1919 Ottawa municipal election explained

The city of Ottawa, Canada held municipal elections on January 6, 1919 to elect members of the 1919 Ottawa City Council.

The election saw a woman elected in the city for the first time, with Marion McDougall (wife of the late John Lorn McDougall)^[1] being elected as a public school trustee in Dalhousie Ward.

Mayor of Ottawa

Fisher won seven of the city's nine wards, while Parent won the city's two francophone wards, By and Ottawa.

Candidate	Votes	%
	7,624	62.16
	4,642	37.84

Plebiscites

Ottawa Electric Railway to be taken over and run by a commission before 1923.
Option	Votes	%
Yes	8,234	75.31
No	2,700	24.69

Ottawa Electric Railway to be taken over and run by a commission in 1923.
Option	Votes	%
Yes	8,771	79.12
No	2,314	20.88

Ottawa Electric Railway to be taken over and run by a commission.
Option	Votes	%
Yes	8,943	81.65
No	2,010	18.35

By-law to provide for an expenditure of $150,000 on a bridge of the Rideau Canal at Somerset Street
Option	Votes	%
Yes	2,658	50.08
No	2,649	49.92

The plebiscite lost in all but three wards, but won St. George Ward (which the bridge would connect with Downtown) by a large enough margin to pass city-wide by just nine votes.^[2] Despite the result, a bridge would not be built at that location until the Corktown Footbridge was built in 2006.

By-law to secure authority to expend $150,000 on the establishment and maintenance of a civic coal yard
Option	Votes	%
Against	3,161	59.73
For	2,163	40.63

Ottawa Board of Control

(4 elected)

Candidate	Votes	%
Frank H. Plant	6,666	18.54
Joseph Kent	6,501	18.08
Napoléon Champagne	6,206	17.26
J. W. Nelson	5,298	14.74
	5,229	14.55
	4,985	13.87
Peter Glavey	1,062	2.95

Ottawa City Council

(2 elected from each ward)

Rideau Ward
Candidate	Votes	%
Douglas H. Macdonald	352	33.78
Breary Slinn	285	27.35
	206	19.77
Daudelin	199	19.10

By Ward
Candidate	Votes	%
Edward Gaulin	652	37.86
Fred Desjardins	613	35.60
Labelle	457	26.54

St. George Ward
Candidate	Votes	%
Walter Cunningham
Wilfrid J. Grace

Wellington Ward
Candidate	Votes	%
James D. Denny
Charles R. Stephen

Capital Ward
Candidate	Votes	%
Arthur R. Ford	1,417	35.35
William Y. Denison	1,094	27.30
McCormick	848	21.16
Walsh	649	16.19

Dalhousie Ward
Candidate	Votes	%
John P. Balharrie	1,181	31.82
James A. Forward	944	25.44
O'Meara	671	18.08
Pelletier	572	15.41
Hunt	343	9.24

Victoria Ward
Candidate	Votes	%
Ernest Laroche	Acclaimed
David Rice	Acclaimed

Ottawa Ward
Candidate	Votes	%
Joseph Albert Pinard	850	36.39
Waldo Guertin	633	27.10
Bordeleau	476	20.38
Beauregard	377	16.14

Central Ward
Candidate	Votes	%
John F. McKinley	Acclaimed
Charles Pepper	Acclaimed

References

^{[3] [4]}

Notes and References

1. News: Life of service closes in the sudden passing today of Mrs. J. L. McDougall Sr.. August 18, 1927. 1. Ottawa Citizen. May 9, 2020.
2. News: Citizens favor (sic) taking over of street railway. January 7, 1919. 5. Ottawa Citizen. May 9, 2020.
3. News: Fisher, Plant, Kent, Champagne, and Nelson are Elected. January 7, 1919. 8. Ottawa Journal. May 9, 2020.
4. News: Denison, McKinley, Guertin, Slinn, New Aldermen Elected. January 7, 1919. 9. Ottawa Journal. May 9, 2020.