Toronto municipal election, 1978
Encyclopedia
The Toronto municipal election of 1978 held on Monday, November 13, 1978, was the first seriously contested mayoralty race in Toronto
, Canada
, since David Crombie took office in the 1972 election
. Crombie left municipal politics earlier in 1978 to seek and win a seat in the Canadian House of Commons
as the Progressive Conservative
Member of Parliament
for Rosedale
electoral district.
) was a wide-open affair that saw three aldermen
, David Smith
, Tony O'Donohue
and John Sewell
contest the position.
Though O'Donohue and Smith were both aligned with the Liberal
s with links to developers, O'Donohue was seen as more right-wing and won the endorsement of the conservative Toronto Sun
newspaper, while Smith was seen as more of a centrist.
Sewell had first been elected to Toronto city council
in 1969 and had a reputation as a community activist and even a radical. His backers consisted of New Democratic Party
supporters (although Sewell himself has never been a member of the party), left-wing Liberals and Red Tories
, many of whom had supported Crombie who, despite his Tory allegiance, had a reputation as a reform mayor on the left-wing of the municipal political spectrum.
The split on the right between O'Donohue and Smith allowed Sewell to win with less than 50% of the vote.
Results
Ward 1 (Swansea
and Bloor West Village
)
Ward 2 (Parkdale
and Brockton)
Ward 3 (Davenport and Corso Italia)
Ward 4 (Trinity-Bellwoods and Little Italy
)
Ward 5 (The Annex
and Yorkville
)
Ward 6 (Financial District, Toronto
- University of Toronto
)
Ward 7 (Regent Park
and Riverdale
)
Ward 8 (Riverdale
)
Ward 9 (The Beaches
)
Ward 10 (Rosedale
and North Toronto
)
Ward 11 (Forest Hill
and North Toronto
)
is re-elected mayor of the City and serves until 1997. Norm Gardner and Mario Gentile
(Ward 2) are re-elected to council.
Barbara Greene
, Esther Shiner
and Robert Yuill
are re-elected to Board of Control
.
Results taken from the Toronto Star
, 14 November 1978.
The final results confirmed Moscoe's victory.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, since David Crombie took office in the 1972 election
Toronto municipal election, 1972
The 1972 Toronto municipal election was held December 4, 1972 to elect the governments of Toronto, the five other boroughs, and the government of Metro Toronto as well....
. Crombie left municipal politics earlier in 1978 to seek and win a seat in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
as the Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Rosedale
Toronto Centre
Toronto Centre is a federal electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1872 to 1925, and since 1935, under the names Centre Toronto , Toronto Centre , Rosedale and Toronto Centre—Rosedale .Toronto Centre covers the heart of...
electoral district.
Mayoral race
The contest to succeed Crombie (or more correctly, interim Mayor Fred BeavisFred Beavis
Frederick J. Beavis was a longtime city councillor in Toronto, Ontario, who briefly served as interim mayor of the city in 1978.Beavis operated the Beavis Bros. Roofing Co. with his brothers before becoming a full-time politician....
) was a wide-open affair that saw three aldermen
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
, David Smith
David Paul Smith
David Paul Smith, PC, QC is a Canadian lawyer, politician and Senator.Smith was an alderman on Toronto City Council in the 1970s. He served a period as deputy mayor and president of city council. He ran for Mayor of Toronto in 1978, but was defeated by John Sewell in a three-way split...
, Tony O'Donohue
Tony O'Donohue
Anthony "Tony" O'Donohue is a former municipal politician in Toronto, Ontario.-Early life:Born in The Burren, County Clare, Ireland , O'Donohue graduated as a civil engineer from University College, Galway in 1954...
and John Sewell
John Sewell
John Sewell, CM is a Canadian political activist and writer on municipal affairs; he was the mayor of Toronto, Ontario from 1978 to 1980.-Background:...
contest the position.
Though O'Donohue and Smith were both aligned with the Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
s with links to developers, O'Donohue was seen as more right-wing and won the endorsement of the conservative Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
newspaper, while Smith was seen as more of a centrist.
Sewell had first been elected to Toronto city council
Toronto City Council
The Toronto City Council is the governing body of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors....
in 1969 and had a reputation as a community activist and even a radical. His backers consisted of New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
supporters (although Sewell himself has never been a member of the party), left-wing Liberals and Red Tories
Red Tory
A red Tory is an adherent of a particular political philosophy, tradition, and disposition in Canada somewhat similar to the High Tory tradition in the United Kingdom; it is contrasted with "blue Tory". In Canada, the phenomenon of "red toryism" has fundamentally, if not exclusively, been found in...
, many of whom had supported Crombie who, despite his Tory allegiance, had a reputation as a reform mayor on the left-wing of the municipal political spectrum.
