The 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 North York Mayor Mel Lastman were both re-elected without serious opposition.
Toronto
Mayoral race As in the 1974 election incumbent David Crombie faced no real opposition in his bid for reelection.
Results David Crombie - 112,763 Don Andrews - 7,126 Henry Argasinski - 3,760 Richard Sanders - 2,373 Judy Lucko - 1,863 Ronald Rodgers - 1,613 Bill Zock - 1,506 Harry Dahme - 1,223 Robert Simms - 1,152 Andreis Murvieks - 962
City council
City council was mostly stable, the only notable upset was the defeat of long serving Old Guard member William Boytchuk by NDPer David White in Ward 1. The conservative membership remained stable as retiring moderate NDPer Reid Scott was replaced by conservative Tom Wardle Jr.
Two aldermen were elected per Ward. The alderman with the most votes was declared Senior Alderman and sat on both Toronto City Council and Metro Council.
Ward 1 (Swansea and Bloor West Village) Elizabeth Eayrs (incumbent) - 7,656 David White - 5,932 William Boytchuk (incumbent) - 5,883 Ben Grys - 4,420 Amonsen - 1,314 Ed Homonyla - 1,237
Ward 2 (Parkdale and Brockton) Tony O'Donohue (incumbent) - 7,656 Ed Negridge (incumbent) - 4,545 Barbara Adams - 3,005 Glen Bany - 2,912 Pat Bator - 1,786
Ward 3 (Davenport and Corso Italia) Joseph Piccininni (incumbent) - 5,826 Richard Gilbert - 4,651 Tony Amond - 1,464 Slough Bolton - 1,457 Domenic Tersigni - 545
Ward 4 (Trinity-Bellwoods and Little Italy) Art Eggleton (incumbent) - 4,615 George Ben (incumbent) - 2,957 Joe Pantalone - 2,713 Lee Zaslofsky - 1,940 Sydney Pimentel - 563 Brian Ashley - 379
Ward 5 (The Annex and Yorkville) Ying Hope (incumbent) - 7,097 Susan Fish - 5,201 Fiona Nelson - 4,731 Barbara Jacob - 2,061 Brian Ashton - 1,796 Alex McDonald - 1,199 Norman Elder - 1,086
Ward 6 (Financial District, Toronto - University of Toronto) Dan Heap (incumbent) - 8,503 Allan Sparrow (incumbent) - 8,103 Peter Budd - 4,448 Arnold Linelsky - 2,046
Ward 7 (Regent Park and Riverdale) John Sewell (incumbent) - 8,786 Janet Howard (incumbent) - 6,460 Gary Stamm - 4,419 Ronald Taylor - 770 Charles Rolfe - 767
Ward 8 (Riverdale) Fred Beavis (incumbent) - 7,193 Thomas Clifford (incumbent) - 6,883 Beatrice Zaverucha - 1,062 Louis Kesten - 951 John Bizzell - 771 Joe Dabonte - 458
Ward 9 (The Beaches) Pat Sheppard - 4,949 Tom Wardle, Jr. - 4,948 Bruce Budd - 4,665 Joe McNulty - 4,446 William Ross - 3,094 Neil Young - 2,114 John Oliver - 1,766 Sharon Meecham - 735 Edmond Cameron - 432 George Sloan - 344 Tom Last - 232
Ward 10 (Rosedale and North Toronto) John Bosley (incumbent) - 11,638 June Rowlands - 11,307 Robert Perkins - 5,079 David White - 1,517
Ward 11 (Forest Hill and North Toronto) David Smith (incumbent) - 12,441 Anne Johnston (incumbent) - 11,600 Russ Tandler - 1,412 Fay MacPerson - 1,283
Changes Mayor David Crombie resigned on August 31, 1978 to contest a Federal by-election for Rosedale on October 16, 1978. On September 1, 1978 City Council met to appoint a new Mayor. The right-wingers stood Ward 8 Alderman Fred Beavis while the left-wingers stood Ward 11 Alderman Anne Johnston. When the vote was held the two candidates were tied with 11 votes each so in accordance with the Municipal Act put both names into a hat, and the name picked out of the hat would officially be pronounced interim mayor. Fred Beavis was the name chosen and he became mayor. Thomas Clifford now became Ward 8's sole Alderman and was appointed Metro Councillor on September 11.
Metro boroughs
East York Results from the borough of East York. Two aldermen were elected to each ward.
