1907 Toronto municipal election explained

Municipal elections were held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on January 1, 1907. Incumbent Mayor of Toronto Emerson Coatsworth was re-elected to a second one-year term, defeating Socialist Party of Canada candidate James Lindala and Robert Buist Noble, who was also a socialist. Lindala's strong showing and the mayor's reduced vote total was seen as a repudiation of Coatsworth with The Globe newspaper declaring on its front page "that an unknown Socialist tailor of foreign birth should poll over eight thousand votes for the Mayoralty of Toronto against a barrister of irreproachable personal character, who at one time represented his native city in Parliament... proves how utterly repugnant has been the jellyfish administration of the past year."[1] Coatsworth did not run for a third term the following year.

Toronto mayor

Results
  • Emerson Coatsworth - 13,698
  • James Lindala - 8,286
  • Robert Buist Noble - 1,330

    Source: [1]

    Board of Control

    Two incumbent members of the Toronto Board of Control were re-elected, while Controllers S. Alfred Jones and John Shaw were defeated. William Spence Harrison and Horatio Clarence Hocken joined the Board.

    John J. Ward (incumbent) - 9,362

    William Spence Harrison - 9,054

    Horatio Clarence Hocken - 8,639

    William Peyton Hubbard (incumbent) - 8,483

    Robert Fleming - 7,077

    S. Alfred Jones (incumbent) - 6,710

    John Shaw (incumbent) - 6,465

    John Dunn - 5,038

    Thomas Davies - 1,390

    Joel Marvin Briggs - 496

    Source: [1] and [2]

    Plebiscites

    Four plebiscites were held. Proposals for $3 million to be spent on a trunk sewer, $110,000 to build a bridge over Yonge Street to accommodate streetcars and $125,000 for a new entrance to the Exhibition grounds were defeated. A proposal was approved to allow the city to enter into negotiations to purchase electricity from the new public Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario rather than private electricity companies, despite the criticisms of the mayor and the opposition of private electric companies.[1]

    Power by-law
  • For -10,696
  • Against -2,905
    Exhibition by-law
  • For - 4,015
  • Against - 8,841
    Trunk sewer by-law
  • For - 5,427
  • Against - 7,515
    Yonge Street Bridge by-law
  • For - 4,354
  • Against - 7,812

    Source: [1]

    City council

    Three aldermen were elected to Toronto City Council per ward.

    First Ward (Riverdale)
  • Daniel Chisholm (incumbent) - 1,758
  • Edward Hales - 1,402
  • James Wilson - 1,282
  • William Temple Stewart (incumbent) - 1,142
  • William John Saunderson - 1,107
    Second Ward (Cabbagetown and Rosedale)
  • Thomas Foster - 1,719
  • James Hales - 1,402
  • Tommy Church (incumbent) - 1,653
  • Dr. John Noble (incumbent) - 1,172
  • Edward Strachan Cox - 1,065
  • Frederick Hogg - 816
  • Patrick O'Connor - 725
    Third Ward (Central Business District and The Ward)
  • George Reginald Geary (incumbent) - 2,608
  • John Wilson Bengough - 2,389
  • Sam McBride (incumbent) - 1,058
  • J.A. Humphrey - 936
  • Francis William Johnston - 883
  • John Harris - 755
  • John Solomon Granatstein - 409
  • Abraham Friedman - 135
    Fourth Ward (Spadina)
  • George McMurrich (incumbent) - 2,507
  • Robert Crawford Vaughan (incumbent) - 2,501
  • Thomas Alexander Lytle - 1,862
  • Harry Lovelock - 1516
  • Alexander R. Williamson - 1,062
  • Dr. Charles E. Stacey - 940
    Fifth Ward (Trinity-Bellwoods)
  • Albert James Keeler (incumbent) - 1,953
  • Robert Henry Graham - 1,559
  • Peter Whytock - 1,479
  • John Aldridge - 1,173
  • William Carlyle - 1,063
  • Blayney Harvey Scott- 969
  • William J. Bell - 645
  • Henry Egbert Hurd - 622
  • John Albert Couch - 500
  • Henry T. Meredith - 463
    Sixth Ward (Brockton and Parkdale)
  • James Henry McGhie (incumbent) - 2,654
  • John James Graham (incumbent) - 2,176
  • John Henry Adams (incumbent) - 1,850
  • Thomas Hurst - 1,415

    Source: [3] and [1]

    References

    Results taken from the January 2, 1907 Toronto Globe and might not exactly match final tallies.

    Notes and References

    1. "UNKNOWN SOCIALIST POLLS A LARGE TOTE FOR MAYOR: Shaw and Jones Go Down to Defeat in the Municipal Elections . .. WANTS CHEAPER POWER Citizens Pass the By-law by an Overwhelming Majority All the Other By-laws Are Defeated-- There Will he Seven New Men in the City Council Messrs- Hocken and Harrison Are Added to the Board of Control Voters Show Some Candidates What a Policy of Surrender to the Street Railway Company Means What Mayor Coatsworth Thinks of the Result", The Globe (1844-1936); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]02 Jan 1907: 1
    2. FOUR CANDIDATES FOE MAYORALTY: His Worship is Likely to Have an Easy Victory TEN FOR CONTROLLERS Seventeen Nominations For the Board of Education An Exceedingly Quiet Meeting and little Heckling-- No Enthusiasm Over the Retiring Civic Cabinet's Renomination Socialists Are in the Field FOR MAYOR, The Globe (1844-1936); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]25 Dec 1906: 11
    3. MANY STARTERS IN ALDERMANIC RACE: The Nomination Meetings Were Devoid of Excitement THE BY-LAWS SUPPORTED Street Railway Loops Are Subjected to Criticism Nearly Fifty Candidates for Aldermanic Honors Signify Their Intention to Stay in the Field No Great Surprises in Connection With the Nominations The Meetings Were Orderly, The Globe (1844-1936); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]25 Dec 1906: 7

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