The split on the right between O'Donohue and Smith allowed Sewell to win with less than 50% of the vote.
Results
- John SewellJohn SewellJohn Sewell, CM is a Canadian political activist and writer on municipal affairs; he was the mayor of Toronto, Ontario from 1978 to 1980.-Background:...
- 71,885 - Tony O'DonohueTony O'DonohueAnthony "Tony" O'Donohue is a former municipal politician in Toronto, Ontario.-Early life:Born in The Burren, County Clare, Ireland , O'Donohue graduated as a civil engineer from University College, Galway in 1954...
- 62,173 - David SmithDavid Paul SmithDavid Paul Smith, PC, QC is a Canadian lawyer, politician and Senator.Smith was an alderman on Toronto City Council in the 1970s. He served a period as deputy mayor and president of city council. He ran for Mayor of Toronto in 1978, but was defeated by John Sewell in a three-way split...
- 45,071 - Joe Martin - 1,658
- Ron Morawski - 1,546
- John Beattle - 1,239
- Louis Thomas - 826
- Richard Sanders - 778
- Zoltan Szoboszloi - 439
- Hardial Dhir - 379
- Walter Lohaza - 336
- Andries Murnieks - 323
City council
Top two from each ward elected to Toronto City Council. Top one from each ward also wins a seat on Metro Toronto council.Ward 1 (Swansea
Swansea, Toronto
Swansea is a neighbourhood in the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, bounded on the west by the Humber River, on the north by Bloor Street, on the east by High Park and on the south by Lake Ontario...
and Bloor West Village
Bloor West Village
Bloor West Village is a shopping district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located along Bloor Street, it encompasses all businesses along Bloor Street between Jane Street and Ellis Park Road, consisting of more than 400 shops, restaurants and services. The mix of stores include specialty clothing...
)
- David White (incumbent) - 8,087
- William Boytchuk - 7,379
- Audrey Jardine - 5,281
- Diane Fancher - 4,943
- Io Amoneen - 4,457
- Aiden Buckley - 1,209
Ward 2 (Parkdale
Parkdale, Toronto
Parkdale is a neighbourhood and former village in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, west of downtown. The neighbourhood is bounded on the west by Roncesvalles Avenue, on the north by Queen Street. It is bounded on the east by Dufferin Street from Queen Street south, and on the south by Lake Ontario...
and Brockton)
- Tony RuprechtTony RuprechtTony Ruprecht is a former Canadian politician. His first elected position was as an alderman in the old Toronto City Council, in the late 1970s. He became a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 1981, and served in premier David Peterson's cabinet as minister without portfolio from...
- 4,843 - Barbara Adams - 4,582
- Thor Wons - 3,457
- Chris KorwinChris Korwin-KuczynskiChris Korwin-Kuczynski is a Canadian politician. He served as a councillor in Toronto from 1981 to 2003, and was the city's deputy mayor for a time....
- 3,008 - Les Wawrow - 1,959
- Glen Bany - 1,956
- Bob Grossi - 1,237
- Frank Bray - 299
- Larry Daoust - 141
Ward 3 (Davenport and Corso Italia)
- Joseph Piccininni (incumbent) - 7,566
- Richard GilbertRichard GilbertRichard George Gilbert is an English cricketer. Gilbert is a right-handed batsman who bowls left-arm medium-fast. He was born in Scarborough, Yorkshire....
(incumbent) - 6,377 - Joe Renda - 2,616
- Tony Amono - 1,071
- Tina Martin - 732
Ward 4 (Trinity-Bellwoods and Little Italy
Little Italy
Little Italy is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Italians or people of Italian ancestry, usually in an urban neighborhood.-Canada:*Little Italy, Edmonton, in Alberta*Little Italy, Montreal, in Quebec...
)
- Art EggletonArt EggletonArthur "Art" C. Eggleton, PC is a former Canadian Cabinet minister and Mayor of Toronto, and is currently a Senator representing Ontario.-City council:...
(incumbent) - 4,961 - George BenGeorge BenGeorge Ben was an Ontario lawyer and political figure. He represented Bracondale and then Humber in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1965 as a Liberal member until his defeat in the 1971 provincial election...
(incumbent) - 3,402 - Joe PantaloneJoe PantaloneJoe Pantalone is a former Canadian politician, city councillor for Ward 19, one of two wards in Trinity—Spadina. He served as deputy mayor under David Miller from 2003 to 2010...
- 3,251 - John Medeiros - 1,844
- Tony IannoTony IannoTony Ianno, PC is a businessman and a former Canadian politician. He served as a Liberal Party of Canada MP representing Trinity-Spadina and Minister of Families and Caregivers .-Personal life:...
