Toronto municipal election, 1969
Encyclopedia
Municipal elections were held in Toronto, Canada, on December 1, 1969. Across Metro Toronto there were few surprising results, and city of Toronto incumbent mayor William Dennison was easily re-elected. The one dramatic exception to this was on Toronto city council, where a number of long-standing members lost to young new arrivals who shared a common vision of opposition to the megaprojects that had transformed Toronto throughout the post-war period. While the reform movement candidate for mayor lost, it gained a strong presence on city council. The 1970s reform faction dominated Toronto politics for the next decade.
, and its predecessor the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
, for many decades previously. The Liberals
nominated University of Toronto professor Stephen Clarkson
as their candidate. The third candidate was city controller Margaret Campbell
. A Progressive Conservative
, she ran on an explicitly reform platform.
One important issue in the race was the future of Metro Toronto, with Dennison pushing strongly for amalgamation of Metro into a single city. This initiative was opposed by the Progressive Conservative
provincial government. During the election a non-binding referendum was held in the city, and found overwhelming support for amalgamation. There was also debate over whether Metro should continue to grow to incorporate the newly formed suburbs to the north in Markham
and Thornhill
.
Two of the most important issues was over the continuation of the urban renewal plans that had reshaped to Toronto in the 1950s and 1960s. Campbell staunchly opposed the Spadina Expressway
and the further demolition of neighbourhoods to build apartment towers. Clarkson also opposed the expressway, but argued the city was giving up federal funding by abandoning the clearances program and that areas like Kensington Market
and Trefann Court
should be redeveloped.
Results
running slates. The Progressive Conservatives chose not to run as an organized slate, despite its supporters having a majority of seats on the council prior to the election. The locally based Civic Action Party (CIVAC) also organized for the election. Founded by Ryerson professor David Crombie, it was a loose coalition of moderate reform minded candidates. The Trotskyist League for Socialist Action also ran candidates as a party.
In the Toronto election, 22 aldermen were elected from 11 wards, with the two highest vote-getters in each ward being elected. The top vote-getter in each ward also won a seat on Metro Council. The election was a disaster for the Liberals: Clarkson finished a distant third, and only two members were elected to city council. Most successful of the parties was CIVAC, who won five seats. Three New Democrats were elected, and the rest of the winning candidates had run as independents.
The most striking change was the defeat of six incumbent, Tory, pro-development councillors by reform candidates. Michael Grayson, Oscar Sigsworth, Harold Menzies, Helen Johnston, Ken Dear, and Alice Summerville were defeated. Four other aldermen had retired prior to the election, and the new council contained ten new members. New arrivals included David Crombie, John Sewell
, and Art Eggleton
.
A loose coalition was formed that controlled 11 of the 22 council seats, but there were sharp divisions between the left members such as Sewell and Jaffary and more right-wing members such as Hope and O'Donahue. The coalition soon broke down. O'Donohue, Rotenberg, Eggleton sided more often with the Old Guard pro-development faction leaving only seven members who consistently opposed urban renewal plans.
The top two from each ward were elected to Toronto City Council. The top candidate from each ward also won a seat on Metro Toronto council.
Ward 1 (Swansea
and Bloor West Village
)
Ward 2 (Parkdale
and Brockton)
Ward 3 (Davenport and Corso Italia)
Ward 4 (Trinity-Bellwoods and Little Italy
)
Ward 5 (The Annex
and Yorkville
)
Ward 6 (Financial District, Toronto
- University of Toronto
)
Ward 7 (Regent Park
and Riverdale
)
Ward 8 (Riverdale
)
Ward 9 (The Beaches
)
Ward 10 (Rosedale
and North Toronto
)
Ward 11 (Forest Hill
and North Toronto
)
Results taken form the December 2, 1969 Toronto Star and might not exactly match final tallies.
, Robert W. White, Edward A. Horton respectively in East York, Scarborough, and Etobicoke were reelected. Philip White won the vacant mayoralty in York and Basil H. Hall won the empty seat in North York. There were few upsets on the councils. One notable new arrival on North York council (Board of Control) was Bad Boy furniture owner Mel Lastman
. Paul Godfrey
is re-elected to the Board of Control
and Robert Yuill
was re-elected as ward alderman.
