Toronto municipal election, January 1950

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.

Results

Hiram E. McCallum – 133,320

C.H. 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)

John McMechan (incumbent) – 9,328

William Allen – 8,512

Kenneth Waters – 8,060

Roy Cadwell – 3,299

Harry Marley – 2,263

Ward 2 (Cabbagetown and Rosedale)

Joseph Cornish – 6,237

Beverley Sparling – 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

Howard Phillips (incumbent) – acclaimed

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

Nathan Phillips (incumbent) – 7,941

Norman Freed (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

Charles Sims (incumbent) – 8,462

Pat McKeown – 1,086

Ward 6 (Davenport and Parkdale)

George Granell (incumbent) – 15,029

Lester Nelson – 8,299

William Duckworth – 7,971

Robert Colucci – 7,573

Dewar Ferguson – 5,596

Harry Branscombe – 3,720

Ward 7 (West Toronto Junction)

William Davidson – 8,727

Alfred Cowling (incumbent) – 8,005

David Sanderson – 5,989

Ward 8 (The Beaches)

Ross Lipsett – 13,686

W.H. Collings (incumbent) – 12,174

Roy Mealing (incumbent) – 9,560

Maurice Punshon – 3,646

William Probert – 3,040

John Square – 968

Ward 9 (North Toronto)

Frank Nash (incumbent) – 15,677

Roy Belyea (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