Toronto municipal election, 1954
Encyclopedia
Municipal elections were held in Toronto, Canada, on December 6, 1954. Incumbent mayor Leslie Saunders was defeated by Nathan Phillips
in a close contest.
. He was challenged by Nathan Phillips
, a long time city councilor who had made a previous attempt to win the mayoralty. Phillips was Jewish, a sharp departure from the standard for Toronto mayors, who for decades had been Protestant Orange Order members.
Phillips' religion was an important issue in the election. Saunders publicly proclaimed he was running as "Leslie Saunders, Protestant". Saunders was a leader of the Orange Order and the publisher of the radical monthly newspaper Protestant Action. His anti-Catholicism and proclamations that Toronto was a "Protestant city" had caused controversy in the past. one of his first acts after ascending to the mayoralty was to issue an official proclamation commemorating The Twelfth
, the anniversary of the victory of William of Orange over the Irish.
A second controversy arose during the election when Brown released accusation about room 1735 in the Royal York Hotel. He argued that the room was a secret entertainment suite paid for by the city for the use of the mayor. Saunders claims that it was rented by Mayor Lamport and that he was totally unaware of the suite. Nonetheless the scandal hurt his reelection bid.
Also running was former school board head Arthur Brown, who had previously come close to defeating Lamport for the job, and who had the support of the Globe and Mail newspaper. The Toronto Star and the Telegram both supported Phillips. Saunders in his memoirs accuses Brown of splitting the "Christian and Gentile vote" and getting Phillips elected.
Results
. This controversially passed over former Alderman Joseph Cornish
, who had finished fifth in the 1953 election. In the election, Cornish won more votes than Lipsett and got a seat on the board.
Results
)
Ward 2 (Regent Park
and Rosedale
)
Ward 3 (West Downtown
and Summerhill
)
Ward 4 (The Annex
, Kensington Market
and Garment District)
Ward 5 (Trinity-Bellwoods and Little Italy
)
Ward 6 (Davenport and Parkdale
)
Ward 7 (Bloor West Village
)
Ward 8 (The Beaches
)
Ward 9 (North Toronto
)
Results taken form the December 7, 1954 Toronto Star and might not exactly match final tallies.
Nathan Phillips (politician)
Nathan Phillips, KC was a Canadian politician and popular Mayor of Toronto, Ontario.-Early life:Born in Brockville, Ontario, the son of Jacob Phillips and Mary Rosenbloom, he was educated in public and high schools in Cornwall. In 1908, he articled with the Cornwall lawyer, Robert Smith, who later...
in a close contest.
Toronto mayor
Controller Leslie Saunders had been appointed mayor after the resignation of Allan Lamport, who left to work with the Toronto Transit CommissionToronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
. He was challenged by Nathan Phillips
Nathan Phillips (politician)
Nathan Phillips, KC was a Canadian politician and popular Mayor of Toronto, Ontario.-Early life:Born in Brockville, Ontario, the son of Jacob Phillips and Mary Rosenbloom, he was educated in public and high schools in Cornwall. In 1908, he articled with the Cornwall lawyer, Robert Smith, who later...
, a long time city councilor who had made a previous attempt to win the mayoralty. Phillips was Jewish, a sharp departure from the standard for Toronto mayors, who for decades had been Protestant Orange Order members.
Phillips' religion was an important issue in the election. Saunders publicly proclaimed he was running as "Leslie Saunders, Protestant". Saunders was a leader of the Orange Order and the publisher of the radical monthly newspaper Protestant Action. His anti-Catholicism and proclamations that Toronto was a "Protestant city" had caused controversy in the past. one of his first acts after ascending to the mayoralty was to issue an official proclamation commemorating The Twelfth
The Twelfth
The Twelfth is a yearly Protestant celebration held on 12 July. It originated in Ireland during the 18th century. It celebrates the Glorious Revolution and victory of Protestant king William of Orange over Catholic king James II at the Battle of the Boyne...
, the anniversary of the victory of William of Orange over the Irish.
A second controversy arose during the election when Brown released accusation about room 1735 in the Royal York Hotel. He argued that the room was a secret entertainment suite paid for by the city for the use of the mayor. Saunders claims that it was rented by Mayor Lamport and that he was totally unaware of the suite. Nonetheless the scandal hurt his reelection bid.
Also running was former school board head Arthur Brown, who had previously come close to defeating Lamport for the job, and who had the support of the Globe and Mail newspaper. The Toronto Star and the Telegram both supported Phillips. Saunders in his memoirs accuses Brown of splitting the "Christian and Gentile vote" and getting Phillips elected.
Results
- Nathan PhillipsNathan Phillips (politician)Nathan Phillips, KC was a Canadian politician and popular Mayor of Toronto, Ontario.-Early life:Born in Brockville, Ontario, the son of Jacob Phillips and Mary Rosenbloom, he was educated in public and high schools in Cornwall. In 1908, he articled with the Cornwall lawyer, Robert Smith, who later...
- 40,683 - Leslie Saunders - 36,756
- Arthur Brown - 36,613
- Macleod - 4932
Board of Control
Saunders' appointment to the mayoralty led to the appointment of Alderman Ross Lipsett to the Board of ControlToronto 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...
. This controversially passed over former Alderman Joseph Cornish
Joseph Cornish
F. Joseph Cornish, Q.C. was a lawyer, judge and Toronto politician who served as alderman for Ward 2 and as a member of the Toronto Board of Control as well as a Metro Toronto Councillor....
