Municipal elections were held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on January 6, 1902. In the mayoral election, Mayor Oliver Aiken Howland won a second term in office defeating William Findlay Maclean, a sitting Member of Parliament and founder of The Toronto World newspaper, who campaigned on a platform of public ownership, regulation and control over utilities such as waterworks, gasworks, electricity, and telephone, and the privately owned Toronto Railway Company (which operated the cities streetcar routes), as well as promising nighttime and Sunday streetcar service, and against temperance measures. Maclean's intention of simultaneously holding both the mayoralty and a seat in the Canadian House of Commons was a factor in his defeat. Another issue that hurt Maclean was his support for softening Toronto's blue law to allow for Sunday streetcar service. The third candidates was Charles Woodley who was the standard-bearer of the Socialist Labor Party.
Toronto mayor
Results
Oliver Aiken Howland (incumbent) - 13,424
William Findlay Maclean, M.P. - 8,774
Charles Christopher Woodley - 633
Source:
Board of Control
The Toronto Board of Control was, in 1902, elected by Toronto City Council from among its members. At the first council meeting following the general election, council chose Aldermen Graham, Crane, Loudon and McMurrich to sit on the body, which was chaired by the Mayor.
Plebiscites
A plebiscite was held on a by-law to authorize expenditure on new buildings on the Exhibition grounds.
Exhibition buildings
For - 5,097
Against - 3,342
Source:
City council
Four aldermen were elected to Toronto City Council per ward. Former mayor John Shaw attempted to win an aldermanic seat in the Third Ward, but was defeated.
First Ward (Riverdale) James Frame (incumbent) - 1,684 Robert Fleming - 1,614 Fred H. Richardson (incumbent) - 1,301 William Temple Stewart (incumbent) - 1,203 John Preston - 1,126 Dr. Hugh Spears - 326
Second Ward (Cabbagetown and Rosedale) Frank S. Spence - 2,318 Joseph Oliver (incumbent) - 2,050 Thomas Foster (incumbent) - 1,825 Daniel Lamb (incumbent) - 1,626 Edward Strachan Cox (incumbent) - 1,525 John Akers - 1,081 John Henderson - 615 W.A. Douglass - 405
Third Ward (Central Business District and The Ward) Oliver Barton Sheppard (incumbent) - 2,578 Samuel George Curry - 2,551 George McMurrich (incumbent) - 2,526 John Francis Loudon (incumbent) - 2,233 Henry Sheard (incumbent) - 2,070 Joseph George Ramsden - 1,832
Fourth Ward (Spadina) Thomas Urquhart - 3,280 William Burns (incumbent) -2,803 James Crane (incumbent) - 2,709 William Peyton Hubbard (incumbent) - 2,496 Alex R. Williamson - 1,830 Edmund Schilling - 254
Fifth Ward (Trinity-Bellwoods) William Bell (incumbent) - 2,017 John Dunn - 1,914 Frank Woods (incumbent) - 1,892 Alexander Stewart - 1,632 James Russell Lovett Starr (incumbent) - 1,581 Dr. William Stewart Fraleigh (incumbent) - 1,332 H.E. Hamilton - 769
Sixth Ward (Brockton and Parkdale) John Joseph Ward (incumbent) - 1,604 John James Graham (incumbent) - 1,551 Dr. Adam Lynd (incumbent) - 1,319 J.Harvey Hall - 1,178 James Henry McGhie - 989 W.W. Hodgson (incumbent) - 929 William O'Neill - 245 R.H. Holmes - 216 Robert Buist Noble - 210