- 1,807 - Bill Moniz - 1,398
- Manuel Alves - 671
- Robert Taddeo - 547
- Joe Pimental - 341
- Manuel Garcia - 330
Ward 5 (The Annex
The Annex
The Annex is a neighbourhood in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The traditional boundaries of the neighbourhood are north to Dupont Street, south to Bloor Street, west to Bathurst Street and east to Avenue Road...
and Yorkville
Yorkville, Toronto
Yorkville is a district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, well known for its shopping. It is a former village, annexed by the City of Toronto. It is roughly bounded by Bloor Street to the south, Davenport Road to the north, Yonge Street to the east and Avenue Road to the west, and is considered part of...
)
- Ying HopeYing HopeYing L.K. Hope , P. Eng., was a Chinese Canadian politician, Toronto Public School Board trustee and Metro Toronto Councillor and Toronto Alderman....
(incumbent) - 11,870 - Susan FishSusan FishSusan Fish is a former Canadian politician. She served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1981 to 1987, and was a cabinet minister in the governments of Bill Davis and Frank Miller....
(incumbent) - 11,505 - Frank Severino - 2,056
Ward 6 (Financial District, Toronto
Financial District, Toronto
The Financial District is a business district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, within the downtown core. It was originally planned as New Town in 1796 as an extension of the Town of York . It is the main financial district in Toronto, and is the financial heart of Canada...
- University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
)
- Allan SparrowAllan SparrowAllan Sparrow was a Canadian political activist and long standing city councillor in Toronto. He was instrumental in stopping the Spadina Expressway, setting up civilian oversight of the Toronto Police, promoting cycling in Toronto and gay rights...
(incumbent) - 8,029 - Dan HeapDan HeapDaniel James Macdonnell "Dan" Heap is a former Canadian politician with the New Democratic Party, a political activist and an Anglican priest. He represented the Toronto, Ontario, Canada riding of Spadina, which, in 1988, was renamed Trinity—Spadina, from 1981 until 1993...
(incumbent) - 7,514 - Dan Richards - 6,421
- Rose Smith - 2,785
- Joe Martin - 1,143
Ward 7 (Regent Park
Regent Park
Regent Park is a neighbourhood located in Old Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Regent Park is Canada's oldest and largest social housing project; built in the late 1940s. Formerly the centre of the Cabbagetown neighbourhood, it is bounded by Gerrard Street East to the north, River Street to the east,...
and Riverdale
Riverdale, Toronto
Riverdale is a large neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is bounded by the Don River Valley to the west, Danforth Avenue and Greektown to the north, Jones Avenue, the CN/GO tracks, and Leslieville to the east, and Lake Shore Boulevard to the south....
)
- Gordon Cressy - 11,869
- Janet Howard (incumbent) - 9,533
- George Patton - 4,258
- Randall Parsons - 837
- Charles Rolfe - 573
- Steve Necheff - 483
Ward 8 (Riverdale
Riverdale, Toronto
Riverdale is a large neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is bounded by the Don River Valley to the west, Danforth Avenue and Greektown to the north, Jones Avenue, the CN/GO tracks, and Leslieville to the east, and Lake Shore Boulevard to the south....
)
- Fred BeavisFred BeavisFrederick J. Beavis was a longtime city councillor in Toronto, Ontario, who briefly served as interim mayor of the city in 1978.Beavis operated the Beavis Bros. Roofing Co. with his brothers before becoming a full-time politician....
(incumbent) - 7,997 - Thomas Clifford (incumbent) - 7,205
- Charlotte Stuart - 5,097
- Chris Toutounis - 2,933
- Beatrice Zeveruche - 691
- Louis Kostan - 493
- Jim McMillan - 376
- Vincent Corriero - 267
- Elizabeth Parsons - 253
- Alex Yaung - 189
Ward 9 (The Beaches
The Beaches
The Beaches is a neighbourhood and popular tourist destination located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the east side of the "Old" City of Toronto. The original boundaries of the neighbourhood are from Fallingbrook Avenue on the east to Kingston Road on the north, to Woodbine Avenue...
)
- Pat Sheppard (incumbent) - 9,248
- Tom Wardle (incumbent) - 8,815
- Brian Fullerton - 7,489
- Bruce Budd - 7,113
- Sharon Meecham - 2,366
- Charles Martin - 396
Ward 10 (Rosedale
Rosedale, Toronto
Rosedale is an affluent neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which was formerly the estate of William Botsford Jarvis, and so named by his wife, granddaughter of William Dummer Powell, for the wild roses that grew there in abundance....
and North Toronto
North Toronto
North Toronto was a town located in the northern part of the Old Toronto district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It occupies a geographically central location within the current boundaries of the city of Toronto. It is a relatively narrow strip, centred around Yonge Street; it extends from the CP...
)
- June RowlandsJune RowlandsJune Rowlands was the 60th mayor of Toronto, Ontario, and the first woman to hold that office. She had previously been a long time city councillor, unsuccessful federal candidate, and chair of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Commission....
