Toronto municipal election, 1980
Encyclopedia
The 1980 Toronto municipal election was held on November 10, 1980 in Metropolitan Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. Mayors, controllers, city councillors and school board trustees were elected in the municipalities of Toronto
, York
, East York
, North York, Etobicoke and Scarborough
.
Art Eggleton
narrowly defeated incumbent John Sewell
to become Mayor of Toronto, and Mel Lastman
was re-elected as Mayor of North York.
reform candidate John Sewell
had won against two more conservative candidates. In 1980 election the right united around Art Eggleton
, and he narrowly defeated Sewell.
Results
had stepped aside to allow George Hislop
to run, in the belief that the large gay community in the ward deserved a representative on council. Hislop was one of the leading gay rights activists in the city, and his campaign was vigorously opposed by figures such as evangelist Ken Campbell
. In a surprise upset Hislop lost to little known local dentist Gordon Chong
.
Elsewhere the left won important victories. Tom Wardle, who had been involved in several controversies including an assault conviction, was defeated by former councillor Dorothy Thomas
. After four failed attempts Joe Pantalone
won a seat on council by capturing the one vacated by Eggleton.
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
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
)
Results taken form the November 11, 1980 Toronto Star and might not exactly match final tallies.
is re-elected mayor of the City and serves until 1997. Esther Shiner
and Robert Yuill
are re-elected to the Board of Control
.
Councillor Norm Gardner elected to the Board of Control
.
Mario Gentile
re-elected as Ward 2 councillor.
Metropolitan Toronto
The Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto was a senior level of municipal government in the Toronto, Ontario, Canada area from 1954 to 1998. It was created out of York County and was a precursor to the later concept of a regional municipality, being formed of smaller municipalities but having more...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, 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...
. Mayors, controllers, city councillors and school board trustees were elected in the municipalities of Toronto
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...
, York
York, Ontario
York is a dissolved municipality in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it is located northwest of Old Toronto, southwest of North York and east of Etobicoke, where it is bounded by the Humber River. Formerly a separate city, it was one of six municipalities that amalgamated in 1998 to form...
, East York
East York
East York can refer to:*East York, Pennsylvania, United States*East York, Ontario, Canada...
, North York, Etobicoke and Scarborough
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
.
Art Eggleton
Art Eggleton
Arthur "Art" C. Eggleton, PC is a former Canadian Cabinet minister and Mayor of Toronto, and is currently a Senator representing Ontario.-City council:...
narrowly defeated incumbent 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:...
to become Mayor of Toronto, and Mel Lastman
Mel 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...
was re-elected as Mayor of North York.
Mayoral race
In the 1978 electionToronto municipal election, 1978
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...
reform candidate 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:...
had won against two more conservative candidates. In 1980 election the right united around Art Eggleton
Art Eggleton
Arthur "Art" C. Eggleton, PC is a former Canadian Cabinet minister and Mayor of Toronto, and is currently a Senator representing Ontario.-City council:...
, and he narrowly defeated Sewell.
Results
- 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:...
- 87,919 - 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:...
- 86,152 - Anne McBrideAnne McBrideAnne C. McBride was a perennial candidate in Canadian federal and provincial elections and by-elections in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s...
- 3,429 - Bob Bush - 2,141
- Fred Dunn - 1,100
- Armand Siksna - 867
- Ronald Rodgers - 846
- Chris Faiers - 590
- Andrejs Murnieks - 571
City council
City council saw a handful of major upsets and was considered to have been moved to the right by the election as in addition to losing the mayoralty reformers lost their majority on council. The most notable upset was in the downtown Ward 6. Incumbent Allan SparrowAllan Sparrow
Allan 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...
had stepped aside to allow George Hislop
George Hislop
George Hislop was one of Canada's most influential gay activists. He was the first openly gay candidate for municipal office in Canada, as well as the first openly gay candidate for any political office in Ontario , and was a key figure in the early development of Toronto's gay...
to run, in the belief that the large gay community in the ward deserved a representative on council. Hislop was one of the leading gay rights activists in the city, and his campaign was vigorously opposed by figures such as evangelist Ken Campbell
Ken Campbell (evangelist)
Kenneth Livingstone Campbell was a Canadian fundamentalist Baptist evangelist and political figure. He was the final leader of the Social Credit Party of Canada from 1990 to 1993....
. In a surprise upset Hislop lost to little known local dentist Gordon Chong
Gordon Chong
Gordon Joseph Chong is a Toronto politician and public servant. He has served as a city of Toronto councillor and was vice-chairman of the Toronto Transit Commission. He served on the board of GO Transit from 2000 to 2006 including periods as vice-chairman of GO Transit and chairman...
.