Toronto mayoral race
The NDP chose not to enter an official mayoral candidate, but tacitly endorsed incumbent William Dennison, who ran as an independent but had been active in the New Democratic PartyNew Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
, and its predecessor the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
, for many decades previously. The Liberals
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
nominated University of Toronto professor Stephen Clarkson
Stephen Clarkson
Stephen Clarkson, is one of Canada’s preeminent political scientists and a professor of political economy at the University of Toronto....
as their candidate. The third candidate was city controller Margaret Campbell
Margaret Campbell (politician)
Margaret Campbell was a municipal and provincial politician from Toronto, Canada.-Background:Born Margaret Baird she was raised in Rosedale and attend Bishop Strachan School, University College and then Osgoode Hall Law School and was called to the bar in 1937. She married American film maker and...
. A Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
, she ran on an explicitly reform platform.
One important issue in the race was the future of Metro Toronto, with Dennison pushing strongly for amalgamation of Metro into a single city. This initiative was opposed by the Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
provincial government. During the election a non-binding referendum was held in the city, and found overwhelming support for amalgamation. There was also debate over whether Metro should continue to grow to incorporate the newly formed suburbs to the north in Markham
Markham, Ontario
Markham is a town in the Regional Municipality of York, located within the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada. The population was 261,573 at the 2006 Canadian census...
and Thornhill
Thornhill, Ontario
Thornhill is a community in the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the northern border of the city of Toronto. Once a municipal village, Thornhill is now a community and postal designation geographically split into two municipalities along Yonge Street, the city of...
.
Two of the most important issues was over the continuation of the urban renewal plans that had reshaped to Toronto in the 1950s and 1960s. Campbell staunchly opposed the Spadina Expressway
Spadina Expressway
The Spadina Expressway was a proposed north-south freeway in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was only partially built before being cancelled in 1971 due to public opposition. It was proposed in the mid-1960s as part of a network of freeways for Metropolitan Toronto. Its cancellation prompted the...
and the further demolition of neighbourhoods to build apartment towers. Clarkson also opposed the expressway, but argued the city was giving up federal funding by abandoning the clearances program and that areas like Kensington Market
Kensington Market
Kensington Market is a distinctive multicultural neighbourhood in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Market is an older neighbourhood and one of the city's most well-known. In November 2006, it was designated a National Historic Site of Canada. Robert Fulford wrote in 1999 that "Kensington...
and Trefann Court
Trefann Court
Trefann Court is a small neighbourhood in the eastern part of downtown Toronto, Canada. It is located on the north side of Queen Street between Parliament Street and River Street. It extends north only a short distance to Shuter St. In the nineteenth century Trefann Court was considered a part of...
should be redeveloped.
Results
- William Dennison - 65,988
- Margaret CampbellMargaret Campbell (politician)Margaret Campbell was a municipal and provincial politician from Toronto, Canada.-Background:Born Margaret Baird she was raised in Rosedale and attend Bishop Strachan School, University College and then Osgoode Hall Law School and was called to the bar in 1937. She married American film maker and...
- 52,742 - Stephen ClarksonStephen ClarksonStephen Clarkson, is one of Canada’s preeminent political scientists and a professor of political economy at the University of Toronto....
(Civic Liberal) - 31,889 - John Riddell (League for Socialist Action) - 2,363
Toronto city council
With this election, there were two important changes in how Toronto was governed. The Board of Control was abolished, replaced by an executive committee of city council. Political parties were introduced into municipal politics, with both the Liberals and New DemocratsMetro New Democratic Party
The Metro New Democratic Party was a political party in Metropolitan Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It supported candidates for election to the municipal councils and school boards of the six municipalities that made up Metro Toronto...
running slates. The Progressive Conservatives chose not to run as an organized slate, despite its supporters having a majority of seats on the council prior to the election. The locally based Civic Action Party (CIVAC) also organized for the election. Founded by Ryerson professor David Crombie, it was a loose coalition of moderate reform minded candidates. The Trotskyist League for Socialist Action also ran candidates as a party.
In the Toronto election, 22 aldermen were elected from 11 wards, with the two highest vote-getters in each ward being elected. The top vote-getter in each ward also won a seat on Metro Council. The election was a disaster for the Liberals: Clarkson finished a distant third, and only two members were elected to city council. Most successful of the parties was CIVAC, who won five seats. Three New Democrats were elected, and the rest of the winning candidates had run as independents.
The most striking change was the defeat of six incumbent, Tory, pro-development councillors by reform candidates. Michael Grayson, Oscar Sigsworth, Harold Menzies, Helen Johnston, Ken Dear, and Alice Summerville were defeated. Four other aldermen had retired prior to the election, and the new council contained ten new members. New arrivals included David Crombie, John Sewell
John Sewell
John Sewell, CM is a Canadian political activist and writer on municipal affairs; he was the mayor of Toronto, Ontario from 1978 to 1980.-Background:...
