Toronto Board of Control

Functions

Under the Municipal Act, the Board of Control had the following duties and powers:

1. the preparation and certification of all estimates for expenditures
2. the preparation of specifications for tenders, and making awards thereon
3. the nomination to council of all heads of departments and related staff, and the recommendation of appropriate salaries
4. the inspection and reporting (at least monthly) on all municipal works carried on or in progress
5. the submission of by-laws to the council
6. the authority to amalgamate departments and sub-departments
7. other powers as the council has delegated by-law or resolution

With respect to the first three items, the board's actions could only be overturned by a two-thirds vote of the council.

History

From 1896 until 1904, the Toronto Board of Control was an executive branch of Council, chaired by the Mayor. It handled all daily business of Council and reported to Council.

In the early 20th century, elected Boards of Control were introduced as a reform measure for all cities in Ontario. The board was designed to be the equivalent of a cabinet for municipal governments. It had certain specific duties such as issuing tenders and appointing department heads. In Toronto it often did not function as such. Since the controllers were elected separately from the mayor, there was no guarantee they would be allied. Moreover, since controllers contested city wide elections they were often seen as the natural contenders for the mayoralty and as challengers to the incumbent mayor. Many controllers thus had a self-interest in blocking the mayor from succeeding. Relations between the Board of Control and council were also sometimes difficult, with the Board often acting as an independent council at odds with the larger body.

In 1961 the provincial government allowed cities with more than 100,000 people to abolish the Board of Control. Toronto City Council voted to do so in December 1968 after a long debate. The move was opposed by Mayor William Dennison along with three of the sitting controllers, but it was passed by a significant majority of council. The Board of Control was replaced with a new executive committee that would be composed of and elected by city council members. The size of city council was expanded by four to retain the same overall number of councillors.

The board was a white, male, largely Protestant bastion for much of its existence with a few exceptions. William Peyton Hubbard, the son of American slaves who had escaped to Canada through the Underground Railroad, was elected to the first Board of Control in 1904 and served for four terms; Joseph Singer became the first Jewish candidate to win city-wide office in 1923; Jean Newman was the first woman elected to the Board and served from 1957 to 1960.

City of Toronto Controllers

Names in boldface indicate Controllers that became Mayor of Toronto in other years.

X = elected as Controller
M = sitting as Mayor

From 1904 to 1929

Until 1994, the Board of Control was appointed by the city council. In 1903, the Ontario legislature passed a law requiring municipal boards of control to be chosen through direct election by the municipality's voters. This requirement became effective in Toronto with the 1904 municipal election.

Election results

1966

Margaret Campbell - 88,036 June Marks - 77,655 Herbert Orliffe - 76,412 Allan Lamport - 67,677 George Ben - 63,206 Joseph Piccininni - 58,122 Phyllis Clarke - 10,162 Arthur Young - 9,550 John Charles Ewing - 6,071 Dorothy Cureatz - 4,262 Shaba Musa - 2,399

1964

William Dennison - 68,892 Herbert Orliffe - 66,280 William Archer - 65,593 Margaret Campbell - 60,900 George Ben - 59,751 Richard Horkins - 47,906 Harry Bradley - 12,949 Phyllis Clarke - 10,284 Fred Graham - 9,673 Patricia Mitchell - 6,750

1962

Philip Givens - 88,629 Allan Lamport - 84,902 William Dennison - 76,504 Herbert Orliffe - 73,118 Margaret Campbell - 72,108 Ken Waters - 62,019 Phyllis Clarke - 16,151 Frederick Graham - 10,475 Dorothy Cureatz - 6,752

1960

Donald Summerville - 110,893 William Allen - 110,256 William Dennison - 76,169 Philip Givens - 66,972 Herbert Orliffe - 65,418 Francis Chambers - 30,696 William Harris - 14,493 Jessie Jackson - 14,062 Burke - 13,240

1958

Jean Newman - 59,243 William Allen- 52,462 Donald Summerville - 49,476 William Dennison - 33,612 Leslie Saunders - 33,469 Roy Belyea - 27,024 Ross Parry - 25,195 James Karfilis - 10,971 Harry Bradley - 10,499 Ross Dowson - 4,539 George Rolland - 3,834

