Edward Austin Horton
1st Mayor of Etobicoke
In office
1967–1972
Preceded byJohn MacBeth (as reeve)
Succeeded byDennis Flynn
Personal details
BornJune 1907
St. Thomas, Ontario
DiedMarch 28, 1980 (aged 72)
NationalityCanadian
Spouse(s)Anne (died 1942), Marjory
Children5
Professioncivil servant, businessman

Edward Austin Horton (1907-1980) was the first Mayor of Etobicoke, Ontario (1967-1972). He was previously deputy minister of municipal affairs and public welfare in Ontario (1937-1941) and later a business owner.

After graduating from Harvard Business School with an MBA, he worked for Eastman Kodak in Rochester. He returned to Canada in 1935 to open a business handling claims from municipalities that had defaulted due to the Great Depression.

In 1936, Ontario Premier Mitch Hepburn appointed him as an inspector in the Municipal Affairs Branch before promoting him to deputy minister of municipal affairs and public welfare in 1937. In 1939, he was also appointed Director of Unemployment Relief while continuing as deputy minister of municipal affairs.[1][2][3]

Horton left the provincial civil service in 1941 to join the federal government's Wartime Prices and Trade Board in Ottawa as director of the textiles division.[4]

In 1944, he left government to open a business selling equipment to municipalities, selling the business to his employees in 1965 to take a volunteer position fundraising for Etobicoke General Hospital.[5]

In 1952, he was elected deputy reeve of Etobicoke Township and was re-elected the next year. He did not stand for a third one-year term.[6][7]

Horton returned to politics in 1966, running for Mayor of Etobicoke, his term beginning January 1967. He was the first mayor of the new borough of Etobicoke, created by the amalgamation of the former Township of Etobicoke with the Village of Long Branch, the Town of New Toronto, and the Town of Mimico. The new borough had a population of 250,000 and was one of six municipalities in Metropolitan Toronto.[8][9]

He ran for re-election in 1969 and was almost defeated by Dennis Flynn following campaign where he accused Horton of supporting high rise development in the borough without consulting voters.

In November 1972, Horton announced that he would not run for a third term as mayor.[10][11][12][13]

In the late 1970s, Horton was appointed to the Anti-Inflation Board by the federal government.[14]

References

  1. ↑ "SEEK $100,000 FOR REFUGEES", The Globe and Mail, 19 Oct 1938: 15. via ProQuest
  2. ↑ "Administrative Changes", The Globe and Mail, 18 Jan 1939: 7 via ProQuest
  3. ↑ "CROSS DEMANDS TIGHTER CHECK ON RELIEF: Many in Larger Cities Get Undeserved Aid, Suspicion of Minister, One of First Centres to Face Inquiry Reported to Be Toronto, Where Cost Regarded 'Out of Line'; May Be Given Chance to Increase Its Inspection Staff Before Government Acts E. A. HORTON NAMED NEW RELIEF DIRECTOR", The Globe and Mail, 18 Jan 1939: 13. via ProQuest
  4. ↑ "E. A. Horton Resigns Post In Ontario Government", The Globe and Mail, 28 May 1941 via ProQuest
  5. ↑ "Political foes begin long climbs toward juicy borough plums", Wills, Terrance. The Globe and Mail, 19 Sep 1966: 5. via ProQuest
  6. ↑ "Suburban Elections", The Globe and Mail, 15 Dec 1952: 8. via ProQuest
  7. ↑ "Suburbs Vote Light, Few Changes Result", The Globe and Mail, 7 Dec 1953: 1 via ProQuest
  8. ↑ "Metro in profile No 1: Etobicoke 'A place where everybody should want to live...'" by Robertson Cochrane, Toronto Daily Star, 14 November 1966, pg 7 via ProQuest
  9. ↑ "Merger paradox: Fewer councils but races for top make room below", Wills, Terrance. The Globe and Mail, 3 Oct 1966: 5 via ProQuest
  10. ↑ "E.A. Horton, ex-Etobicoke mayor", Toronto Star,29 Mar 1980: B8 via ProQuest
  11. ↑ "Etobicoke's mayor undecided on third term: Meeter and greeter but no political mover", Russell, George. The Globe and Mail,29 Aug 1972: 5. via ProQuest
  12. ↑ "Flynn gets Etobicoke's top job", Toronto Star 5 Dec 1972: 1. via ProQuest
  13. ↑ "Three enter when Mayor Horton leaves:, Appel, Suzanne. The Globe and Mail, 13 Nov 1972: 4. via ProQuest
  14. ↑ "AFTER A FASHION: Heartfelt help for former mayor" Cherry, Zena, The Globe and Mail, July 11, 1977, pg. 12 via ProQuest
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