Samuel McBride

Samuel (Sam) McBride (July 13 1866 – November 10 1936) was a two-time Mayor of Toronto serving his first term from 1928 to 1929 and his second term in 1936 which ended prematurely due to his death.

He was born in Toronto to an Irish Protestant family (his grandfather came from County Antrim) and was a committed Orangeman. He made his fortune in the lumber industry. He became an alderman in the early 1900s and served on Toronto City Council for 30 years.

Among his accomplishments are helping to create the Toronto Transit Commission, building the Coliseum at the Canadian National Exhibition and overseeing early development of the city's waterfront.

He served for many years on the city's police commission. Professor Michael Horn of York University attributes the Commission's decision to ban all public meetings held in languages other than English to McBride and his concern about Jewish trade union and socialist organizers holding meetings in Yiddish in Toronto's Garment District. "Like all mayors at that time", says Horn, "McBride was strongly pro-British and anti-communist" [ [http://www.yorku.ca/yfile/archive/index.asp?IssueDate=11/4/2003&section=York%20in%20the%20Media Y-File ] ]

Harness racing

McBride was also a harness racing enthusiast and was a founding member and charter director of the Canadian Standardbred Horse Society in 1909 and served as the society's president in 1919 and 1920. He was also a founding director of the Canadian National Trotting and Pacing Harness Horse Association. In 1907, McBride drove his King Bryson to a world record of 2:19½ for trotters over a half-mile track on ice at Plattsburg, New York.

Death

McBride was the first Toronto mayor to die in office. He is buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto. He was 70 years old.

Legacy

One of the ferries running from downtown Toronto to the Toronto Island is named after him in 1939.

References