1956

Jean Newman - 54,785 Ford Brand - 54,178 William Allen - 54,038 Joseph Cornish - 49,385 Leslie Saunders - 47,048 Harry Bradley - 16,450 Charles Sims - 6961 George Rolland - 5,632

1955

Ford Brand - 59,264 Joseph Cornish - 55,162 William Allen - 53,455 Leslie Saunders - 46,528 Arthur Brown - 41,351 Harry Bradley - 14,802 Alex Hodgins - 13,503 Harry Hunter - 9,493 George Rolland - 3,923 George Stanton - 3,863

1954

Ford Brand - 69,540 Roy Belyea - 66,223 David Balfour - 62,871 Joseph Cornish - 55,277 Ross Lipsett - 45,385 Harry Bradley - 20,488 Harry Hunter - 14,114 Nobleman - 9,413 George Rolland - 5,280

1953

Leslie Saunders - 62,397 Louis Shannon - 57,635 Ford Brand - 54,635 David Balfour - 51,393 Joseph Cornish - 46,701 Harry Bradley - 18,686 Harry Hunter - 14,194

1952

Leslie Saunders - 71,597 Louis Shannon - 61,154 David Balfour - 58,898 Ford Brand - 58,648 Joseph Cornish - 41,086 John McMechan - 30,219 Stewart Smith - 19,061 Harry Bradley - 17,480 Frederick Vacher - 7,065 Mahoney - 7,046

1951

Leslie Saunders - 95,838 Ford Brand - 92,725 David Balfour - 91,474 Louis Shannon - 87,440 Stewart Smith - 31,317 Frederick Vacher - 20,039

December 1950

John Innes - 93,656 David Balfour - 81,577 Leslie Saunders - 80,703 Louis Shannon - 74,859 Ford Brand - 66,235 W.H. Collings - 59,380 Stewart Smith - 28,309 Mahoney - 8,210 Frederick Vacher - 7,653

January 1950

John Innes - 96,139 Leslie Saunders - 87,799 David Balfour - 78,090 Allan Lamport - 72,436 Louis Shannon - 72,059 Stewart Smith - 45,251 Harry Bradley- 21,719 Frederick Vacher - 9,850

1949

John Innes - 53,599 Leslie Saunders - 57,746 David Balfour - 55,271 Allan Lamport - 52,037 Stewart Smith - 43,364 K.B. McKellar (incumbent) - 41,846 Leonard Reilly - 20,756 E.C. Roelofson (incumbent) - 11,905 Harry Bradley- 9,701

1948

Hiram E. McCallum - 83,812 John Innes - 80,834 David Balfour - 77,087 Kenneth McKellar - 75,356 Stewart Smith - 47,791 Harry Bradley - 15,711 Harry Clairmont - 4,858

1947

Hiram E. McCallum - 58,524 John Innes - 53,137 David Balfour - 51,578 Bert McKellar - 49,680 Stewart Smith - 42,106 M.A. Sanderson - 26,136 Harry Bradley - 10,749 Harry Clairmont - 4,858

1946

Hiram E. McCallum - 42,126 Stewart Smith - 41,637 David Balfour - 40,632 Bert McKellar - 35,627 William J. Wadsworth - 35,477 Leslie Saunders - 22,040 Harry Bradley - 6,796

1945

David Balfour - 47,931 William J. Wadsworth - 45,942 Stewart Smith - 41,691 Hiram E. McCallum - 41,201 Leslie Saunders - 34,587 E.C. Bogart - 34,258 C.D Millen - 30,235 Harry Bradley - 9,589

1944

Robert Hood Saunders (incumbent) - 73,383 Fred Hamilton (incumbent) - 52,694 William J. Wadsworth (incumbent) - 52,485 David Balfour - 50,599 Hiram E. McCallum - 50,337 Stewart Smith - 41,277 William Dennison - 30,026 William Muir - 19,061 Harry Bradley - 7,743

1943

Lewis Duncan - 40,060 Robert Hood Saunders - 33,081 Fred Hamilton - 28,919 William J. Wadsworth - 27,031 C.E. Reynolds - 26,194 Minerva Reid - 18,320 J.C. Irwin - 16,860 G.P. Granell - 5,010 Harry Bradley - 3,590

