1896 Toronto municipal election
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Municipal elections were held in Toronto, Canada, on January 6, 1896. Former mayor Robert John Fleming was elected, defeating Alderman John Shaw.[1] Fleming was considered a reformer while Shaw was considered the candidates of the Conservative establishment.[2]
Toronto mayor
- Results
- Robert John Fleming - 10,281
- John Shaw - 8,583
Source:[2]
Board of Control
Legislation was passed in the Ontario legislature in early April 1896 creating a Board of Control was a reform measure to serve as a cabinet or executive committee for the city. On April 20, 1896, three Controllers were elected by Toronto City Council from among its members, and presided over by the mayor. Aldermen Graham, Lamb, and McMurrich were elected to sit on the body.[3]
Aldermen elected to City Council

Four alderman were elected to sit on Toronto City Council in each of six wards. All 19 aldermen seeking re-election were successful.[2]
- First Ward
- John Knox Leslie (incumbent) - 1,075
- C.C. Small - 1,058
- Ernest A. Macdonald - 1,035 (subsequently disqualified)
- Thomas Allen (incumbent) - 1,031
- J.A. Purvis - 861
- W.T. Stewart -640
- Elgin Schoff - 426
Macdonald was unseated by the court in March 1896 as a result of a finding that he was not a qualified candidate at the time of his election as he did not own property that qualified him to hold office in the First Ward, as required by the Municipal Act. A new election was ordered and John Russell was elected to fill the vacant sat.[4]
- Second Ward
- Francis S. Spence - 1,562
- John Hallam (incumbent) - 1,518
- Thomas Davies (incumbent) - 1,511
- Daniel Lamb (incumbent) - 1,320
- Dr. Samuel Thompson - 1,150
- Thomas Foster - 1,008
- William L. Beale - 1,027
- Isaac G. Johnson - 595
- John Murphy - 39
- Third Ward
- Bernard Saunders (incumbent) - 2,381
- O.B. Sheppard (incumbent) - 2,379
- George McMurrich (incumbent) - 2,363
- James B. Boustead- 1,994
- Wallace Millichamp - 1,652
- J. Enoch Thompson - 1,146
- Fourth Ward
- William Burns (incumbent) - 2,356
- Wm. P. Hubbard (incumbent) - 2,058
- James Crane (incumbent) - 1,835
- James Jolliffe (incumbent) -1,448
- John McCaffrey - 1,093
- John Lester - 583
- Robert P. Hall - 485
- Frank Sexton -283
- Fifth Ward
- William Bell (incumbent) - 1,508
- W.T.R. Preston - 1,441
- Robert H. Graham (incumbent) - 1,388
- John Dunn (incumbent) - 1,194
- Arthur R. Denison - 998
- Francis H. Woods - 987
- Dr. William Stewart Fraleigh - 809
- Sixth Ward
- James Gowanlock (incumbent) - 1,075
- James Scott (incumbent) - 965
- G.G. Rowe - 954
- John J. Graham (incumbent) - 933
- Adam Lynd M.D. - 816
- C.L. Denison - 781
- Dr. John Hunter - 579
- Thomas W. Todd - 360