Ottawa Board of Control

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The Ottawa Board of Control was an important part of the governance of Ottawa, Ontario from 1908 until 1980 when it was abolished. Through the 19th century Ottawa had been governed by a mayor and city council, but most councillors were only part-time and could spend only a few hours per week on municipal issues.

The board was elected across the entire city of Ottawa with the four candidates receiving the most votes being added to the board. The member of the board of control who received the most votes was also made deputy mayor, and was the legal successor to the mayor should they resign or die in office. The board of control was abolished in 1980 by the Ontario Municipal Board after a council vote for its abolition.

History

Mayor Arthur Ellis found this problematic as there was little time for real scrutiny of important issues. He thus proposed creating a five member board of control consisting of the mayor and four members elected at large from across the city. At the same time the number of councillors would be reduced by a third.

The city council rejected this plan, as it would reduce both their authority and their numbers. In the 1908 municipal election the question was brought to a referendum, and was approved and the new board was created. In 1910 city council held a second referendum on whether the board should be abolished, and the people of Ottawa overwhelmingly voted in favour of keeping the board.

Controllers

CouncilControllers
1908 Napoléon Champagne
(until Nov. 12)
James Davidson
(until Oct. 7, 1911)
Robert A. Hastey Charles Hopewell
Edward P. McGrath
(from Nov. 18)
1909 Napoléon Champagne George H. Wilson
1910 Edward H. Hinchey
1911
W. E. Brown
(from Nov. 6, 1911)
1912 Stewart McClenaghan Rufus H. Parent
1913 Joseph Kent John W. Nelson
1914 E. R. McNeill
1915 Harold Fisher James A. Ellis Napoléon Champagne
1916 Joseph Kent
1917 Edward H. Hinchey
1918 James Muir Ainslie W. Greene
1919 Frank H. Plant John W. Nelson
(until Dec. 1)
Walter Cunningham
(from Dec. 1)
1920 John Cameron
1921 Arthur Ellis John P. Balharrie
1922
1923 Joseph McGuire
1924 Napoléon Champagne Charles J. Tulley
1925 Herbert McElroy Frank H. Plant
1926 Arthur Ellis
1927 Frank LaFortune
1928 Frank H. Plant
1929 Gerald Sims
1930 John J. Allen
1931 George Mackinley Geldert James Warren York J. E. Stanley Lewis George Harrison Dunbar
1932 Fulgence Charpentier Daniel McCann
1933 J. E. Stanley Lewis
1934 Tom Brethour
1935 J. Edward McVeigh
1936 George Harrison Dunbar Allan B. Turner
1937 E. A. Bourque
1938 J. Edward McVeigh Finley McRae
1939 John Harold Putnam
1940 Jim Forward
1941–42 Chester E. Pickering
1943–44 Finley McRae Grenville Goodwin
1945–46
1947–48
1949–50 Len Coulter Daniel McCann Paul Tardif Chester E. Pickering
1951–52 Charlotte Whitton
(until Oct. 1, 1951)
John Powers
(from Oct. 11, 1951)
1953–54 Roy Donaldson
1955–56 George H. Nelms Ernie Jones
1957–58 Wilbert Hamilton Sam Berger
1959–60
1961–62 Lloyd Francis
(until May 20, 1963)
Don B. Reid
1963–64 Ellen Webber Ernie Jones
Jules Morin
(from May 22, 1963)
1965–66 Kenneth Fogarty Murray Heit
1967–69
1970–72 Claude Bennett
(until Aug. 28, 1972)
Pierre Benoit
(until Apr. 24, 1972)
Lorry Greenberg
Tom McDougall
(from Sept. 5, 1972)
Garry Guzzo
(from May 1972)
1973–74
1975–76 Marion Dewar Don B. Reid Bill Law
1977–78 Pat Nicol Ralph Sutherland
1978–80 Brian Bourns Bill Law

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