Mayor Alan Redway - 12,092 Howard Chandler - 11,138
Ward 1 Dave Johnson - 4,568 Leslie Saunders - 2,758 Cy Reader - 2,156 Mike Kenny - 1,339 Stephen Milne - 732 Bill Segritt - 369
Ward 2 John Flowers - 2,977 Norman Crane - 2,326 Arthur Shart - 1,257 Marg Reilly - 1,211 Robert MacKenzie - 595 Frank Johnson - 465 James McKinnon - 412 Chris Greenland - 353
Ward 3 Ray Ireland - 2,644 Don van Mierlo - 2,577 Jack Irwin - 1,815 Ken Steele - 1,368 Gordon Crann - 1,357
Ward 4 Edna Beange - 3,477 Peter Oyler - 2,777 Herbert McGroarty - 2,497 Harry Wilsher - 1,396
Source: Toronto Star, December 7, 1976, page A11.
Etobicoke Results from Etobicoke. Four members were elected to the Board of Control. Two aldermen were elected to each ward.
Mayor (incumbent)Dennis Flynn - 46,550 Juris Ditevko - 7,559
Board of Control (incumbent)Bill Stockwell - 34,782 (incumbent)Bruce Sinclair - 30,411 (incumbent)Nora Pownall - 26,918 (incumbent)E. H. (Pete) Farrow - 26,357 John Allen - 23,213 Ron Barr- 13,027 Keith Gallacher - 10,038
Ward 1 Helen Wursta Morley Kells
Ward 2 Alex Marchetti Stewart East
Ward 3 Dick O'Brien Alex McNeil
Ward 4 Lois Griffin John Hanna
Ward 5 Ruth Grier Pat Keaveney
Source: Toronto Star, December 7, 1976, page A11.
North York Mayor (incumbent)Mel Lastman - 60,093 William Sutherland - 15,634 Pallotta - 3,376 Obadia - 1,088 Minty - 920 (1019 out of 1305 polls)
Lastman is re-elected defeating a challenge by Controller William Sutherland
Board of Control (incumbent)Barbara Greene - 52,053 Esther Shiner - 39,768 Ron Summers - 32,616 Bob Yuill - 31,050 Alex McGivern - 30,110 Jack Bedder - 20,267 Bernadette Michael - 13,803 Angelo Natale -10,281 (1019 out of 1305 polls)
Ward 1 Gord Risk
Ward 2 Mario Gentile
Ward 3 Pat O'Neill
Hugh Montgomerie was a forty-three-year-old film technician. He recommended a ban on high-density development projects that did not have adequate recreation facilities."North York", Toronto Star, 3 December 1976, A7. Martin Lewin was a thirty-two-year-old sales manager. He argued that shoppers in major plazas should not be forced to pay parking fees. Harbans Rai Varma was a fifty-year-old supply teacher. He called for lower employment and inflation levels, and for improved race relations. He campaigned for the North York Board of Education in 1980, and lost to Elsa Chandler in Ward Four. A candidate named "Rai Varma" ran for the Markham Board of Control in 1991; this may be the same person.
Ward 5 Marilyn Meshberg
Ward 6 Milton Berger
Ward 7 Irving Chapley
Ward 8 Alan Heisey
Ward 9 Norm Gardner
Ward 10 Marie Laballe
Ward 11 Peter Clarke
Ward 12 Barry Burton
Ward 13 Mike Smith
Ward 14 Betty Sutherland
Scarborough Results from the Borough of Scarborough. Four members were elected to the Board of Control. One alderman was elected to each ward.
Mayor (incumbent)Paul Cosgrove - 51,859 Lois James - 6,526
Board of Control (incumbent)Gus Harris - 35,525 (incumbent)Ken Morrish - 35,243 (incumbent)Joyce Trimmer - 31,358 (incumbent)Brian Harrison - 30,956 Shirley Eidt - 28,363 Grant Boucher - 10,061 Larry Calcutt - 8,321 John Fletcher - 7,770
Ward 1 Bill Belfontaine
Ward 2 Carol Ruddell
Ward 3 Norm Kelly
Ward 4 Jack Goodlad
Ward 5 Frank Faubert
Ward 6 Frederick Samuel Bland
Ward 7 Ed Fulton
Ward 8 Tom Brazier
Ward 9 Doug Colling
Ward 10 Ron Watson
Ward 11 John Wimbs
Ward 12 Joe De Kort
York Results from the borough of York. Two members were elected to the Board of Control. One alderman was elected to each ward.
Mayor Philip White 14,711 Fergy Brown 14,443
Board of Control (2 elected) Doug Saunders 14,549 Alan Tonks 11,998 Patrick Canavan 7,479 Gordon 6,229 Ciardullo 3,572
Ward 1 Ben Nobleman (acclaimed)
Ward 2 Oscar Kogan (acclaimed)
Ward 3 Ron Bradd Mizzoni 934 D'Aprile 825
Ward 4 Clifford Ward 1,532 Howells 693
Ward 5 Chris Tonks (acclaimed)
Ward 6 Floyd Sainsbury 2,386 Dodds 2,187
Ward 7 Gayle Christie 2,853 Gallichan 1,484 McMahon 373
Ward 8 Mike Waclawski 2,987 John Nunziata 1,920
References