1962 Toronto municipal election

Municipal elections were held in Toronto, Ontario, 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.

Two major referendums were also held in Metro Toronto. The most controversial was over water fluoridation, which passed by a slim margin of 166,960 to 163,240. The areas outside Toronto also voted to remove some of the last of the Blue Laws by allowing movies to be shown on Sundays, something that was already allowed in the city itself.

Toronto mayor

Phillips had first been elected to city council in 1926 and was elected mayor in 1954. He had won an unprecedented four elections to become the longest-serving mayor in Toronto history. Summerville was much younger and had first been elected to council in 1955, representing the eastern Beaches area. One of the central issues of the campaign was a desire for change and a more youthful mayor. Summerville won by large margin more than doubling Phillips' total. Summerville won every ward in the city, including Phillips' former area. Less than a year into his term Summerville died of a heart attack while playing hockey, and was replaced by Controller Philip Givens.

Results: Donald Summerville - 117,031; Nathan Phillips (incumbent) - 51,933; Frank Nasso - 4,966; Ross Dowson - 1,119; Harry Bradley - 815; Charles Henry Mahoney - 406

Board of Control

Summerville's decision to run for mayor opened one position on the Board of Control, the four-person executive committee elected at large across the city. This opening was won by former mayor Allan Lamport, who bested council members Margaret Campbell and Ken Waters. The two Controllers with the most votes also sit on Metropolitan Toronto Council.^[1]^[2]

Philip Givens (incumbent) - 88,629

Allan Lamport - 84,902

William Dennison (incumbent) - 76,504

Herbert Orliffe (incumbent) - 73,118

Margaret Campbell - 72,108

Ken Waters - 62,019

Phyllis Clarke - 16,151

Frederick Graham - 10,475

Dorothy Cureatz - 6,752

City council

Two aldermen were elected per Ward. The alderman with the most votes was declared Senior Alderman and sat on both Toronto City Council and Metro Council.

Ward 1 (Riverdale): Fred Beavis (incumbent) - 11,714; Oscar Sigsworth - 7,853; Thomas Clifford - 6,073; Peter Ward - 2,024

Ward 2 (Regent Park and Rosedale): Michael Grayson (incumbent) - 4,809; May Birchard - 4,465; Stanley Price - 3,546; June Marks - 2,946; Thomas McAulay - 2,277; Ernest Stanton - 1,941; John MacVicar - 1,824; Arthur J. Brown - 1,745; Glen Dawson - 593; Axel Olson - 215

Ward 3 (West Downtown and Summerhill): William Archer (incumbent) - 9,076; Charles Tidy (incumbent) - 7,844; James Sanderson - 1,748

Ward 4 (The Annex, Kensington Market and Garment District): David Rotenberg (incumbent) - 6,448; Horace Brown (incumbent) - 5,764; Francis Chambers - 5,525; Jack Frankel - 2,364; Sam Sherman - 1,788

Ward 5 (Trinity-Bellwoods and Little Italy): George Ben - 7,045; Joseph Piccininni (incumbent) - 6,623; Harold Menzies (incumbent) - 6,237; Lloyd White - 2,524; John Jones - 1,289; Michael Kaschuk - 1,123; Stanley Linkovich - 1,051

Ward 6 (Davenport and Parkdale): May Robinson (incumbent) - 11,652; Frank Clifton (incumbent) - 8,790; Hugh Bruce - 7,346; George Jackson - 2,677; Pauline Miles - 2,460; Harry Branscombe - 2,298; William Varley - 1,310

Ward 7 (Bloor West Village): Mary Temple (incumbent) - 7,467; William Davidson (incumbent) - 5,850; Thomas Wilson - 3,433; Ben Grys - 3,105; James Stephens - 2,187

Ward 8 (The Beaches): Tom Wardle Sr. (incumbent) - 17,161; Alex Hodgins (incumbent) - 16,449; Chris Stavro - 7,750; John Square - 1,939

Ward 9 (North Toronto): Richard Horkins - 13,741; Kenneth Ostrander (incumbent) - 12,234; Paul Pickett - 9,324; Frank Nash (incumbent) - 7,420; John Lawer - 6,945

Results are taken from the December 4, 1962 Toronto Star and might not exactly match final tallies.

