The Board of Control of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, was a part of its municipal government until it was abolished in 1969. It served as the executive committee of the Toronto City Council. When it was initially created in 1896 by mandate of the provincial government, it consisted of three Controllers appointed from and by the aldermen, and presided over by the Mayor of Toronto. Beginning in 1904, the Board of Control was directly elected by the city's electorate using cumulative voting and consisted of four Controllers, presided over by the Mayor. Each voter could cast up to four votes, which could go four candidates or be lumped on one candidate. The four with the most votes were elected. By tradition the controller who received the most votes was given the powerful budget chief position.

Functions

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

the preparation and certification of all estimates for expenditures the preparation of specifications for tenders, and making awards thereon the nomination to council of all heads of departments and related staff, and the recommendation of appropriate salaries the inspection and reporting (at least monthly) on all municipal works carried on or in progress the submission of by-laws to the council the authority to amalgamate departments and sub-departments 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 controller candidates contested citywide 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. Mayor William Dennison and three of the sitting controllers opposed the move, but it was passed by a significant majority of council.

The Board of Control was replaced with a new executive committee that was 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.

William Peyton Hubbard, the son of U.S. 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 - he would be the only Black person or person of colour to sit on the body;"City's political class remains mostly colourless", Royson, James. Toronto Star; Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]19 Feb 2015: GT.2.

Joseph Singer became the first Jewish candidate to win citywide office in 1923;

Jean Newman was the first woman elected to the Board and served from 1957 to 1960.Former Alderman and Controller, Ms. Jean Newman dies at 66." Toronto Star. October 6, 1971.

City of Toronto Controllers

Names in boldface indicate Controllers that became Mayor of Toronto in other years. Names in italics are individuals who only sat on the Board of Control as mayor.

X = elected as Controller M = sitting as Mayor B = elected as Controller in a by-election A = appointed Controller to fill a vacancy

From 1896 to 1903 Municipal Boards of Control were created by the provincial government as a reform measure. From 1896 to 1903 the Toronto Board of Control was appointed by vote of Toronto City Council from among its own members and acted as an executive committee or municipal cabinet. Controllers were chosen at the first council meeting in January after the annual municipal election. Three Controllers sat on the Board, in addition to the Mayor, until 1901 when the number of Controllers was increased to four.

+ Appointments to the Board of Control for the City of Toronto (1896-1903) Controller 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 William Burns A A A James Crane ARobert Fleming*MM James FrameCONSERVATIVE RULE IN CITY: Work of Machine Appears in Election of Controllers GAS CO. PURCHASE Mayor Says it is Declared Off by His Election GAMBLING MUST STOP Mayor Howland Says so in His inaugural Address-Fallacy of His Plan to Make a Cabinet of Board of Control", The Globe (1844-1936); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]15 Jan 1901: 2 A A John James Graham AA A Oliver Aiken Howland M M William Peyton Hubbard"BURNS, HUBBARD AND LESLIE: Seen Fight For Places on the Board of Control Yesterday The Playor's Message Treats of Many Important Civic Questions Finances of the City The Civic Credit Railway Enterprises Cheap Power Manufacturing Industries Water Works Tunnel Scheme Disposal of Refuse--Harbor Square Railway Service to City Dock Street Paving St. Lawrence Market The New City Buildings", The Globe (1844-1936); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]11 Jan 1898: 5 A A Daniel Lamb AA A John Leslie A A John Francis Loudon A AAdam Lynd"THE CIVIC INAUGURATION: Municipal Machine For. Ninety-nine Fairly Started on Its Way MAYOR'S MESSAGE Western Wards Furnish the Board of Control BURNS, LYND, WOODS Work For the Year Mapped Out to the Accompaniment of a Chanticleer Chorus Cock-a-Doodle Do-o-o Mayor's Inaugural Address New City Buildings Cattle Market Accommodation St. Lawrence Market Improvements Additional Park Property James Bay Railway Another Railway Scheme Improvements to the Harbor The City's Finances Electing Controllers", The Globe (1844-1936); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]10 Jan 1899: 5. A Ernest A. Macdonald M George McMurrich"AT THE PAVILION: Inaugural Meeting of the New City Council MAYOR ...", The Globe (1844-1936); Jan 12, 1897; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Globe and Mail, pg. 2"INAUGURATION OF COUNCIL: Aid Graham, Crane, Loudon and McMurrich Controllers GAS AGREEMENT Aid Spence Moves For a Reconsideration PUBLIC OWNERSHIP", The Globe (1844-1936); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]14 Jan 1902: 2. A A Joseph Oliver AFred H. Richardson AJohn Shaw* MM M Oliver Barton SheppardCIVIC INAUGURATION: Mayor Macdonald's Message Outlines an Energetic Policy THREE NEW CONTROLLERS Mayor Favors Election of Controllers by the People and Abolition of the Double Vote--He Resents the "Vulgar and Intolerant Language" of Mr. Wm. Mackenzie, "the Representative of a Corrupt Plutocracy," and Accepts the Gauntlet Thrown Down by Covenant-breaking Corporations--Candidates For High School Board to Be Pledged--May or Complains of a Disgraceful Lobby--Send-off to Second Contingent, The Globe (1844-1936); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]09 Jan 1900: 9 A A Francis Stephens Spence A Thomas Urquhart"FIRST MEETING OF NEW COUNCIL: Board of Control Elected on the First Ballot THE MAYOR'S INAUGURAL Wm. Burns, Loudon, Oliver and Richardson Mayor Urquhart Urges More Power For the Board of Control-- The Standing Committees and Their Chairmen", The Globe (1844-1936); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]13 Jan 1903: 4 M Francis H. Woods A *Fleming resigned as mayor on August 6, 1897. Council elected Shaw to complete his term.

