Sydney Moscoe
Encyclopedia
Sydney Moscoe is a lawyer
and former politician in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. He served on the North York
Board of Education from 1962 to 1969, and later sought election to the North York City Council. He is not related to Toronto City Councillor Howard Moscoe
.
Moscoe was born in Toronto, but spent most of his childhood in Kirkland Lake in Northern Ontario
. He was politically active in his youth, and was a member of the Ontario Liberal Party
in 1951, when he was eighteen years old. He returned to Toronto in 1954.
Moscoe joined the North York Board of Education on March 26, 1962, when the other trustees nominated him to fill a vacancy in the board's fifth ward. He was re-elected in 1962
, and was re-elected in 1964
and 1966
. He opposed religious education in the public school system, and was endorsed by the Toronto Labor Council in 1962. In 1968, Moscoe opposed a motion to have a separate school representative appointed to the board. He was elected vice-chairman of the board in January 1969.
He did not seek re-election in 1969, following allegations of overspending on a retirement party for retiring director of education F.W. Minkler. Moscoe and five other councillors were also criticized for taking an expenses-paid trip to Hawaii
for the official purpose of studying Pacific music. He campaigned for election to North York's Board of Control in 1972
, and was narrowly defeated for the final position by first-time candidate Barbara Greene
.
Sydney Moscoe attempted a political comeback in the 1982 municipal election
, campaigning for North York's fourth council ward. This campaign was marked by some controversy, when incumbent councillor Howard Moscoe informed voters that the same thirteen nominees signed the nomination forms of Sydney Moscoe and rival candidate Eleanor Rosen. There was speculation that Sydney Moscoe's candidacy was an attempt confuse voters and siphon support from Howard Moscoe, although he denied this charge. Four of Sydney Moscoe's nominators stated in signed affidivats that they believed they were signing forms for Rosen. Sydney Moscoe argued that the four nominators had been pressured by Howard Moscoe's campaign into submitting their claims. A judge ruled that both Moscoes were legitimate candidates, citing insufficient evidence of duplicity. Sydney Moscoe finished in fourth place, while Howard Moscoe was re-elected.
Sydney Moscoe launched a $200,000 libel claim against Howard Moscoe during the 1982 campaign for alleging that his candidacy was illegitimate. The claim was dismissed in 1983, on the grounds that it was improperly prepared. Moscoe said that he would re-file, although it is not clear from media reports if he actually did.
A 1994 newspaper article identifies Moscoe as a lawyer in Thornhill
. Moscoe has served as secretary of the Canadian and Commonwealth Shipping Heritage Association, and is active with the The Harbord Club Foundation. In 1998, he helped organize the re-dedication of the Kirkland Lake Hebrew Cemetery.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and former politician in Toronto
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...
, 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....
, 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 served on the North York
North York, Ontario
North York is a dissolved municipality within the current city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the central part of the northern section of Toronto. As of the 2006 Census, it has a population of 635,370. The official 2001 census count was 608,288...
Board of Education from 1962 to 1969, and later sought election to the North York City Council. He is not related to Toronto City Councillor Howard Moscoe
Howard Moscoe
Howard Moscoe was a city councillor in Toronto, Canada, representing Ward 15 in the western part of Eglinton-Lawrence. Among the most prominent and longest-serving councillors in the city, he is also known for an outspokenness which has landed him in controversy at times. Moscoe is a member of...
.
Moscoe was born in Toronto, but spent most of his childhood in Kirkland Lake in Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...
. He was politically active in his youth, and was a member of the Ontario Liberal Party
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
in 1951, when he was eighteen years old. He returned to Toronto in 1954.
Moscoe joined the North York Board of Education on March 26, 1962, when the other trustees nominated him to fill a vacancy in the board's fifth ward. He was re-elected in 1962
Toronto municipal election, 1962
Municipal elections were held in Toronto, Canada, on December 3, 1962. Incumbent mayor Nathan Phillips, then the longest serving mayor in Toronto history, lost to Controller Donald Summerville by a significant margin....
, and was re-elected in 1964
Toronto municipal election, 1964
Municipal elections were held in Toronto, Canada, on December 7, 1964. Incumbent mayor Philip Givens was defeated by former mayor Allan Lamport.-Toronto mayoral race:...
and 1966
Toronto municipal election, 1966
Municipal elections were held in Toronto, Canada, on December 5, 1966. The elections were the first for Toronto after its merger with several smaller suburban communities on January 1, 1967. Forest Hill and Swansea were annexed by the City of Toronto, Leaside was merged with the Township of East...
. He opposed religious education in the public school system, and was endorsed by the Toronto Labor Council in 1962. In 1968, Moscoe opposed a motion to have a separate school representative appointed to the board. He was elected vice-chairman of the board in January 1969.
He did not seek re-election in 1969, following allegations of overspending on a retirement party for retiring director of education F.W. Minkler. Moscoe and five other councillors were also criticized for taking an expenses-paid trip to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
for the official purpose of studying Pacific music. He campaigned for election to North York's Board of Control in 1972
Toronto municipal election, 1972
The 1972 Toronto municipal election was held December 4, 1972 to elect the governments of Toronto, the five other boroughs, and the government of Metro Toronto as well....
, and was narrowly defeated for the final position by first-time candidate Barbara Greene
Barbara Greene
Barbara Greene is a Canadian politician. She served in the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 1993 as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party. She was previously a municipal politician in North York, and campaigned for mayor of the city in 1985...
.
Sydney Moscoe attempted a political comeback in the 1982 municipal election
Toronto municipal election, 1982
The 1982 Toronto municipal election was held on November 8, 1982 in Metropolitan Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Mayors, controllers, city councillors and school board trustees were elected in the municipalities of Toronto, York, East York, North York, Etobicoke and Scarborough.Art Eggleton was...
, campaigning for North York's fourth council ward. This campaign was marked by some controversy, when incumbent councillor Howard Moscoe informed voters that the same thirteen nominees signed the nomination forms of Sydney Moscoe and rival candidate Eleanor Rosen. There was speculation that Sydney Moscoe's candidacy was an attempt confuse voters and siphon support from Howard Moscoe, although he denied this charge. Four of Sydney Moscoe's nominators stated in signed affidivats that they believed they were signing forms for Rosen. Sydney Moscoe argued that the four nominators had been pressured by Howard Moscoe's campaign into submitting their claims. A judge ruled that both Moscoes were legitimate candidates, citing insufficient evidence of duplicity. Sydney Moscoe finished in fourth place, while Howard Moscoe was re-elected.
Sydney Moscoe launched a $200,000 libel claim against Howard Moscoe during the 1982 campaign for alleging that his candidacy was illegitimate. The claim was dismissed in 1983, on the grounds that it was improperly prepared. Moscoe said that he would re-file, although it is not clear from media reports if he actually did.
A 1994 newspaper article identifies Moscoe as a lawyer in 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...
. Moscoe has served as secretary of the Canadian and Commonwealth Shipping Heritage Association, and is active with the The Harbord Club Foundation. In 1998, he helped organize the re-dedication of the Kirkland Lake Hebrew Cemetery.