1942

Lewis Duncan - 41,656 Robert Hood Saunders - 28,923 Fred Hamilton - 28,853 William J. Wadsworth - 27,022 Ralph Day - 24,208 Minerva Reid - 20,337 J.C. Irwin - 18,272 N. Macmillan - 5,179 Harry Bradley - 3,102

1941

Lewis Duncan - 49,382 Fred Hamilton - 39,021 Robert Hood Saunders - 37,417 William J. Wadsworth - 33,411 Adelaide Plumptre - 33,021 Ernest Bray - 26,391 David A. Balfour - 20,849 Day - 4,645 Harry Bradley - 3,271 Harding - 2,523

1940

Frederick J. Conboy - 78,672 Douglas McNish - 68,774 Fred Hamilton - 60,124 William J. Wadsworth - 55,756 David A. Balfour - 43,261 Stewart Smith - 19,641 Harding - 6,548

January 1939

Frederick J. Conboy - 80,720 Douglas McNish - 73,252 Fred Hamilton - 54,516 William J. Wadsworth - 49,446 William Croft - 48,798 Tim Buck - 43,112 Robert Hood Saunders - 40,973 William D. Robbins - 24,745 Harry Bradley - 3,489

December 1937

Frederick J. Conboy - 60,665 William J. Wadsworth - 53,766 Fred Hamilton - 47,493 Douglas McNish - 44,402 Tim Buck - 44,248 Robert Hood Saunders - 41,817 Robert Allen - 15,283 Harry Bradley - 4,623

December 1936

Ralph Day - 56,847 Frederick J. Conboy - 48,976 William J. Wadsworth - 48,047 Fred Hamilton - 39,003 Douglas McNish - 32,265 Tim Buck - 31,342 Alfred Burgess - 3,983 Harry Bradley - 3,295

January 1936

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

1935

Sam McBride - 71,177 William J. Wadsworth - 58,783 William D. Robbins - 44,820 Ralph Day - 41,515 Claude Pierce - 34,064 Adelaide Plumptre - 32,872 A.E Hacker - 29,110 Frank Regan - 26,242 Tim Buck - 9,938

1934

Sam McBride - 54,855 J. George Ramsden - 48,152 James Simpson - 47,358 William D. Robbins - 37,714 William J. Wadsworth - 36,289 Claude Pierce - 31,156 Percy Quinn - 26,872 Alice Buck - 9,767 Harry Bradley - 2,623

1933

J. George Ramsden - 55,503 Sam McBride - 55,323 James Simpson - 54,218 William D. Robbins - 48,061 Albert Hacker - 37,019 John Boland - 36,645 William Miller - 18,836 Cotton - 11,871 Alice Buck - 10,155 W.J. Haire - 3,066 J.H.H. Ballantyne - 2,183

1932

James Simpson - 42,010 J. George Ramsden - 38,200 Sam McBride - 31,939 William D. Robbins - 31,067 Albert Hacker - 30,348 Claude Pearce - 23,659 Cotton - 6,440 Tim Buck - 5,974 Harry Bradley - 1,726

1931

J. George Ramsden - 51,043 William D. Robbins - 50,801 James Simpson - 48,105 Albert Hacker - 43,763 John Boland - 41,779 Claude Pearce (incumbent) - 40,431 W.A. Summerville (incumbent) - 19,087 Foster - 13,491 Cotton - 9,014 King - 3,154 Tim Buck - 3,010

1930

W.A. Summerville (incumbent) - 47,418 Claude Pearce - 46,692 James Simpson - 44,921 William D. Robbins - 39,023 Benjamin Miller - 37,156 Frank Whetter (incumbent) - 31,772 Brook Sykes - 28,043 Wesley Benson - 25,054 Harry Bradley - 2,617

1929

Bert Wemp (incumbent) - 43,464 Joseph Gibbons (incumbent) - 32,734 W.A. Summerville - 30,292 A.E. Hacker (incumbent) - 28,667 R.H. Cameron - 27,266 Claude Pearce - 27,245 William D. Robbins (incumbent) - 23,796 James Simpson - 12,816

