Municipal elections were held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on December 1, 1952. Incumbent mayor Allan Lamport easily won against former alderman Nathan Phillips.
There were two referendum questions on the ballot. One called for municipal terms in the city to be extended from one year to two. This measure was rejected, but was later passed in the 1955 election. The second measure was to approve funds for the construction of the Regent Park housing project, which was passed by a slim margin.
The province of Ontario passed legislation on April 7, 1953 federating the City of Toronto and twelve surrounding suburban townships and villages into the municipality of Metropolitan Toronto. A Metropolitan Toronto Council came into being on April 15, 1953 and was made up of the Metro Chairman, Frederick Gardiner, who had been appointed by the province, the Mayor of Toronto, the City of Toronto's two most senior Controllers, nine senior aldermen from each of the City of Toronto (the top finisher in each ward), and the twelve suburban mayors and reeves.[1]
Toronto mayor
Lamport and Phillips had contested the mayoralty a year earlier in 1951. Phillips' vote increased substantially in the rematch, but Lamport was still easily reelected.
All four incumbents were reelected to the Board of Control despite several high-profile candidates running as well. Two sitting aldermen, Joseph Cornish and John McMechan, ran for spots, but finished fifth and sixth. In seventh was former Controller and Communist Stewart Smith.
Source: "Start Municipal Election Battles in Three Suburbs Today; Forest Hill Reeve Retires", Baker, Alden. The Globe and Mail (1936-2016); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]17 Nov 1952: 9
Source: "Lawyer Provides Upset: 3-Time North York Reeve Beaten", The Globe and Mail (1936-2016); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]02 Dec 1952: C5. and "McMahon defeats Boylen in N. York", Toronto Daily Star (1900-1971); Toronto, Ontario [Toronto, Ontario]02 Dec 1952: 22.
Source: "Seven Municipalities Within Greater Toronto Going to Polls Today", Baker, Alden. The Globe and Mail (1936-2016); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]06 Dec 1952: 4.
