1988 Toronto municipal election
The 1988 Toronto municipal election was held to elect members of municipal councils, school boards, and hydro commissions in the six municipalities that made up Metropolitan Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The election was held November 14, 1988. This election also marked the abolition of Boards of Control in North York, Etobicoke, Scarborough, and York. The Toronto Board of Control had been abolished in 1969.
Metro
The 1988 campaign was the first time most members of Metro Toronto were all directly elected. Toronto had moved to direct elections in 1985, but the other cities had still had a selection of council members dually seated at Metro. In the new council only the five mayors would be granted automatic Metro seats.;East York
;Lakeshore Queensway
;Kingsway Humber
;Markland Centennial
;Rexdale Thistletown
;North York Humber
;Black Creek
;North York Spadina
;North York Centre South
;North York Centre
;Don Parkway
;Seneca Heights
;Scarborough Bluffs
;Scarborough Wexford
;Scarborough Centre
;Scarborough Malvern
;Scarborough Highland Creek
;Scarborough Agincourt
; High Park
;Trinity Niagara
;Davenport
;North Toronto
;Midtown
;Downtown
;Don River
;East Toronto
;York Eglinton
;York Humber
Lakeshore Queensway Councillor Chris Stockwell resigned when he won a seat in the 1990 Provincial Election. A by-election was held on November 29, 1990.
Toronto
Mayor
Incumbent mayor Art Eggleton faced little opposition in his bid for his fourth term of office. His closest opponent was New Democrat Carolann Wright.;Results
City council
There was the largest turnover in councillors in this election since the 1972 election. The left on council ran a joint Reform Toronto campaign focused on curbing the development industry. The vote was a major triumph for the left on city council with two prominent and long-serving conservatives defeated: Fred Beavis, who had served on council since 1961, was defeated by environmentalist Marilyn Churley, and in the north end, conservative Michael Gee lost to Howard Levine.;Ward 1
;Ward 2
;Ward 4
;Ward 5
;Ward 6 Downtown East
;Ward 7
;Ward 8
;Ward 9
;Ward 10
;Ward 11
;Ward 12
;Ward 13
;Ward 14
;Ward 15
;Ward 16
Results are taken from the November 15, 1988 Toronto Star and might not exactly match final tallies.
By-election
Ward 8 Councillor Marilyn Churley resigned upon winning a seat in the 1990 Provincial Election. A by-election was held on November 29, 1990:Borough of East York
The election in East York was a rather tame affair with the mayor, Dave Johnson handily re-elected by a large plurality. On Council five of eight members were new but only one incumbent, Bob Dale was defeated. Incumbent Steve Mastoras was re-elected but demoted to Junior Councillor in Ward 2.† - denotes incumbent status from previous council
Mayor
- †Dave Johnson - 20,234
- Herbert T. McGroarty - 3,531
- Robert Ruminski - 713
Councillor
;Ward 1
;Ward 2
;Ward 3
;Ward 4
Trustee
;Ward 1;Ward 2
;Ward 3
;Ward 4
Hydro Commission
City of Etobicoke
Mayor
- Bruce Sinclair: 45,860
- Terry Howes: 13,081
- Margaret Krell: 6,547
- Robert Goddard Young: 6,269
- Neville Berry: 4,146
City Councillors
- Irene Jones: 3,404
- Helen Wursta: 1,752
- Frank Falcone: 780
- Harold Merten: 334
- Alex Faulkner: 4,288
- Richard Clupa: 1,484
- James Shawera: 292
- Ross Bissell: 2,747
- Aileen Anderson: 2,055
- Martha MacGray: 1,825
- John Cudahy: 942
- Michael O'Rourke: 2,303
- Jane Scott: 1,312
- Elizabeth Holmes: 1,225
- Chris O'Toole: 1,081
- Al Kolyn: 923
- Geoffrey Grossmith: 815
- Anne Methot: 2,150
- Sperril Chambers: 1,623
- Al Allman: 1,334
- Steven Davis: 1,041
- Ken Lopez: 721
- Gino Marranghi: 373
- Douglas Holyday
- Ron Barr: 1,358
- John Woodroof: 1,314
- Tom Ferguson: 509
