John Innes (politician)
Encyclopedia
John Innes was a municipal politician in Toronto
, Canada
. He was born in Scotland
and immigrated to Canada in around 1900 when he was in his twenties. A carpenter by trade he built a home in on Merton Street in North Toronto
. He then became a developer, building several other homes around the area. He married Jesse Coutts, but she died in 1928 after being hit by a golf ball.
He served eight years on Toronto city council before being elected to the Board of Control
in 1947. He became well known for his work officially greeting soldiers as they returned to the city during both the Second World War and the Korean War. He was in charge of notifying family members when a troop train would be arriving, and personally greeted almost every train to come into the city. This work earned him an MBE
. Another cause was improving the safety of service station
s and their employees. As a result of this after his death it was proposed that all service stations shut down for five minutes in honour of him.
Innes topped the polls in the Board of Control election of 1949, and thus won the powerful budget director position. It was widely expected that he would run for mayor in 1951, succeeding Hiram E. McCallum
. However, Innes died unexpectedly in July of that year of a heart attack. One of the best known politicians in Toronto, his sudden death was a considerable surprise. John Innes Community Centre in Moss Park was named after him.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He was born in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and immigrated to Canada in around 1900 when he was in his twenties. A carpenter by trade he built a home in on Merton Street in North Toronto
North Toronto
North Toronto was a town located in the northern part of the Old Toronto district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It occupies a geographically central location within the current boundaries of the city of Toronto. It is a relatively narrow strip, centred around Yonge Street; it extends from the CP...
. He then became a developer, building several other homes around the area. He married Jesse Coutts, but she died in 1928 after being hit by a golf ball.
He served eight years on Toronto city council before being elected to the Board of Control
Toronto Board of Control
Toronto Board of Control was a part of the municipal government of Toronto, Canada from 1904 until its abolition in 1969 and served as the executive committee of Toronto City Council. It consisted of four councillors elected city wide and was presided over by the mayor. Each voter could vote for up...
in 1947. He became well known for his work officially greeting soldiers as they returned to the city during both the Second World War and the Korean War. He was in charge of notifying family members when a troop train would be arriving, and personally greeted almost every train to come into the city. This work earned him an MBE
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
. Another cause was improving the safety of service station
Filling station
A filling station, also known as a fueling station, garage, gasbar , gas station , petrol bunk , petrol pump , petrol garage, petrol kiosk , petrol station "'servo"' in Australia or service station, is a facility which sells fuel and lubricants...
s and their employees. As a result of this after his death it was proposed that all service stations shut down for five minutes in honour of him.
Innes topped the polls in the Board of Control election of 1949, and thus won the powerful budget director position. It was widely expected that he would run for mayor in 1951, succeeding Hiram E. McCallum
Hiram E. McCallum
Hiram Emerson McCallum was a mayor of Toronto, Ontario from 1948-1951.Born in East Caledon, Ontario, his first job was at The Mail and Empire newspaper as a clerk in the advertising department. From there, he started his own printing plant in 1931...
. However, Innes died unexpectedly in July of that year of a heart attack. One of the best known politicians in Toronto, his sudden death was a considerable surprise. John Innes Community Centre in Moss Park was named after him.