Besides lawn signs and public meetings, newspaper advertisements have long been a preferred method for Ontario politicians to spread their message to the public. Whether it’s a simple promise to provide “good government” or a full platform requiring a magnifying glass to read, the press has offered a forum for candidates to make their case [...]

The result fails to impress on first glance: Margaret Haile, Ontario Socialist League candidate in a Toronto riding, 74 votes. Sounds like the low end of the typical ballot range for a fringe candidate in a provincial election. But it’s the circumstances that make Haile stand out: the year was 1902, and women wouldn’t be [...]

Every Saturday at noon, Historicist looks back at the events, places, and characters—good and bad—that have shaped Toronto into the city we know today. Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent addressing the audience at a Liberal party rally at Maple Leaf Gardens under the gaze of William Lyon Mackenzie King and Wilfrid Laurier, June 7, 1957. [...]

Source: the Telegram, June 8, 1957. As the federal election campaign hits its final week, one of the big stories is a series of polls that shows a rise in the NDP’s popularity. Whether the party will retain its current momentum and wind up with a substantial increase in seats remains to be seen. Digging [...]

Source: the Don Mills Mirror, June 6, 1957. If you think we’ve headed to the polls one too many times to elect a federal government over the past decade, then you’ll feel a twinge of sympathy for the average Canadian voter who had the opportunity to exercise his or her democratic privilege five times between [...]

Every Saturday at noon, Historicist looks back at the events, places, and characters—good and bad—that have shaped Toronto into the city we know today. Arthur Meighen at the CNE, 1930s. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1257, Series 1057, Item 3690. Whenever Canada’s prime ministers are ranked, Arthur Meighen is never found near the top of [...]

Source: the Globe, September 13, 1926. “Ensure stable government.” Isn’t stable government what the present-day Conservative party is promising if you vote for them during the current election campaign? Some things never change… Mind you, the situation when voters went to the polls on September 14, 1926, was volatile. It was the second election campaign [...]

Every Saturday at noon, Historicist looks back at the events, places, and characters—good and bad—that have shaped Toronto into the city we know today. Source: The Toronto Star, November 29, 1969. For many pundits, 1969 promised the dawn of a new era in Toronto municipal politics. It was the first election where a number of [...]

Sources: (left) The Don Mills Mirror, November 19, 1969; (right) The Enterprise, November 12, 1969. He had never attended a council meeting. He admitted he didn’t know what exactly the duties were for the position he was running for. He was unable or unwilling to partake in certain traditions of the campaign trail, like handshaking. [...]

Source: The North Toronto Herald, June 3, 1955. During the current municipal election campaign, some candidates have unveiled promotional materials that demonstrate just how ballsy they are about their ability to govern the city. But for sheer belief in one’s abilities, few can match perennial 1950s fringe candidate George Rolland. The self-styled “greatest Canadian of [...]

Every Saturday at noon, Historicist looks back at the events, places, and characters—good and bad—that have shaped Toronto into the city we know today. Toronto Board of Control, 1956. Left to right: Leslie Saunders, Ford Brand, Nathan Phillips, Joseph Cornish, William R. Allen. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1257, Series 1057, Item 1258. For the [...]