- Gloria Luby: 4,209
- Alida Leistra: 3,344
- Mary Huffman: 4,189
- John Alati: 3,841
- Alex Marchetti: 4,473
- Leonard Zaleski: 1,597
- David Robertson
- Karen Herrell: 2,658
- Raj Chopra: 780
- John Hastings: 1,260
- Ed McWilliams: 998
- Peter Hutchens: 968
- Shan Rana: 617
City of Scarborough
Mayor
- Joyce Trimmer: 53,566
- Norm Kelly: 48,701
- Owen: 7,951
- O'Malley: 3,137
- Max French: 1,509
- Abel Van Wyk: 939
City Councillors
- Harvey Barron ; 5,077
- Webster ; 1,856
- Gerry Altobello ; 4,392
- Cayenne ; 2,483
- John Wardrope ; 4,887
- Duncan ; 1,948
- Kazia ; 1,017
- Lorenzo Berardinetti ; 2,453
- Kurt Christensen ; 2,449
- Glynwilliams ; 1,936
- Ward ; 1,011
- McDowell ; 318
- Georges Legault ; 292
- Marilyn Mushinski ; Acclaimation
- Paul Mushinski; 1,997
- Elliott ; 1,514
- Lombardi ; 1,288
- Michalopoulo ; 1,078
- McPherson ; 864
- Cavoto ; 544
- Sharma ; 524
- Fred Johnson, F ; 5,209
- Borisko ; 4,259
- Shirley Eidt ; 5,487
- Murray ; 2,013
- Chadha ; 651
- Ron Moeser ; 4,655
- John Mackie ; 4,539
- Roberts ; 1,385
- Cocco ; 1,193
- Vaya ; 221
- Ron Watson; 3,961
- Mahood, P ; 2,828
- Wilson, M ; 544
- Cotter ; 478
- Sherene Shaw ; 2,458
- Lombardi, D ; 1,308
- Munro ; 1,155
- Edmonds ; 1,035
- Jacobs ; 907
- Zaidi ; 422
- Doug Mahood; 5,759
- Cheung, K ; 1,754
- Bas Balkissoon ; 2,269
- Pratley ; 2,249
- Cheung, J ; 1,148
- Clements ; 1,003
- Bob Watson; 541
- Wilson, L ; 519
- Edith Montgomery ; 4,956
- Loughlin, B ; 947
- Nafis ; 489
Public Utilities Commission
- Cavanagh ; 55,439
- Beatty ; 50,044
- Stewart ; 39,197
- Olders ; 10,530
City of North York
Mayor
- x-Mel Lastman 98,856
- Mike Foster 13,486
- Douglas Campbell 10,290
- Freddie Jay 1,939
Council
- x-Mario Sergio 6,365
- Tony Marzilli 2,881
- Fred Craft 859
- Judy Sgro 6,882
- Gerry Iuliano 2,398
- Luigi Cavaleri 926
- x-Peter Li Preti 5,123
- Peter Pallotta 808
- Nella Lanzellotti 759
- Shanta Ramotar 486
- x-Frank Di Giorgio 3,658
- Maria Rizzo 2,933
- Eleanor Rosen 1,084
- Gino Cipollone 239
- Rhea Horwich 226
- Frank Crudo was a 26-year-old design and construction company project manager during the 1988 election. He called for a stronger campaign against drugs on North York's streets. When Anthony Perruzza was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 1990, Crudo applied to the North York council to be selected as his replacement. He was rejected in favor of Claudio Polsinelli. He later campaigned for Metro Toronto's Black Creek ward in the 1991 municipal election, saying that he was running against the area's "NDP machine". He lost to Maria Augimeri. During the 1993 federal election, Crudo was part of a group of dissident Liberals who supported the candidacy of Peter Li Preti over Art Eggleton, following Eggleton's appointment as the riding's Liberal candidate.
- Bruno Rea holds a Ph.D. in political philosophy from Oxford University. He worked as a policy adviser for the Ontario Ministry of Labour in the 1980s, researching and writing briefs on workers' compensation and employment standards. He was a member of the Liberal Party. In 1987, he wrote an editorial piece for The Globe and Mail newspaper opposing capital punishment. He was twenty-nine years old during the 1988 election, and called for a crackdown on crime and a slower pace of regional development. He was endorsed by the Toronto Star newspaper, and was originally regarded as a serious candidate for election. He was arrested one week prior to the election, after trying to dispose of 161 signs belonging to Anthony Perruzza, his New Democratic Party opponent, on the grounds of York University at 3:30 in the morning. He pleaded guilty to a charge of mischief in February 1989, and was fined. Rea was listed as a senior policy adviser for the Ministry of Labour in 2000.