1928

Bert Wemp (incumbent) - 47,153 Joseph Gibbons (incumbent) - 45,655 A.E. Hacker (incumbent) - 33,433 William D. Robbins - 29,359 D.C. MacGregor (incumbent) - 28,858 Brook Sykes - 24,427 Miller - 18,122 James Simpson - 12,954

1927

Joseph Gibbons (incumbent) - 48,739 A.E. Hacker (incumbent) - 43,153 D.C. MacGregor (incumbent) - 34,813 Bert Wemp - 34,450 J. George Ramsden - 26,489 Clifford Blackburn - 22,959 Frank Whetter - 21,878 James Simpson - 10,946

1926

Joseph Gibbons (incumbent) - 37,608 Sam McBride - 36,211 A.E. Hacker (incumbent) - 31,427 D.C. MacGregor (incumbent) - 30,975 William D. Robbins - 30,320 William C. McBrien - 29,923 Bert Wemp - 28,024 Frank Whetter - 21,722 W.E. Hamilton - 2,590

1925

Joseph Gibbons (incumbent) - 39,299 A.E. Hacker (incumbent) - 34,369 William D. Robbins - 33,172 D.C. MacGregor - 30,326 R.H. Cameron (incumbent) - 29,086 James Simpson - 14,573 Birks - 4,321

1924

Joseph Gibbons (incumbent) - 42,778 Thomas Foster (incumbent) - 34,435 A.E. Hacker - 32,689 R.H. Cameron - 30,621 D.C. MacGregor - 26,637 William D. Robbins - 26,594 F.M. Johnston - 22,542 J.R. Beamish - 20,161

1923

Thomas Foster (incumbent) - 36,040 Joseph Gibbons (incumbent) - 33,740 Wesley Hiltz (incumbent) - 32,551 Joseph Singer - 32,033 Sam McBride - 30,606 A.R. Nesbitt (incumbent) - 29,947 Alfred Burgess - 24,876 J.R.I. Starr - 25,931

1922

Thomas Foster - 23,355 Wesley Hiltz (incumbent) - 20,001 Joseph Gibbons (incumbent) - 18,647 A.R. Nesbitt (incumbent) - 16,453 William D. Robbins - 16,814 R.H. Cameron - 15,403 J. George Ramsden - 14,721 Clifford Blackburn - 12,950 William Varley - 3,419

1921

Charles A. Maguire (incumbent) - 34,141 Wesley Hiltz - 22,615 Joseph Gibbons (incumbent) - 18,612 A.R. Nesbitt - 19,202 William D. Robbins - 18,015 R.H. Cameron (incumbent) - 17,872 J. George Ramsden (incumbent) - 17,393 Herbert Henry Ball - 16,911

1920

Charles A. Maguire (incumbent) - 28,438 Joseph Gibbons - 23,269 R.H. Cameron (incumbent) - 21,055 J. George Ramsden - 18,473 William D. Robbins (incumbent) - 17,716 Herbert Henry Ball - 16,506 James Simpson - 10,832 Wright - 7,927

1919

Charles A. Maguire (incumbent) - 19,963 R.H. Cameron - 19,094 Sam McBride (incumbent) - 18,476 William D. Robbins (incumbent) - 19,270 Joseph Gibbons - 16,397 Garnet Archibald - 15,603 Fred McBrien - 13,570

1918

John O'Neill (incumbent) - 24,952 William D. Robbins - 19,000 Sam McBride - 17,850 Charles A. Maguire - 17,711 William Henry Shaw (incumbent) - 14,255 D.C. MacGregor - 14,468 Garnet Archibald - 8,992 Miles Vokes - 2,720 Edward Meek - 2,262

1917

R.H. Cameron (incumbent) - 15,615 John O'Neill (incumbent) - 15,141 Thomas Foster (incumbent) - 13,939 William Henry Shaw - 11,967 James Simpson - 10,779 Sam McBride - 10,085 Frank S. Spence - 9,281

