Peter Fenton (politician)
Encyclopedia
Peter Fenton was a Canadian
politician, who served as mayor of Sudbury, Ontario
from 1930 to 1932. He was the 17th mayor of Sudbury since its incorporation in 1893, and the first mayor of Sudbury after it was granted city
status in 1930. On November 27th 1929 he was acclaimed Mayor of the city due to the lack of candidates running for office in the 1929 election. In 1930 he stood again for mayor. During the election campaign he promised to build a new town hall and a subway under the Elm Street rail line, along with improving the local utilities in conjunction with municipal services. His campaign slogan was "Sudbury is a progressive city; we should be optimists and boasters, not pessimists and knockers".
Fenton was widely regarded as a populist mayor and a worthy political opponent. On December 1, 1930, he won the election with 1,373 votes, the largest win in a municipal election in Sudbury at that time.
He was successful at incorporating the city and building the Sudbury Jail, and did the best he could to enable the City of Sudbury to provide relief to those citizens of Sudbury affected by the Great Depression
. He converted the former jail into a flop house, and was able to provide relief to 4,142 recipients in December 1930. However in an effort to encourage the recipients to "find work", meals were gradually cut back from three meals to one meal per day by March 1931.
Despite his attempts at advocating for the impoverished citizens of Sudbury, his spending and confrontational style eventually thrust him out of office amid some controversy. Known for unilaterally making decisions on council and running a deficit, he was defeated in 1932 by W. Marr Brodie. Brodie was successful at demanding stricter practices in administering the city's welfare programs, the issue which cost Fenton the election. The ballots cast were 3,138 to 1,591, a clear margin of victory for Brodie.
Fenton served for 8 years on City council before being acclaimed to the Mayor's office in 1929.
In 1950 Fenton ran unsuccessfully against William S. Beaton
, Sudbury's Mayor from 1941 to 1951.
It is important to note two points:
From 1930 on:
This rule came into effect to ensure that the interests of each ward were proportionally represented on Sudbury City Council.
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...
politician, who served as mayor of Sudbury, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
from 1930 to 1932. He was the 17th mayor of Sudbury since its incorporation in 1893, and the first mayor of Sudbury after it was granted city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
status in 1930. On November 27th 1929 he was acclaimed Mayor of the city due to the lack of candidates running for office in the 1929 election. In 1930 he stood again for mayor. During the election campaign he promised to build a new town hall and a subway under the Elm Street rail line, along with improving the local utilities in conjunction with municipal services. His campaign slogan was "Sudbury is a progressive city; we should be optimists and boasters, not pessimists and knockers".
Fenton was widely regarded as a populist mayor and a worthy political opponent. On December 1, 1930, he won the election with 1,373 votes, the largest win in a municipal election in Sudbury at that time.
He was successful at incorporating the city and building the Sudbury Jail, and did the best he could to enable the City of Sudbury to provide relief to those citizens of Sudbury affected by the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. He converted the former jail into a flop house, and was able to provide relief to 4,142 recipients in December 1930. However in an effort to encourage the recipients to "find work", meals were gradually cut back from three meals to one meal per day by March 1931.
Despite his attempts at advocating for the impoverished citizens of Sudbury, his spending and confrontational style eventually thrust him out of office amid some controversy. Known for unilaterally making decisions on council and running a deficit, he was defeated in 1932 by W. Marr Brodie. Brodie was successful at demanding stricter practices in administering the city's welfare programs, the issue which cost Fenton the election. The ballots cast were 3,138 to 1,591, a clear margin of victory for Brodie.
Arrival to Canada and Progression to City Mayor
Peter Fenton arrived to Canada 1905 with nothing but his clothing and his tool box. A builder by trade he worked in Hamilton for 2 years and then subsequently moved to Sudbury in 1907. By 1913 he was gainfully employed as an insurance adjuster. Fenton would often recall that he arrived in Sudbury when the population was 4,000 and by the time he was Mayor the City had grown to 20,000.Fenton served for 8 years on City council before being acclaimed to the Mayor's office in 1929.
In 1950 Fenton ran unsuccessfully against William S. Beaton
William S. Beaton
William S. Beaton was the 22nd mayor of the City of Sudbury. He was elected to office in 1941 and one of the most successful Mayors in the City’s history. He was elected to office a record 11 times...
, Sudbury's Mayor from 1941 to 1951.
City Council 1930
The following is the list of Aldermen who served with Mayor Fenton on Sudbury's City Council in 1930.It is important to note two points:
- The 1930 city council was acclaimed due to the lack of qualified candidates as such the following list of Aldermen were acclaimed to their offices in the 1930. F.C Muirhead, Leo J. Robert and James Newburn were elected to their offices in the Sudbury Municipal Election of 1928Sudbury municipal election, 1928The 1928 Municipal election was held on December 3, 1928. Charles Bibby was acclaimed the Mayor of the City of Sudbury.The candidates elected to Sudbury City Council were :* Peter Fenton* Leo J. Robert* Philippe Lanthier* J. Newburn* Dan W. Jessup...
. - Prior to 1930 Alderman who were elected were elected to serve the City and were not elected to serve a specific ward. This process was changed in the Sudbury Municipal Election of 1930Sudbury municipal election, 1930The 1930 Municipal election was held on December 1, 1930. Peter Fenton was elected Mayor of the City of Sudbury.The candidates elected to Sudbury City Council were:-1930 Election results:...
.
From 1930 on:
- Three Alderman were elected for each ward.
- The Alderman had to be residents from the ward in which they represented.
This rule came into effect to ensure that the interests of each ward were proportionally represented on Sudbury City Council.
| Sudbury City Council 1930 | ||
| J. B. Ducharme | J. W. Brownlee | Fred Davison |
| Leo J. Robert | James Newburn | F. C. Muirhead |
City Council 1931
The following is the list of Aldermen who served with Mayor Fenton on Sudbury's City Council in 1931. They were elected to their respective offices on December 1st, 1930.| Sudbury City Council 1931 | ||
| Fournier Ward | McCormick Ward | Ryan Ward |
| J. B. Ducharme | Earl A. Martin | Dan W. Jessup Dan W. Jessup Dan W. Jessup was a Canadian politician, who served as mayor of Sudbury, Ontario. He was first elected to the mayor's office on December 3, 1951 and served for three terms as mayor in 1952, 1953 and 1954... |
| W. L. Laforest | J. Fred Woods | William J. Cullen |
| Paul Savard | J. Newburn | A. Gustiana |
City Council 1932
The following is the list of Aldermen who served with Mayor Fenton on Sudbury's City Council in 1932.| Sudbury City Council 1932 | ||
| Fournier Ward | McCormick Ward | Ryan Ward |
| W. J. Boivin | W. Marr Brodie | Dan W. Jessup Dan W. Jessup Dan W. Jessup was a Canadian politician, who served as mayor of Sudbury, Ontario. He was first elected to the mayor's office on December 3, 1951 and served for three terms as mayor in 1952, 1953 and 1954... |
| Paul Savard | C. Carrington | D. H. Andress |
| Oscar Noel DeTilly | J. D. McInnes | W. J. Barager |
Books
- Dorian, Charles (1961). The First 75 Years, A Headline History of Sudbury, Canada. Arthur H. Stockwell Limited, Ilfracombe, Devon.
- Wallace, C. M.; & Thomson, Ashley (Eds.) (1993). Sudbury: Rail Town to Regional Capital (3rd ed.). Dundurn Press. ISBN 978-1-55002-170-7.