- John Butcher campaigned for the North York City Council on three occasions. In 1982 and 1985, he lost to Irving Chapley in Ward Seven. He was forty-four years old in 1988, and described himself as a lifelong resident of the ward. He acknowledged that he was not likely to win election.
- x-Milton Berger 6,127
- Anne Lelovic 2,403
- x-Irving W. Chapley 5,267
- Eric Cohen 4,595
- Mark Arshawsky 516
- Joanne Flint 5,376
- Bob Yuill 3,462
- x-Ron Summers 6,532
- Ernie Springolo 3,035
- Don Yuill 3,338
- Cora Urbel 2,579
- Marg Middleton 948
- John Boysen 760
- Peter Bate 704
- Ramon Solevilla 546
- x-Jim McGuffin 6,094
- Freddy Trasmundi 864
- x-Barry Burton 3,868
- John Murphy 2,551
- Ronald Hyslop 856
- Peter Allis 527
- Bob Bradley 4,453
- Marilyn Lastman 3,761
- Harvey Brooker 1,031
- Allan Ginsberg 544
- x-Paul Sutherland acclaimed
School Board
- Sheila Lambrinos 1,195
- Ted Wray 875
- Wendy Essex 638
- Doug Kvistbo 198
- Bob Churchill 1,463
- Jim Darvill 774
- John Campbell 744
- Lilia Ruffolo 387
- Angelo Castellano 349
- Aurelio Caldarelli 238
- x-Elizabeth Smith 960
- Stephnie Payne 728
- Philomen Wright 570
- Natalie Soobrian 482
- x-Elsa Chandler 3,083
- Bob Daggett 762
- x-Errol Young 2,862
- Leslie Soobrian 736
- Phyllis Weinberg was 56 years old during the campaign, and was described as a psychotherapist and former teacher. She was listed in 1996 as the owner and operator of Orthodox Counselling Services, which offers support on stress management and family issues in the Orthodox Jewish community. She had previously campaigned for the North York Hydro Commission in 1985, finishing sixth out of nine candidates. She was twice asked to stop campaigning on the grounds of a public school in 1988, and was criticized for giving candy to children near school property. Weinberg argued that the complaints against her were part of a "mud-slinging campaign" designed to prevent her from winning the seat. She planned to campaign for the ward six seat again in the 1991 election, but withdrew before election day.
- x-Mae Waese acclaimed
- x-Gerri Gershon 6,205
- Trevor Tymchuk 1,203
- x-Shelley Stillman 5,803
- Rose Yunger 1,756
- x-Darlene Scott 4,997
- Rena Gordon 2,052
- x-John Filion acclaimed
- x-Ken Crowley acclaimed
- x-Dan Hicks 5,235
- Gini Sharma 2,509
- x-Ralph Belfry 4,741
- Dash Shah 1,461
Hydro Commission
- x-Carl Anderson 57,280
- Bob Dyer 44,177
- x-Jack Bedder 37,121
- Donald Hubbs 13,183
- Jack Arshawsky 12,506
- Irving Bricks 10,160
City of York
Mayor
Mario Faraone was a 47-year-old building designer, consultant, and the owner of the firm F.M. Faraone and Sons company. He campaigned in support of urban tax reform, better traffic planning and affordable housing. He was a member of the Liberal Party, but ran without a party endorsement. A 1990 article in the Toronto Star newspaper drew attention to the fact that the York adjustment committee approved every single proposal put forward by Faraone in 1989 through 1990, despite serious concerns from local residents in some instances. One of the committee members was Faraone's business partner, Jack Capitanio. Faraone denied any suggestion of wrongdoing, and argued that his success rate was a reflection of his experience in the building industry. Capitano also denied suggestions of favouritism. Mayor Fergy Brown responded to the article by saying that he would raise the matter at the next council meeting, and recommended the city's legal department start an investigation. Newspaper reports do not indicate how the matter was resolved. Faraone has remained active in the building trade.City Council
Of the eight ward races, six incumbents were returned. Newcomer Frances Nunziata beat incumbent Gary Bloor in Ward 7. Jim Fera was also a new member for Ward 5.;Ward 1
;Ward 2
;Ward 3
;Ward 4
;Ward 5
;Ward 6
;Ward 7
;Ward 8
Board of Trustees
;Ward 1;Ward 2*
;*Election Night Results - Recount
;Ward 2 Post Recount
;Ward 2 By-Election Results - June 19, 1989
;Ward 3
;Ward 4
;Ward 5
;Ward 6
;Ward 7
;Ward 8