Patti Starr

Patti Starr

Patricia "Patti" Starr (born 1943) was the chair of Ontario Place from 1986 to 1989. During her tenure she achieved a substantial drop in the operating deficit, rejuvenating the fledgling park. Shortly after she was the key figure in a scandal that involved the Liberal government of David Peterson in 1989 contributing to its defeat in the 1990 provincial election. Starr was charged with multiple charges of fraud and criminal breach of trust as well as violations of the Elections Finance Act as a result of illegally using charitable funds to make donations to political campaigns, predominantly those of Liberal candidates. Starr was head of the National Council of Jewish Women, Toronto Division until she resigned as the Council's leader in May 1989 and as chair of Ontario Place the next month. In June of l991 Starr pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud for being a signatory on a renovation grant. All other charges were dropped. She was sentenced to six months in prison and was released after 6 weeks. At the time of her sentencing Mr. Justice Ted Wren stated, “Mrs. Starr received no personal financial benefit. She has an admirable record of community service but an example must be made.”

In 1996 Mrs. Starr received a full and unconditional pardon from the government of Canada.

Starr was born in Toronto, Ontario. Today, she heads her own consulting business that specializes in fundraising/special event co-ordination, fact-checking, editing, research and writing. Starr received her training at Ryerson University.

Starr is the author of one book about her political rise and fall Tempting Fate: A cautionary tale of power and politics (1993) and two works of fiction: Deadly Justice (1997) and Final Justice (2002). She is also the Associate Editor of the Blue Book of Canadian Business