January 1950 Toronto municipal election

Municipal elections were held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on January 2, 1950. This was the last time election were held in January, as a ballot measure passed changing the election date to the first Monday in December. This attempt to increase turnout went into effect immediately and an election was held December 4, 1950. The central issue of the campaign was whether to legalize sport on Sundays, with Controller Allan Lamport the main proponent. A referendum was held on the subject, and it passed by a slim margin.

Toronto mayor[]

Incumbent Hiram E. McCallum easily won reelection against two minor candidates, former police officer Charles Mahoney and Trotskyist Ross Dowson.^[1]

Results

Hiram E. McCallum – 133,320

Charles Mahoney – 19,658

Ross Dowson – 15,600

Board of Control[]

All sitting members of the Board of Control chose to run for reelection. Alderman Louis Shannon attempted to win a seat, but finished fifth.

Results

John Innes (incumbent) – 96,139

Leslie Saunders (incumbent) – 87,799

David Balfour (incumbent) – 78,090

Allan Lamport (incumbent) – 72,436

Louis Shannon – 72,059

Stewart Smith – 45,251

Harry Bradley- 21,719

Frederick Vacher – 9,850

City council[]

Ward boundaries used in the 1950 election

Ward 1 (Riverdale)

(incumbent) – 9,328

William Allen – 8,512

– 8,060

Roy Cadwell – 3,299

Harry Marley – 2,263

Ward 2 (Cabbagetown and Rosedale)

Joseph Cornish – 6,237

– 5,642

May Birchard – 5,560

Sylvester Perry – 2,064

William MacKenzie – 1,422

Harold West – 692

Ward 3 (West Downtown and Summerhill)

Harold Fishleigh (incumbent) – acclaimed

(incumbent) – acclaimed

Ward 4 (The Annex, Kensington Market and Garment District)

Nathan Phillips (incumbent) – 7,941

(incumbent) – 6,553

Francis Chambers – 6,319

Alfred Whiskin – 649

Francis Love – 648

Ward 5 (Trinity-Bellwoods)

Joseph Gould – 10,252

Arthur Frost (incumbent) – 10,110

(incumbent) – 8,462

Pat McKeown – 1,086

Ward 6 (Davenport and Parkdale)

(incumbent) – 15,029

– 8,299

William Duckworth – 7,971

– 7,573

Dewar Ferguson – 5,596

Harry Branscombe – 3,720

Ward 7 (West Toronto Junction)

– 8,727

Alfred Cowling (incumbent) – 8,005

– 5,989

Ward 8 (The Beaches)

– 13,686

(incumbent) – 12,174

(incumbent) – 9,560

Maurice Punshon – 3,646

William Probert – 3,040

John Square – 968

Ward 9 (North Toronto)

(incumbent) – 15,677

(incumbent) – 15,486

William Mitchell – 10,542

Results taken from the January 3, 1950 Toronto Star and might not exactly match final tallies.

References[]

• Election Coverage. Toronto Star. January 3, 1950