(incumbent) - 15,790 - Andrew Paton - 14,980
- Harvey Dyck - 8,911
- Neil Agnoo - 640
Ward 11 (Forest Hill
Forest Hill, Toronto
Forest Hill is an affluent neighbourhood in central Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Along with Lawrence Park, Rosedale, and The Bridle Path, it is one of Toronto’s wealthiest neighbourhoods.-History:...
and North Toronto
North Toronto
North Toronto was a town located in the northern part of the Old Toronto district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It occupies a geographically central location within the current boundaries of the city of Toronto. It is a relatively narrow strip, centred around Yonge Street; it extends from the CP...
)
- Anne JohnstonAnne JohnstonAnne Johnston was a longtime city councillor in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She was first elected to Toronto City Council in 1972, and served until 1985 when she ran against incumbent Mayor Art Eggleton, but was defeated. In 1988 she was elected to Metro Toronto Council...
(incumbent) - 14,996 - Michael Gee - 11,395
- Kay GardnerKay GardnerKay Gardner, , was a municipal politician in Toronto, Ontario.She was born in Poland and moved with her family to Canada in 1929. The family lived in Alberta and British Columbia. In 1947 she married a journalist, Ray Gardner, in London, England. In 1961 they moved to Toronto where Ray obtained a...
- 8,485 - Eunice Grayson - 6,115
- Dennis Hunt - 1,388
North York
Mel LastmanMel Lastman
Melvin Douglas "Mel" Lastman , nicknamed "Mayor Mel", is a former businessman and politician. He is the founder of the Bad Boy Furniture chain. He served as the mayor of the former city of North York, Ontario, Canada from 1972 until 1997. At the end of 1997, North York, along with five other...
is re-elected mayor of the City and serves until 1997. Norm Gardner and Mario Gentile
Mario Gentile
Mario Gentile is a former municipal politician in Toronto, Canada. He served as a councillor and city controller in North York, and was also a member of the Metropolitan Toronto council. His political career ended with a criminal conviction in 1994....
(Ward 2) are re-elected to council.
Barbara Greene
Barbara Greene
Barbara Greene is a Canadian politician. She served in the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 1993 as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party. She was previously a municipal politician in North York, and campaigned for mayor of the city in 1985...
, Esther Shiner
Esther Shiner
Esther Shiner was a municipal politician in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She served on the North York city council from 1973 until her death, and was also a member of the Metropolitan Toronto council. She served as North York's Deputy Mayor in the 1980s.-Early life and career:Shiner's parents were...
and Robert Yuill
Robert Yuill
Robert Frederick Murray Yuill was a municipal politician in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He served on the North York city council for twenty-four years, at first as a ward councillor and later as a city controller. He was also a member of the Metro Toronto council.Yuill was born in Toronto, and...
are re-elected to Board of Control
Board of Control
In municipal government a Board of Control is an executive body that usually deals with financial and administrative matters. The idea is that a small body of four or five people is better able to make certain decisions than a large, unwieldy city council...
.
- Jean Lance was for many years an activist in Toronto's Lawrence Heights community. She led the Lawrence Heights Residents Association and the Lawrence Heights Neighborhoods Aids Association, and lobbied for various community services in the area. During the late 1960s, she brought day care to the area for single parents. She was also president of the Federation of Ontario Tenants Association. She campaigned in the 1976Toronto municipal election, 1976The Toronto municipal election of 1976 was held on December 6, 1976 in Metropolitan Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Mayors, city councillors and school board trustees were elected in the municipalities of Toronto, York, East York, North York, Etobicoke and Scarborough.Toronto Mayor David Crombie and...
and 1978 municipal elections. - Alan Mostyn was born in MidlandMidland, OntarioMidland is a town located on Georgian Bay in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada.Situated at the southern end of Georgian Bay's 30,000 Islands, Midland is the economic centre of the region, with a 125-bed hospital and a local airport. It is the main town of the southern Georgian Bay area...
, Ontario in 1947. He holds a Bachelor of CommerceBachelor of CommerceA Bachelor of Commerce is an undergraduate degree in commerce and related subjects. The degree is also known as the Bachelor of Commerce and Administration, or BCA...
degree from the University of TorontoUniversity of TorontoThe University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
(1970) and a Bachelor of LawsBachelor of LawsThe Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
degree from Queen's University (1973), and was called to the Ontario bar in 1975. He is a lawyer with the firm Mostyn & Mostyn, and is active in Toronto's Jewish community. His son Michael Mostyn has campaigned federally for the Conservative Party of CanadaConservative Party of CanadaThe Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
, and his wife Sheila Mostyn has sought municipal office in Toronto.
Results taken from the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
, 14 November 1978.
The final results confirmed Moscoe's victory.