1937 Toronto municipal election explained

Municipal elections were held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on December 6, 1937. Ralph Day was elected mayor defeating incumbent William D. Robbins.

Toronto mayor

William D. Robbins had been appointed to the office of mayor a year and half previously. He was opposed by the much younger Controller Ralph Day. Day won by a significant margin, beating Robbins in all but two wards. Also running were fringe candidates Carlo Lamberti, a music teacher, and veteran Robert Harding.

Results

Ralph Day - 64,736

William D. Robbins - 50,779

Carlo Lamberti - 2,753

Robert Harding - 2,124

Board of Control

There was one opening on the Board of Control after Day chose to run for mayor. The race turned out to be a close contest between Alderman Douglas McNish and prominent communist Tim Buck with McNish winning by a few hundred votes. Further back was Alderman Robert Hood Saunders.

Results

Frederick J. Conboy (incumbent) - 60,665

William J. Wadsworth (incumbent) - 53,766

Fred Hamilton (incumbent) - 47,493

Douglas McNish - 44,402

Tim Buck - 44,248

Robert Hood Saunders - 41,817

Robert Allen - 15,283

Harry Bradley - 4,623

City council

Ward 1 (Riverdale)

Frank M. Johnston (incumbent) - 6,717

Gordon Millen - 6,520

Robert Siberry - 6,272

Ernest Hewitt - 1,849

I.W. Malcolm - 1,500

John Francis Hughes - 1,035

Ward 2 (Cabbagetown and Rosedale)

Adelaide Plumptre (incumbent) - 3,894

Louis Shannon - 3,715

Joe Thompson - 2,198

George Harris - 1,735

George Kingston - 1,146

Alfred Gagne - 699

J.A.C. Cameron - 684

Bob King - 458

Norman Brown - 252

Frank Ward - 202

Ward 3 (Central Business District)

John S. Simmons (incumbent) - 3,786

Percy Quinn (incumbent) - 3,039

Jean Laing - 1,429

Lloyd Jaeger - 513

Ward 4 (Kensington Market and Garment District)

Nathan Phillips (incumbent) - 5,002

J.B. Salsberg - 4,725

David A. Balfour - 3,172

Hyman Langer - 1,967

Joseph Stewart - 1,211

Ward 5 (Trinity-Bellwoods

Stewart Smith (incumbent) - 8,025

Ernest Bogart (incumbent) - 7,572

C.M. Carrie - 6,736

Jacob Romer - 1,493

Frederick Cottrell - 615

Ward 6 (Davenport and Parkdale)

D.C. MacGregor (incumbent) - 8,596

George Grannell (incumbent) - 6,339

William V. Muir - 6,253

Neil Cameron - 5,271

Pat McKeown - 1,649

Alan Dignan - 1,514

William Haysey - 1,417

Chester Sherlock - 1,184

William Logie - 717

Bertram Tipping - 656

Ward 7 (West Toronto Junction)

George H. Gardiner (incumbent) - 4,885

Charles Rowntree - 8,901

Frank Whetter (incumbent) - 3,432

Minerva Reid - 3,318

Ward 8 (The Beaches)

Walter Howell (incumbent) - 8,316

Ernest Bray (incumbent) - 7,388

Edmund Guest - 6,627

Ernest Woollon - 4,266

Gifford Baker - 1,168

Ward 9 (North Toronto)

William Croft (incumbent) - 7,699

William D. Ellis (incumbent) - 7,453

John Innes - 7,183

Results taken from the December 7, 1937 Toronto Star and might not exactly match final tallies.

References

Election Coverage. Toronto Star. December 7, 1937