, and Art Eggleton
Art Eggleton
Arthur "Art" C. Eggleton, PC is a former Canadian Cabinet minister and Mayor of Toronto, and is currently a Senator representing Ontario.-City council:...
.
A loose coalition was formed that controlled 11 of the 22 council seats, but there were sharp divisions between the left members such as Sewell and Jaffary and more right-wing members such as Hope and O'Donahue. The coalition soon broke down. O'Donohue, Rotenberg, Eggleton sided more often with the Old Guard pro-development faction leaving only seven members who consistently opposed urban renewal plans.
The top two from each ward were elected to Toronto City Council. The top candidate from each ward also won a seat on Metro Toronto council.
Ward 1 (Swansea
Swansea, Toronto
Swansea is a neighbourhood in the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, bounded on the west by the Humber River, on the north by Bloor Street, on the east by High Park and on the south by Lake Ontario...
and Bloor West Village
Bloor West Village
Bloor West Village is a shopping district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located along Bloor Street, it encompasses all businesses along Bloor Street between Jane Street and Ellis Park Road, consisting of more than 400 shops, restaurants and services. The mix of stores include specialty clothing...
)
- Ben Grys (incumbent)- 9,031
- William Boytchuk - 4,544
- Frank Paznar - 3,895
- William Zock (NDP) - 2,861
- Reta Hirons (NDP) - 2,069
- Robert Karfell (Liberal) - 1,245
- Harry Bradley - 800
Ward 2 (Parkdale
Parkdale, Toronto
Parkdale is a neighbourhood and former village in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, west of downtown. The neighbourhood is bounded on the west by Roncesvalles Avenue, on the north by Queen Street. It is bounded on the east by Dufferin Street from Queen Street south, and on the south by Lake Ontario...
and Brockton)
- Allan Lamport - 5,817
- Archie Chisholm (NDP) - 4,412
- Kenneth Dear (incumbent) - 3,526
- Michael Comar (Liberal)- 1,670
- Robert Grossi - 1,345
- Nino De Costa (Liberal)- 1,116
- Michael Kaschuck - 677
- Harry Stone (League for Socialist Action)- 405
Ward 3 (Davenport and Corso Italia)
- Hugh BruceHugh BruceMajor Hugh Bruce, , was a prisoner-of-war in Colditz Castle and later commanding officer of the Special Boat Service.-Early life:...
(Liberal, incumbent) - 5,131 - Joseph Piccininni (incumbent) - 4,340
- Fortunato Rao (NDP) - 1,563
- Marc Llanos (NDP) - 1,007
- Pamela Ward - 559
- Alice Maigis - 516
Ward 4 (Trinity-Bellwoods and Little Italy
Little Italy
Little Italy is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Italians or people of Italian ancestry, usually in an urban neighborhood.-Canada:*Little Italy, Edmonton, in Alberta*Little Italy, Montreal, in Quebec...
)
- Tony O'DonohueTony O'DonohueAnthony "Tony" O'Donohue is a former municipal politician in Toronto, Ontario.-Early life:Born in The Burren, County Clare, Ireland , O'Donohue graduated as a civil engineer from University College, Galway in 1954...
(incumbent, CIVAC) - 4,962 - Art EggletonArt EggletonArthur "Art" C. Eggleton, PC is a former Canadian Cabinet minister and Mayor of Toronto, and is currently a Senator representing Ontario.-City council:...
(CIVAC) - 2,668 - Johnny LombardiJohnny LombardiJohnny Barbalinardo Lombardi, CM, O.Ont was a pioneer of multicultural broadcasting in Canada. He has received many decorations and honours....
- 2,473 - Vernon Kimball (NDP) - 1,083
- Frank Lacka - 1,044
- Jack Matraia - 609
- Norman BrudyNorman BrudyNorman Brudy was a salesman, government lobbyist and a Canadian Communist politician and election candidate. He served for a time as leader of the Communist Party of Alberta.-Political career:...