From 1904 to 1929 Originally, 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. Cumulative voting was brought in to elect the Board, starting in 1904.

+ Elections to the Board of Control for the City of Toronto (1904-1929) Controller 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929R.H. Cameron X X X X X Emerson Coatsworth M M Tommy Church X X X X X M M M M M M M Thomas Foster X X X XX X X X XM M M George Reginald Geary X M M M Joseph Gibbons X X X X X X X X X XAlbert Hacker X X X X X XWilliam Spence Harrison X X X Wesley Hiltz XX X M Horatio Clarence Hocken X X X X XM M William Peyton Hubbard X X XX S. Alfred Jones X John F. Loudon X Charles A. Maguire X X X X M M Sam McBride X X X MM J.O. McCarthy X X X D.C. MacGregor X X X John O'Neill X X X X XX A.R. Nesbitt X X Joseph Oliver MM J. George Ramsden X Fred H. Richardson* X William D. Robbins X X X X John Shaw* B X X William Henry Shaw X James Simpson X Joseph Singer X Francis Stephens Spence X X X XX X W.A. Summerville XJoseph Elijah Thompson X X Thomas UrquhartMM John J. Ward X X X X X X X Bert Wemp X X X * Richardson resigned after his election agent was charged with bribery. Shaw was elected to replace him in a by-election.

1930s and 1940s + Elections to the Board of Control for the City of Toronto (1930-1949) Controller 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 Jan 1936 Dec 1936 1937 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 David Balfour X X X X X X Frederick J. Conboy X X X X M M M M Ralph Day X X XM M M Lewis Duncan X X X Albert Hacker X Fred Hamilton X X X X X X X X John Innes X X XAllan Lamport XSam McBride X X X XM Hiram E. McCallum X X X X MKenneth Bert McKellar X XX Douglas McNish X X X Claude Pearce X J. George Ramsden X X X X X William D. Robbins X X X X XX X M Leslie Saunders XRobert Hood Saunders X X X X M M M M James Simpson X X X X X M Stewart Smith X X William James Stewart M M M M W.A. Summerville X William J. Wadsworth X X X XX XX X X X X Bert Wemp M

From 1950 to abolition With the formation of Metropolitan Toronto in April 1953, the two most senior controllers, in terms of votes at the municipal election, also sat on Metropolitan Toronto Council along with the Mayor of Toronto, the senior alderman from each of Toronto's nine wards, and mayors and reeves elected from the suburbs."Metro's Day, Metro's Duty", The Globe and Mail (1936-2016); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]05 Dec 1960: 6."Dual Role: Metro's 2-Hatted 2 Dozen" The Globe and Mail (1936-2016); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]09 Dec 1964: 5"Etobicoke adds new mayor's face to Metro Council: Metro Council will be more alert to public opinion", Baker, Alden. The Globe and Mail (1936-2016); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]06 Dec 1966: 37. + Elections to the Board of Control for the City of Toronto (1950-1966) Controller Jan 1950 Dec 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 William Allen X X X X William Archer* AX David Balfour X X X X X X Roy E. Belyea** A X Ford Brand X X X X X X Margaret Campbell X XJoseph Cornish X X X William Dennison X X X X M Philip Givens* X X/M M John Innes X X Allan Lamport*** X M M M X XRoss Lipsett *** A June Marks XHiram E. McCallum M M Jean Newman X X Herbert Orliffe X X XNathan Phillips MM MM M Leslie Saunders*** X X X X X/M X Louis Shannon** X X X X Donald Summerville* X X M * Mayor Summerville died in office, Givens was appointed mayor in his place. Archer was appointed to the Board of Control to fill the vacancy.

** In 1954, Controller Shannon died and Ward 9 Alderman Roy E. Belyea was appointed in his place."Precedent Cited for Filling Vacancies From City Council, The Globe and Mail (1936-2016); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]22 Nov 1963: 4