Changes

Mayor Donald Summerville died on November 19, 1963. Controller Philip Givens became Acting Mayor and on November 25 was unanimously chosen Mayor. On November 28 Controller William Dennison was appointed a Metro Councillor; Ward 3 Alderman William Archer was chosen controller and Ward 3's remaining Alderman Charles Tidy was chosen Metro Councillor. On December 9 Helen Johnston was appointed Ward 3 Alderman.

Suburbs

East York

Reeve: (incumbent)True Davidson 11,609; C. Howard Chandler 4,997

Source:^[3]

Etobicoke

Reeve: John Palmer MacBeth (acclaimed)

Board of Control (2 elected): Murray Johnson 20,384; John Carroll 17,218; Andrew Macdonald 14,362

This was the first Board of Control elected in Etobicoke.

Town Council

Leonard Braithwaite became the first Black person to be elected to Etobicoke Town Council, as a councillor for Ward 4.

(source: Toronto Daily Star, page 19, December 4, 1962)

Forest Hill

Reeve: Edwin Pivnick (acclaimed)

Leaside

Mayor: Beth Nealson -3,551(recount); Lloyd Dickinson - 3,546 (recount)

Acting Mayor Lloyd M. Dickinson was initially declared the winner by 14 votes but Nealson won after a recount conducted on December 27, 1962.^[4]

Long Branch

Reeve: Leonard E. Ford 1,332; Thomas Berry 657; Cyril Lerbeton 223

Source:^[3]

Mimico

Mayor: (incumbent)Hugh Griggs 2,832; Gus Edwards 1,137

Source:^[3]

New Toronto

Mayor: (incumbent)Donald Russell 2,619; Clifford Johnson 730

Source:^[3]

North York

Reeve: (incumbent)Norman C. Goodhead 30,181; James Ditson Service 21,321

Source:^[3] The major campaign issue was the proposal to amalgamate Metropolitan Toronto's 13 municipalities into 6 boroughs. Goodhead opposed amalgamation while Service favoured it.^[5]

Scarborough

Reeve: (incumbent)Albert Campbell 29,084; Busby 13,286

Source:^[3]

Swansea

Reeve: Lucien Coe Kurata 1,086; Edward Berkeley Higgins 1,018; Charles Douglas Cameron 889

Source:^[3]

Weston

Mayor: (incumbent):George W. Bull 1,878; Wood 909

Source:^[3]

York

Reeve: Jack Mould - 7,031; Chris Tonks - 6,987; Albert Stollard - 5,360; Charles McMaster - 2,739; Pauline Shapero - 1,558

Mould defeated former reeve Christopher Tonks. He was declared the victor by 44 votes after a recount.^[6]

References

^ "Metro's Day, Metro's Duty", The Globe and Mail (1936-2016); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]05 Dec 1960: 6.
^ "Dual Role: Metro's 2-Hatted 2 Dozen" The Globe and Mail (1936-2016); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]09 Dec 1964: 5
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "Six Suburbs", The Globe and Mail (1936-2016); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]04 Dec 1962: 29.
^ "Beth Nealson Wins Leaside MayoraJ Recount by 5 Votes: Dickinson Gives Up Politics", The Globe and Mail (1936-2016); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]28 Dec 1962: 5.
^ "Goodhead, merger foe, wins in North York", Toronto Daily Star (1900-1971); Toronto, Ontario [Toronto, Ontario]04 Dec 1962: 19.
^ "Mould Declared Township Reeve After Recount", The Globe and Mail (1936-Current); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]31 Dec 1962: 5

Election Coverage. Toronto Star. December 4, 1962
"Election Guide". Toronto Star. December 1, 1962

[1] "Metro's Day, Metro's Duty", The Globe and Mail (1936-2016); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]05 Dec 1960: 6.

[2] "Dual Role: Metro's 2-Hatted 2 Dozen" The Globe and Mail (1936-2016); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]09 Dec 1964: 5

[six-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "Six Suburbs", The Globe and Mail (1936-2016); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]04 Dec 1962: 29.

[4] "Beth Nealson Wins Leaside MayoraJ Recount by 5 Votes: Dickinson Gives Up Politics", The Globe and Mail (1936-2016); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]28 Dec 1962: 5.

[5] "Goodhead, merger foe, wins in North York", Toronto Daily Star (1900-1971); Toronto, Ontario [Toronto, Ontario]04 Dec 1962: 19.

[6] "Mould Declared Township Reeve After Recount", The Globe and Mail (1936-Current); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]31 Dec 1962: 5

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