1916

Joseph Elijah Thompson (incumbent) -18,209 John O'Neill (incumbent) - 17,572 Thomas Foster (incumbent) - 16,085 R.H. Cameron - 15,391 James Simpson (incumbent) - 13,080 Frank S. Spence (incumbent) - 12,652 John Dunn - 11,009

1915

John O'Neill (incumbent) - 20,751 Thomas Foster - 18,608 Frank S. Spence - 17,747 Joseph Elijah Thompson - 16,505 James Simpson (incumbent) - 16,349 Fred McBrien - 15,447 John Wanless - 13,044

1914

James Simpson - 20,695 J.O. McCarthy (incumbent) - 17,490 Tommy Church (incumbent) - 17,085 John O'Neill (incumbent) - 14,597 Joseph Elijah Thompson - 14,233 Thomas Foster (incumbent) - 13,929 Robert Yeomans - 11,708 Eckardt - 7,755

1913

Thomas Foster (incumbent) - 15,861 John O'Neill - 14,600 J.O. McCarthy(incumbent) - 14,036 Tommy Church (incumbent) - 12,765 Frank S. Spence (incumbent) - 11,976 Robert Yeomens - 10,713 James Simpson - 10,122 Charles A. Maguire - 9,388 J.J. Ward - 9,278 George R. Sweeny - 1,643 Richard Woods - 498

1912

Horatio Clarence Hocken (incumbent) - 16,904 J.O. McCarthy - 14,897 Thomas Foster - 14,462 Tommy Church (incumbent) - 12,149 Frank S. Spence (incumbent) - 12,003 J.J. Ward (incumbent) - 11,735 O'Donohue - 4,022 George R. Sweeny - 3,921

1911

Horatio Clarence Hocken - 22,761 Frank S. Spence(incumbent) - 16,187 J.J. Ward (incumbent) - 15,999 Tommy Church (incumbent) - 15,760 Thomas Foster (incumbent) - 15,540 Thomas Davies - 3,285

1910

Frank S. Spence - 13,879 J.J. Ward (incumbent) - 13,401 Tommy Church - 12,657 Thomas Foster - 10,841 William Spence Harrison (incumbent) - 9,946 William Peyton Hubbard - 9,498 Mark Bredin - 8,708 James Henry McGhie - 7,511 James Hales - 5,852 Albert Chamberlain - 2,730

1909

George Reginald Geary - 19,027 Horatio Clarence Hocken (incumbent) - 17,380 J.J. Ward (incumbent) - 15,782 William Spence Harrison (incumbent) - 13,509 Frank S. Spence (incumbent) - 12,933 William Peyton Hubbard - 11,275 Hales - 8,171 Robert Buist Noble - 1,287 James O'Hara - 779

1908

Horatio Clarence Hocken (incumbent) - 16,844 Frank S. Spence - 11,512 William Spence Harrison (incumbent) - 10,312 J.J. Ward (incumbent) - 10,075 William Peyton Hubbard (incumbent) - 9,203 John Shaw - 6,385 Robert Fleming - 5,640 Oliver Sheppard - 5,099 John Dunn - 4,434 John Enoch Thompson - 1,291 James Lindala - 1,220 Hugh MacMath - 1,013 Robert Buist Noble - 745 James O'Hara - 367 Joel Marvin Briggs - 232

1907

J.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 Davies - 1,390 Joel Marvin Briggs - 496

1906

William Peyton Hubbard (incumbent) - 14,081 S. Alfred Jones - 14,039 J.J. Ward (incumbent) - 13,770 John Shaw (incumbent) - 12,524 Hastings - 11,308

1905

Frank S. Spence (incumbent) - 13,032 J.J. Ward - 12,993 William Peyton Hubbard (incumbent) - 12,880 John Shaw - 12,436 J.R.L Starr - 9,823 Joseph Oliver - 8,141 Thomas Foster - 6,395 G.R. Ramsden - 5,839 Frank Moses - 5,048 A.R. Denison - 4,925 Edward Hanlan - 2,178

1904

Frank S. Spence - 12,294 John F. Loudon - 11,121 William Peyton Hubbard - 8,950 Fred H. Richardson - 8,923 Burns - 8,641 Joseph Oliver - 8,598 John Shaw - 7,184