, who had finished fifth in the 1953 election. In the election, Cornish won more votes than Lipsett and got a seat on the board.
Results
- Ford Brand (incumbent) - 69,540
- Roy Belyea (incumbent) - 66,223
- David Balfour (incumbent) - 62,871
- Joseph CornishJoseph CornishF. Joseph Cornish, Q.C. was a lawyer, judge and Toronto politician who served as alderman for Ward 2 and as a member of the Toronto Board of Control as well as a Metro Toronto Councillor....
- 55,277 - Ross Lipsett (incumbent) - 45,385
- Harry Bradley - 20,488
- Harry Hunter - 14,114
- Nobleman - 9,413
- George Rolland - 5,280
City council
Ward 1 (RiverdaleRiverdale, 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....
)
- William AllenWilliam Allen (Canadian politician)William Randall Allen, QC was a Toronto politician who served as the Chairman of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto from 1962 to 1969 and is the namesake of the W.R. Allen Expressway . Metropolitan Toronto was created by the Province of Ontario in 1952 and comprised Toronto, North York,...
(incumbent) - 8,855 - Ken Waters (incumbent) - 8,042
- George Phillips - 2,282
- Stanley Hare - 1,381
- Thornley - 932
Ward 2 (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 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....
)
- William Dennison (incumbent) - 4,831
- Edgar Roxborough (incumbent) - 4,479
- Douglas Shaw - 2,268
- C.M. Edwards - 1,551
- Morrison - 669
- Philip Rowley - 647
Ward 3 (West Downtown
Downtown Toronto
Downtown Toronto is the central business district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is approximately bounded by Bloor Street to the north, Lake Ontario to the south, the Don River to the east, and Bathurst Street to the west...
and Summerhill
Summerhill, Toronto
The Summerhill neighbourhood in central Toronto was named after 'Summer Hill' house, built in 1842 by Canadian transportation baron Charles Thompson.Much of the area was once part of the Thompson estate but was subdivided by his heirs in the 1880s....
)
- Howard Phillips (incumbent) - acclaimed
- John MacVicar (incumbent) - acclaimed
Ward 4 (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...
, 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 Garment District)
- Allan GrossmanAllan GrossmanAllan Grossman was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada, for 20 years, a provincial cabinet minister and the father of the late former leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, Larry Grossman. Together, the father and son represented the downtown Toronto, Ontario,...
(incumbent) - 6,455 - Herbert OrliffeHerbert OrliffeHerbert Orliffe was a municipal politician in Toronto, Canada. He immigrated with his family form Newcastle, England at age 8 and settled in Toronto. His father operated a grocery store on Harbord Street...
(incumbent) - 5,345 - Robert LaxerRobert LaxerRobert M. Laxer was a Canadian psychologist, professor, author, and political activist.Laxer was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1915 and graduated from McGill University with a B.A. in 1936 and an M.A. in 1939. Laxer joined the Communist Party of Canada during the Great Depression...
- 1,368 - Bernard Levitt - 1,307
- Blainey - 756
Ward 5 (Trinity-Bellwoods and Little Italy
Little Italy, Toronto
Little Italy, sometimes referred to as College Street West, is a district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is well known for its numerous Italian Canadian restaurants and businesses. There is also a significant Latin American and Portuguese community in the area...
)
- Philip GivensPhilip GivensPhilip Gerald Givens, QC was a Mayor of Toronto, Canada, Member of Parliament and judge.Raised in Toronto, Givens attended Harbord Collegiate Institute....
(incumbent) - 7,470 - Joseph GouldJoseph Gould (Ontario politician)Joseph M. Gould was an Ontario municipal and provincial politician. He was a trail lawyer in private life. Gould was first the alderman for the City of Toronto's Ward 5 in the 1950s and was the Ontario Liberal Party's Member of Provincial Parliament for the Bracondale electoral district in...
(incumbent) - 6,770 - Stewart SmithStewart Smith (politician)Stewart Smith was a long-time leading member of the Communist Party of Canada. He also served on Toronto City Council for a period in the 1930s and 1940s....
- 2,678 - Teslia - 2,105
Ward 6 (Davenport and 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...
)
- May Robinson (incumbent) - 11,349
- Frank Clifton (incumbent) - 10,470
- Grittani - 2,763
- Hector MacArthur - 2,067
- Tennant - 1,684
- Muir - 1,561
- Patrick McKeown - 1,039
Ward 7 (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...
)
- William Davidson (incumbent) - 6,228
- John KucherepaJohn KucherepaJohn William Kucherepa was a Progressive Conservative party member of the Canadian House of Commons.Kucherepa was born in Toronto, Ontario where he attended the Humberside Collegiate Institute and Western High School of Commerce in his youth...
(incumbent) - 4,989 - John Duncan - 3,951
- John Weir - 1,915
Ward 8 (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...
)
- Donald Summerville - 10,002
- Alex Hodgins (incumbent) - 8,327
- Albert G. Cranham - 6,485
- William Probert (incumbent) - 3,169
- McNulty - 2,553
- James Davis - 1,210
- John Square - 384
Ward 9 (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...
)
- Jean NewmanJean NewmanJean Newman was a municipal politician in Toronto, Canada. She served as Controller budget chief and was the first woman to run for Mayor of Toronto....
- 14,873 - Leonard Reilly (incumbent) - 11,261
- David Burt (incumbent) - 9,819
- Frederick Vacher - 1,394
Results taken form the December 7, 1954 Toronto Star and might not exactly match final tallies.