- 392 - Harold Peerenboom (Liberal) - 332
Ward 5 (The Annex
The Annex
The Annex is a neighbourhood in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The traditional boundaries of the neighbourhood are north to Dupont Street, south to Bloor Street, west to Bathurst Street and east to Avenue Road...
and Yorkville
Yorkville, Toronto
Yorkville is a district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, well known for its shopping. It is a former village, annexed by the City of Toronto. It is roughly bounded by Bloor Street to the south, Davenport Road to the north, Yonge Street to the east and Avenue Road to the west, and is considered part of...
)
- Ying HopeYing HopeYing L.K. Hope , P. Eng., was a Chinese Canadian politician, Toronto Public School Board trustee and Metro Toronto Councillor and Toronto Alderman....
(CIVAC) - 6,016 - William Archer - 5,370
- Harold Menzies (incumbent) - 3,916
- Hugh Marchand (NDP) - 3,058
- Kenneth Counsell (Liberal) - 2,679
- Frank Ricciuti (Liberal) - 2,300
- Ted Culp (NDP) - 768
- David Astle - 574
- Joan Newbigging (League for Socialist Action) - 330
Ward 6 (Financial District, Toronto
Financial District, Toronto
The Financial District is a business district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, within the downtown core. It was originally planned as New Town in 1796 as an extension of the Town of York . It is the main financial district in Toronto, and is the financial heart of Canada...
- University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
)
- June MarksJune MarksJune Marks was a Toronto community activist and politician.She first ran for city council in 1962 in Ward 2 but was defeated. She was elected on her second attempt in 1964 and, in 1966, won city-wide election to the Toronto Board of Control and also served on Metro Toronto Council...
- 4,738 - Horace Brown - 2,810
- Peter StolleryPeter StolleryPeter Alan Stollery is a former Canadian politician and businessman.-Background:An old Yorkville family, the Stollerys owned a famous furnishings store named Stollery’s, which opened in 1901 in downtown Toronto...
(Liberal) - 2,768 - Michael Grayson (incumbent) - 2,755
- John Conforzi (CIVAC) - 2,314
- Helen Roedde (NDP) - 2,052
- Donald Flowers (Liberal) - 977
- Charles Downes - 624
- Dorothy Cureatz - 301
- James Sanderson - 180
Ward 7 (Regent Park
Regent Park
Regent Park is a neighbourhood located in Old Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Regent Park is Canada's oldest and largest social housing project; built in the late 1940s. Formerly the centre of the Cabbagetown neighbourhood, it is bounded by Gerrard Street East to the north, River Street to the east,...
and Riverdale
Riverdale, Toronto
Riverdale is a large neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is bounded by the Don River Valley to the west, Danforth Avenue and Greektown to the north, Jones Avenue, the CN/GO tracks, and Leslieville to the east, and Lake Shore Boulevard to the south....
)
- Karl JaffaryKarl JaffaryKarl Jaffary , is a former municipal politician in Toronto, Ontario.Karl was born in New Orleans and moved to Toronto with his family in 1940. He went to school in Toronto and attended North Toronto Collegiate Institute and University of Toronto Schools. He went to the University of Toronto and...
(NDP) - 5,433 - John SewellJohn SewellJohn Sewell, CM is a Canadian political activist and writer on municipal affairs; he was the mayor of Toronto, Ontario from 1978 to 1980.-Background:...
- 5,054 - Oscar Sigsworth (incumbent) - 3,093
- Michael Doran - 2,554
- Sam Rotenburg - 2,515
- Douglas Loney (Liberal) - 1,379
- Richard Fidler (League for Socialist Action) - 418
- Charles Rolfe - 324
- Steve Necheff - 270
Ward 8 (Riverdale
Riverdale, Toronto
Riverdale is a large neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is bounded by the Don River Valley to the west, Danforth Avenue and Greektown to the north, Jones Avenue, the CN/GO tracks, and Leslieville to the east, and Lake Shore Boulevard to the south....
)
- Fred BeavisFred BeavisFrederick J. Beavis was a longtime city councillor in Toronto, Ontario, who briefly served as interim mayor of the city in 1978.Beavis operated the Beavis Bros. Roofing Co. with his brothers before becoming a full-time politician....
(incumbent) - 7,154 - Tom CliffordTom CliffordTom Clifford is a former municipal politician in the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.He served twenty-seven years as an elected official as School Trustee for the Toronto Board of Education and as a City of Toronto Councillor representing the East Toronto and Riverdale area.In a 1978 federal...
