January 1936 Toronto municipal election explained

Municipal elections were held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on January 1, 1936. Sam McBride was elected mayor in a three-way race in which incumbent James Simpson finished third.

Toronto mayor

Sitting controller and former mayor McBride was elected mayor. defeating incumbent James Simpson. Simpson had been elected mayor the year previously. He was the first Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) member and first socialist elected mayor of the city. The CCF was still a minority in "Tory Toronto" and Simpson's anti-Catholic sentiments also hurt him with the electorate. Former alderman Harry W. Hunt, who had also placed second to Simpson in 1935, finished second again although he had the endorsement of the three conservative newspapers: The Globe, The Mail, and the Telegram. The Star endorsed McBride after having endorsed Simpson the previous election.

Results
  • Sam McBride - 48,723
  • Harry W. Hunt - 43,036
  • James Simpson (incumbent) - 32,636

    Board of Control

    There was only a single change on the Board of Control: former controller J. George Ramsden returned to the Board filling the space vacated by McBride.

    Results
  • Ralph Day (incumbent) - 68,335
  • William J. Wadsworth (incumbent) - 62,838
  • J. George Ramsden - 52,170
  • William D. Robbins (incumbent) - 51,465
  • Joseph Elijah Thompson - 31,546
  • Benjamin Miller - 30,613
  • Tim Buck - 20,873
  • Harry Bradley - 4,986

    City council

    Ward 1 (Riverdale)
  • W.A. Summerville (incumbent) - 9,673
  • Frank M. Johnston (incumbent) - 9,335
  • Harry Bell - 2,630
    Ward 2 (Cabbagetown and Rosedale)
  • Adelaide Plumptre - 4,203
  • John R. Beamish (incumbent) - 4,114
  • Allan Lamport - 2,942
  • William Dennison - 1,992
  • Percy Bishop - 1882
  • George Lewis - 713
  • Thomas James - 412
  • Lewis Jones - 171
    Ward 3 (Central Business District)
  • John Laidlaw (incumbent) - 3,795
  • John S. Simmons (incumbent) - 3,713
  • Albert Gardner - 2,675
    Ward 4 (Kensington Market and Garment District)
  • Robert Hood Saunders (incumbent) - 4,941
  • Nathan Phillips (incumbent) - 4,811
  • H.M. Goodman - 2,466
  • J.B. Salsberg - 2,343
  • Max Federman - 816
  • S.C. Schiller - 225
    Ward 5 (Trinity-Bellwoods)
  • Fred Hamilton (incumbent) - 7,211
  • Robert Leslie (incumbent) - 5,621
  • Ward Markle - 3,010
  • Clifford Blackburn - 2,089
  • Stewart Smith - 1,967
  • James Conner - 1,718
  • Thomas Black - 1,210
  • Charles Kerr - 1,057
  • Valentine Burda - 240
  • L.L. Jarvis - 163
    Ward 6 (Davenport and Parkdale)
  • Frederick J. Conboy (incumbent) - 12,885
  • D.C. MacGregor (incumbent) - 7,526
  • William Miller - 4,605
  • William V. Muir - 3,536
  • Richard Jones - 1,967
  • Harry Stephenson - 1,661
  • Bertram Tipping - 1,030
  • Robert Harding - 373
    Ward 7 (West Toronto Junction)
  • George H. Gardiner (incumbent) - 5,125
  • Frank Whetter (incumbent) - 3,603
  • Charles Rowntree - 3,206
  • McMurray - 895
  • Russell Thompson - 533
  • Shaw - 296
    Ward 8 (The Beaches)
  • Ernest Bray (incumbent) - 9,291
  • Walter Howell (incumbent) - 8,338
  • Fred Baker - 7,823
  • Bert Leavens - 2,508
  • Philip Hughes - 682
    Ward 9 (North Toronto)
  • Douglas McNish (incumbent) - 8,479
  • William D. Ellis (incumbent) - 8,353
  • Ross Sheppard - 5,665
  • Charles Reeves - 1,548
  • Alfred Burgess - 1,005

    Results taken from the January 2, 1936 Toronto Star and might not exactly match final tallies.

    Vacancy

    Mayor Sam McBride died on November 14, 1936. Controller William D. Robbins who had been serving as Acting Mayor due to McBride's ill health was unanimously appointed Mayor on November 18; the Board of Control vacancy was not filled.

    References