1950 Ottawa municipal election

The city of Ottawa, Canada, held municipal elections on December 4, 1950.

To date, this election elected the most members of city council in Ottawa history. 28 aldermen from 14 wards, plus 4 controllers and the mayor for a total of 33 on council. Voters overwhelmingly voted to reduce the council down to 18 aldermen in a plebiscite which saw its largest opposition in the more francophone Ottawa and By Wards.

The mayoral race featured the same three candidates as the 1948 race. However, Goodwin defeated Bourque this time. He would only serve for 9 months however, as he died on August 27, 1951. He was replaced by city controller Dr. Charlotte Whitton, the first female controller in city history.

Three new wards were added to council, due to the annexation of parts of Nepean Township and Gloucester Township. Gloucester Ward held a special election on January 2, 1950, while Carleton and Westboro Wards held elections on December 19, 1949.

Candidate Votes %
Grenville Goodwin 28,698 47.60
E. A. Bourque (X) 18,668 30.96
George Mackinley Geldert 12,928 21.44

Referendum

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Council reduction
Candidate Votes %
Yes 44,038 82.59
No 9,280 17.41

(4 elected)

Candidate Votes %
Charlotte Whitton 38,405 22.20
Len Coulter (X) 31,071 17.95
Dan McCann (X) 25,484 14.73
Paul Tardif (X) 24,265 13.99
C. E. Pickering (X) 22,687 13.11
Roy Donaldson 20,180 11.66
Frank Ellis 10,988 6.36
Map of Ottawa's Wards used in this election
1. Rideau Ward
2. By Ward
3. St. George's Ward
4. Wellington Ward
5. Capital Ward
6. Dalhousie Ward
7. Elmdale Ward
8. Victoria Ward
9. Westboro Ward
10. Carleton Ward
11. Ottawa Ward
12. Gloucester Ward
13. Riverdale Ward
14. Central Ward

(2 elected from each ward)

Rideau Ward
Candidate Votes %
Leslie Avery (X) 1,244
John Powers (X) 1,239
Joseph C. LeBlanc 598
Thomas Hubert 302
By Ward
Candidate Votes %
Jules Morin (X) 1,839
Eric Query (X) 1,777
Aldege Soott 393
St. George's Ward
Candidate Votes %
Charlie St. Germain (X) 3,691
William Newton (X) 2,250
Sam McLean 1,490
Arthur Moeser 728
H. Robert O'Hara 571
Henri Robert 344
Wellington Ward
Candidate Votes %
Martin M. Walsh (X) 3,012
Charles Parker (X) 2,724
Sam Chandler 1,441
Gilbert F. Johnson 1,144
Capital Ward
Candidate Votes %
Noel Ogilvie (X) 2,778
Parlane Christie 2,342
Tom Davison 2,179
Maurice J. Murphy 1,303
William T. Lewis 602
Dalhousie Ward
Candidate Votes %
Wilbert Hamilton (X) 2,651
James McAuley (X) 2,352
William J. Wills 1,170
W. Percy Kerwin 961
Edward Ayoub 550
Elmdale Ward
Candidate Votes %
Henry Bradley (X) 3,408
Roly Wall (X) 3,296
Lee Rickey 2,405
Jack Norris 1,900
George Blouin 518
Victoria Ward
Candidate Votes %
Lon Campbell 1,447
Joseph Allard (X) 1,206
Paul Dufour 835
Conrad Vezina 449
Hector Jodoin 388
J. J. Hartnett 366
Hector Chartier 281
H. J. Lacasse 165
Westboro Ward
Candidate Votes %
Ernie Jones (X) Acclaimed
Henry Parslow (X) Acclaimed
Carleton Ward
Candidate Votes %
Frank Boyce (X) 1,952
Howard Henry (X) 1,882
William Simpson 860
Ottawa Ward
Candidate Votes %
Clem Aubin (X) 1,895
Henri Rheaume 1,751
Aristide Belanger (X) 1,442
Gloucester Ward
Candidate Votes %
Archie Newman (X) 2,465
Pat Doherty 2,203
Alex Roger (X) 2,048
Riverdale Ward
Candidate Votes %
David McMillan (X) 2,885
George Sloan 2,753
Victor Irish (X) 2,124
Ivan Sparks 1,096
Central Ward
Candidate Votes %
J. Grant Shaw (X) 2,768
Fred Journeaux (X) 2,320
Cyril George Marshall 2,179
Roger Webber 991

References

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