William S. Beaton
Encyclopedia
William S. Beaton (August 19, 1896 – April 1, 1956) 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. An avid amateur athlete, Beaton was heavily involved in the City’s amateur sporting events and as such the annual Beaton Classic was named in his honor.
Beaton is credited for two accomplishments; first the elimination of the city’s streetcar system and second the construction of the Sudbury Arena.
Although there are critics who are nostalgic about the former Sudbury - Copper Cliff Street Railway Company, they often fail to cite that the street car system was unable to deal with the population expiation that occurred within the City of Sudbury during the decade of the 1940s. This expansion along with the increase in use of personal automobiles by the city’s citizens subsequently made the system obsolete.
After a decade as Mayor, Bill Beaton was defeated in 1952 by Dan W. Jessup a local businessmen.
represented the start of a key shift in the demographic of city council. It was in this election that citizens of Sudbury elected two women to serve as alderman for the first time in the city’s history. They were Grace Hartman and Dr. Faustina Kelly Cook. Although Beaton was successful in this his eleventh election, this would mark the start of a turn of events that would lead to the end of the Beaton dynasty.
On an interesting side note, Beaton also ran against Peter Fenton
, the Mayor of the City of Sudbury from 1930 to 1932.
The view the full results see: Sudbury municipal election, 1950
.
Beaton is credited for two accomplishments; first the elimination of the city’s streetcar system and second the construction of the Sudbury Arena.
Although there are critics who are nostalgic about the former Sudbury - Copper Cliff Street Railway Company, they often fail to cite that the street car system was unable to deal with the population expiation that occurred within the City of Sudbury during the decade of the 1940s. This expansion along with the increase in use of personal automobiles by the city’s citizens subsequently made the system obsolete.
After a decade as Mayor, Bill Beaton was defeated in 1952 by Dan W. Jessup a local businessmen.
The 1950 Municipal Election
The municipal election of 1950Sudbury municipal election, 1950
The 1950 Sudbury municipal election was held on December 4, 1950, as voters in Sudbury, Ontario and its outlying communities voted to elect mayors, alderman, school trustees, the hydro commissioner and the reeve of McKim Township...
represented the start of a key shift in the demographic of city council. It was in this election that citizens of Sudbury elected two women to serve as alderman for the first time in the city’s history. They were Grace Hartman and Dr. Faustina Kelly Cook. Although Beaton was successful in this his eleventh election, this would mark the start of a turn of events that would lead to the end of the Beaton dynasty.
On an interesting side note, Beaton also ran against Peter Fenton
Peter Fenton (politician)
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...
, the Mayor of the City of Sudbury from 1930 to 1932.
| Mayoral Contest | |||||
| Candidate | Votes | ||||
| Adv. Polls | Fournier Ward | McCormick Ward | Ryan Ward | Total | |
| BEATON (elected) | 15 | 718 | 1579 | 2009 | 4321 |
| Whissell | 11 | 1705 | 748 | 1176 | 3640 |
| Fenton | 14 | 269 | 719 | 869 | 1871 |
| Aldermanic Contest | |||||
| Fournier Ward | McCormick Ward | Ryan Ward | |||
| Candidate | Votes | Candidate | Votes | Candidate | Votes |
| LAMOUREUX (elected) | 1944 | HARTMAN (elected) | 2238 | THOPMSON (elected) | 2568 |
| COOK (elected) | 1434 | BARLOW (elected) | 1867 | COE (elected) | 1916 |
| GODIN (elected) | 1010 | MONAGHAN (elected) | 1219 | ANDERSON (elected) | 1553 |
| Campeau | 843 | Furchner | 1148 | McNeill | 1442 |
| Theriault | 748 | O’Neil | 529 | Germa | 1264 |
| Cler | 308 | Nesbit | 673 | ||
The view the full results see: Sudbury municipal election, 1950
Sudbury municipal election, 1950
The 1950 Sudbury municipal election was held on December 4, 1950, as voters in Sudbury, Ontario and its outlying communities voted to elect mayors, alderman, school trustees, the hydro commissioner and the reeve of McKim Township...
.
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.). Dundram Press Limited. ISBN 978-1-55002-170-7.