Elsewhere the left won important victories. Tom Wardle, who had been involved in several controversies including an assault conviction, was defeated by former councillor Dorothy Thomas
Dorothy Thomas
Dorothy Quincy Thomas is an American human rights activist. She was a 1998 MacArthur Fellow, and a 1995 Fellow of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.-Life:She graduated from Georgetown University with an M.A. in 1984....
. After four failed attempts Joe Pantalone
Joe Pantalone
Joe 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...
won a seat on council by capturing the one vacated by Eggleton.
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...
)
- William Boytchuk (incumbent) - 9,415
- David White (incumbent) - 8,345
- Bill Roberts - 5,785
- Brynne Teal - 4,267
- Nick Gulycz - 1,143
- Yvette Tessier - 742
- Michael Horner - 636
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...
(incumbent) - 9,447 - Ben Grys - 4,923
- Susan Atkinson - 4,907
- Elaine ZiembaElaine ZiembaElaine Ziemba is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. She was a New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 1995, and served as a cabinet minister in the government of Bob Rae.-Background:...
- 4,137 - Elaine Taylor - 684
- John Lauter - 620
Ward 3 (Davenport and Corso Italia)
- Joseph Piccininni (incumbent) - 7,509
- 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) - 7,363 - Edward Gardner - 1,246
- Mark Llewellyn - 689
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...
)
- 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...
- 5,005 - 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...
- 3,898 - 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:...
- 3,362 - Bill Moniz - 2,898
- Barbara Hurd - 2,279
- Nick Figliano - 704
- Anthony Russo - 206
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...
)
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...
)
- Gordon ChongGordon ChongGordon Joseph Chong is a Toronto politician and public servant. He has served as a city of Toronto councillor and was vice-chairman of the Toronto Transit Commission. He served on the board of GO Transit from 2000 to 2006 including periods as vice-chairman of GO Transit and chairman...
- 9,522 - 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) - 9,341 - George HislopGeorge HislopGeorge Hislop was one of Canada's most influential gay activists. He was the first openly gay candidate for municipal office in Canada, as well as the first openly gay candidate for any political office in Ontario , and was a key figure in the early development of Toronto's gay...
- 7,348 - Rose Smith - 2,959
- Fred Chappell - 1,339
- Darryl Randall - 659
- Gary Weagle - 505
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 (incumbent) - 12,579
- David RevilleDavid RevilleDavid Reville is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1985 to 1990, and was later an advisor to the government of Bob Rae. Reville is a member of the New Democratic Party....
- 9,066 - Frank Dwyer - 3,748
- Thelma Forsyth - 2,632
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) - 9,172 - Thomas Clifford (incumbent) - 7,941
- Jeanne McGuire - 1,433
- James McMillan - 1,264
- John Coutts - 550
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) - 10,236
- Dorothy ThomasDorothy ThomasDorothy Quincy Thomas is an American human rights activist. She was a 1998 MacArthur Fellow, and a 1995 Fellow of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.-Life:She graduated from Georgetown University with an M.A. in 1984....
- 7,886 - John Oliver - 6,102
- Bob Yaccato - 5,321
- Tom Wardle (incumbent) - 3,206
- Winona Gallop - 915
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) - 17,551 - Andrew Paton (incumbent) - 15,201
- Patricia Bolton - 2,678
- Craig Roberts - 2,367
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) - 15,168 - Michael Gee (incumbent) - 13,410
- 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...
- 6,700 - Susan Diamond - 1,447
Results taken form the November 11, 1980 Toronto Star and might not exactly match final tallies.
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. 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 the 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...
.
Councillor Norm Gardner elected to the 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...
.
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....
re-elected as Ward 2 councillor.
- Cary Fox was an insurance agent, who called for a crackdown on vandalism and accused Howard Moscoe of seeking the media spotlight too often.
- Gus Cusimano was a perennial candidatePerennial candidateA perennial candidate is one who frequently runs for public office with a record of success that is infrequent, if existent at all. Perennial candidates are often either members of minority political parties or have political opinions that are not mainstream. They may run without any serious hope...
for municipal office in North York. He sought election to the North York City Council in the 1974Toronto municipal election, 1974The 1974 Toronto municipal election was held on December 2, 1974 in Metropolitan Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Mayors, controllers, city councillors and school board trustees were elected in the municipalities of Toronto, York, East York, North York, Etobicoke and Scarborough.David Crombie was...
, 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...
, 1978Toronto municipal election, 1978The 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...
and 1980 elections, losing each time. Cusimano was eighteen years old during his first campaign. He is an insurance agent, and accused Moscoe of seeking the media spotlight too often in the 1980. A 1987 newspaper article identifies him as president of City-Wide Insurance Ltd., Willowdale. As of 2006, he is president of Petek Insurance.