school there. Sue’s ‘Zaida’ Avrahum was referred to as Reb and over the years following the deaths of Sue’s parents and grandparents, we learned of their many quiet good deeds.

Sue came to Toronto in 1948 where she met her ‘intended’, Mike, who was a friend of her brother Jack. They married in 1949. In the early 1950’s they moved to Overbrook Place where they became one of the founding families of Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue. 

During this time, Mike was busy building his two menswear shops with brother-in-law Murray Kirsh. But, the shops held no fascination or challenge for Mike. Mike and Sue’s search for their first home marked the genesis of an idea for Mike. They were frustrated that concrete information was not readily available on the recent sale price of homes in the area they were considering.

So, in the back of the store on Danforth Avenue, Teela Market Surveys was born. With a $40.00 investment and a whole lot of long hours Mike grew his idea into a business that became the barometer of real estate values across Canada and the United States. 

Mike still recalls his first discussion with Sue on his idea. “Sue, ever practical, asked only if I would still bring home the same $50.00 each week.” Most weeks he would bring home the promised $50.00.

When he sold Teela to the Moore Corporation in 1983, his company was employing almost 500 people with offices and printing plants in Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver, Montreal, Buffalo, Albany and San Francisco. Mike continued to operate Teela under the Moore Corporation umbrella for almost seven years before deciding to retire. He says, “I was lucky in business and the harder I worked, the luckier I became.”

Retirement proved totally unrewarding, leading to a more active involvement in politics.  The political arena was not new to Mike. He has been President of a Provincial and Federal riding association and he has been involved in many election campaigns. One of his most notable is the campaign platform he wrote for Paul Godfrey when Paul first ran for Alderman in the City of North York. Mike says, “If you don’t get involved and if you don’t vote – don’t complain.” He really says, “You have no right to complain, but that is not politically correct.” 

“You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.” – James A. Froude

“Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all.” – Sam Ewing

Mike’s leadership qualities in business were an asset in community service as well. He was Chair of the Committee of Adjustment and the Planning Board in the former City of North York and in 1985 was appointed to North York Council as Alderman to fill a vacancy in Ward 10 for 10 months. His sensibilities were such that he would not seek election to a full term, as an appointed incumbent. 

Mike gets his commitment to community from his father, whom he saw working hard and long to put food on the table but still became involved in organizations that helped immigrants get settled in their new city. Mike recalls his father helping people find shelter, affordable medical services and help in providing funeral arrangements. He was also volunteer treasurer of a non-profit Credit Union that loaned money at low rates to help people help themselves.

Mike says, “During the Depression years I recall the less fortunate knocking on the back door of our home for food. My mother never turned anyone away without a sandwich, a glass of milk and a face-saving opportunity to do some small task so that the food was earned and not begged for. My mother instilled in us the need to allow people to retain their dignity especially when they were down and out.”

Housing has always been an issue of importance to Mike. Mike has said, “To help someone to help themselves you must first provide shelter. Without an address one cannot become employed, cannot register children in school, cannot ever have a sense of self worth.  From shelter one can go forward with the hope of being able to provide – and without hope, we all give up.”

Actively involved as a volunteer in social housing for some twenty-five years, Mike is considered a ‘guru’ on this pressing issue with his views sought by municipal, provincial and national experts. He was Chair of the Metropolitan Housing Development Corporation and under his watch the organization added almost 20,000 affordable units to their existing portfolio for Metro Toronto’s less fortunate, many serving the senior population. Mike has also served on a number of housing task forces including: Accommodation for the Physically and Mentally Challenged and Shelter for Low Income Singles. Mike served on the boards of Metro Toronto Housing Authority and the Ontario Housing Corporation. 

One committee Mike chaired was responsible for a $14 million Metro Fund that was available to non-profit groups by way of mortgage loans that would provide seed money to allow the groups to acquire land for social housing. He is proud that during a period of turmoil in the Real Estate market, over 1,000 new units were built, every loan was repaid in full and the entire fund was returned to Metro Council in tact.

He was a member of the Provincial Advisory Committee for Social Housing Reform and Metro Toronto’s Home of the Aged; a member of the Board of Directors, North York Branson Hospital; a Director of Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care; and, was actively involved with the Reena Foundation. For more than 14 years, Mike chaired the annual Colitis Research Foundation fundraising dinner. He was National President of the Canadian Friends of Haifa University.

Sue has also been active in community work. She was Chairperson of the Toronto Kosher Meals on Wheels Program providing the needy with thousands of meals during her tenure and Chair of the Jewish Volunteer Council. Sue was also Chair of the National Council of Jewish Women’s Weekly Study Group; a member of the Task Force and Steering Committee of Coordinated Services to the Jewish Elderly (now Senior Care); Board member of Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue; the Hospital for Sick Kids Herbie Foundation and Reena Foundation. Together with Mike, Sue was a member of the National Council of Jewish Women’s Task Force on the Residence for Assisted Living on Bathurst Street (The Prince Charles). In 1995, Sue was Co-Chair of the UJA Real Estate Division. She is a member of the Haifa Chapter, Hadassah Wizo; a Baycrest volunteer; and, is on the Board of York Mills Place Condominium. Professionally, Sue is a top producer at Prudential Sadie Moranis Realty having been in the business for 30 years.

Sue and Mike have both always been mindful of their roots and active in the Jewish Community. Mike was President of Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue, past President of the Ontario Region of the United Synagogue of America and past Chair of the Synagogue Division of Israel Bonds. As well, Mike has chaired large-scale fellowship dinners for the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews.

“Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together.” – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Mike and Sue are particularly honoured that funds raised from tonight’s dinner will support this new Centre for Toronto Community Dialogue. Mike says: “Toronto is the great experiment in diversity.  People from all over the world, speaking well over 100 languages come together in one city to live, work and play and generally get along because of a respect for one another.  Sure, we have our difference but the differences are generally solved through dialogue.”

Michael Feldman has served our community for many years with devotion and distinction. He is currently Deputy Mayor, City of Toronto and Councillor for Ward 10, York Centre. Mike has been known to say that he ‘truly loves this city and that one of his primary aims in life is to leave Toronto a little bit better than he found it.’

Mike and Sue have three children: Sandi married to Barnet Bain; Debra married to Rick Pottens; and, Steven. They are also blessed to have four “wonderful and amazing” grandchildren: Ari, Matthew, Sophie and Seth.