- 4,158 - Tony Barclay (NDP) - 3,090
- Betty Knight - 2,763
- Steve Arvanitis (NDP) - 2,681
- Tony Calderaro (Liberal) - 990
- Kenneth Swire - 331
Ward 9 (The Beaches
The Beaches
The Beaches is a neighbourhood and popular tourist destination located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the east side of the "Old" City of Toronto. The original boundaries of the neighbourhood are from Fallingbrook Avenue on the east to Kingston Road on the north, to Woodbine Avenue...
)
- Thomas Wardle (incumbent) - 9,178
- Reid ScottReid ScottReid Scott is a retired lawyer and provincial judge in Canada, and a former New Democratic Party of Member of Parliament for the Danforth electoral district, in Toronto, from 1962 to 1968, leaving federal politics when his riding disappeared due to redistribution...
(NDP) - 8,965 - Alice Summerville (incumbent) - 5,697
- Gerry Thompson (NDP) - 3,528
- Robert Fullerton - 1,733
- Don Grills (Liberal) - 1,116
Ward 10 (Rosedale
Rosedale, Toronto
Rosedale is an affluent neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which was formerly the estate of William Botsford Jarvis, and so named by his wife, granddaughter of William Dummer Powell, for the wild roses that grew there in abundance....
and 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...
)
- Paul Pickett (incumbent) - 13,700
- William KilbournWilliam KilbournWilliam Morley Kilbourn, CM, FRSC was a Canadian author and historian in Toronto, Ontario. Kilbourn's topics cover history, biography, religion and the arts, with a focus on Toronto; he has penned over a dozen books. He was married to the Rev...
(Liberal) - 8,221 - Helen Johnston (incumbent) - 5,371
- Ann Tomlinson (Liberal) - 3,508
- Juanna Hemsol (CIVAC) - 2,353
- Eleanor O'Connor (NDP) - 1,849
- Michael Harper - 962
Ward 11 (Forest Hill
Forest Hill, Toronto
Forest Hill is an affluent neighbourhood in central Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Along with Lawrence Park, Rosedale, and The Bridle Path, it is one of Toronto’s wealthiest neighbourhoods.-History:...
and 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...
)
- David RotenbergDavid RotenbergDavid Rotenberg is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1977 to 1985 as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party, and was briefly a cabinet minister in the government of Frank Miller.Rotenberg was born in Toronto, and educated at the...
(incumbent, CIVAC) - 15, 389 - David Crombie (CIVAC) - 14,036
- Samuel Kellner (Liberal) - 7,512
- Bernard Eastman (NDP) - 1,773
- Robert MacGilchrist - 1,466
- Pauline Shapero - 673
Results taken form the December 2, 1969 Toronto Star and might not exactly match final tallies.
Outside Toronto
There were few surprises in the elections outside the city of Toronto. Incumbent mayors True DavidsonTrue Davidson
Jean Gertrude Davidson, CM , the first mayor of the Borough of East York, Ontario, was one of Toronto’s most colourful politicians in a career spanning nearly 25 years...
, Robert W. White, Edward A. Horton respectively in East York, Scarborough, and Etobicoke were reelected. Philip White won the vacant mayoralty in York and Basil H. Hall won the empty seat in North York. There were few upsets on the councils. One notable new arrival on North York council (Board of Control) was Bad Boy furniture owner Mel Lastman
Mel Lastman
Melvin Douglas "Mel" Lastman , nicknamed "Mayor Mel", is a former businessman and politician. He is the founder of the Bad Boy Furniture chain. He served as the mayor of the former city of North York, Ontario, Canada from 1972 until 1997. At the end of 1997, North York, along with five other...
. Paul Godfrey
Paul Godfrey
Paul Victor Godfrey, CM, OOnt is a businessman and former Canadian politician. During his career, Godfrey was a North York alderman, Chairman of Metro Toronto, President of the Toronto Sun and head of the Toronto Blue Jays. He was instrumental in bringing the Toronto Blue Jays to Toronto and has...
is re-elected to the Board of Control
Board of Control
In municipal government a Board of Control is an executive body that usually deals with financial and administrative matters. The idea is that a small body of four or five people is better able to make certain decisions than a large, unwieldy city council...
and Robert Yuill
Robert Yuill
Robert Frederick Murray Yuill was a municipal politician in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He served on the North York city council for twenty-four years, at first as a ward councillor and later as a city controller. He was also a member of the Metro Toronto council.Yuill was born in Toronto, and...
was re-elected as ward alderman.
Further reading
- Sewell, John. Up Against City Hall (1972)
- Clarkson, Stephen. City Lib; Parties and Reform