{"id":5195,"date":"2025-02-19T09:42:44","date_gmt":"2025-02-19T13:42:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/?p=5195"},"modified":"2025-02-19T09:43:00","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T13:43:00","slug":"mayors-of-ottawa-a-retrospective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/mayors-of-ottawa-a-retrospective","title":{"rendered":"Mayors of Ottawa: A Retrospective"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Until 1854, the city was widely known as Bytown, which from 1847 to 1854 had eight elected mayors. Their term in office lasted one year. <a href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/uk\/\">Ottawayes<\/a> will explore some of the mayors elected in Ottawa who governed the city, cared for its infrastructure, and contributed to its development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_76 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a1490c434ccf\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a1490c434ccf\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/mayors-of-ottawa-a-retrospective\/#John_Bower_Lewis\" >John Bower Lewis<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/mayors-of-ottawa-a-retrospective\/#Edward_McGillivray\" >Edward McGillivray<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/mayors-of-ottawa-a-retrospective\/#Alexander_Workman\" >Alexander Workman<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/mayors-of-ottawa-a-retrospective\/#Henry_James_Friel\" >Henry James Friel<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/mayors-of-ottawa-a-retrospective\/#Stanley_Lewis\" >Stanley Lewis<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/mayors-of-ottawa-a-retrospective\/#Eddie_A_Bourque\" >Eddie A. Bourque<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/mayors-of-ottawa-a-retrospective\/#Grenville_Goodwin\" >Grenville Goodwin<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/mayors-of-ottawa-a-retrospective\/#Charlotte_Whitton\" >Charlotte Whitton<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/mayors-of-ottawa-a-retrospective\/#Other_Mayors\" >Other Mayors<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/mayors-of-ottawa-a-retrospective\/#Marion_Dewar\" >Marion Dewar<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/mayors-of-ottawa-a-retrospective\/#Successors_in_Ottawas_Political_Landscape\" >Successors in Ottawa\u2019s Political Landscape<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/mayors-of-ottawa-a-retrospective\/#Jim_Watson\" >Jim Watson<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"John_Bower_Lewis\"><\/span>John Bower Lewis<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>John Bower Lewis was the second mayor of Bytown (1848) and, fittingly, became the first mayor of Ottawa (1855\u20131857). According to his biography, he studied law in Toronto, served as a Queen\u2019s Counsel, and, after his one-year mayoral term, was appointed a city police commissioner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1872, he was elected to the House of Commons as a Conservative. However, in 1873, he was forced to resign due to the Pacific Scandal, a political scandal involving bribes taken by an unprecedented number of Conservative government members (150 individuals). Private individuals attempted to influence the tendering process for a national railway contract. This led not only to the resignation of the former mayor of Ottawa but also to the downfall of Canada\u2019s first Prime Minister, John A. Macdonald.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>John Bower Lewis passed away in Ottawa in 1874.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Edward_McGillivray\"><\/span>Edward McGillivray<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Elected as Ottawa\u2019s second mayor in 1858, Edward McGillivray was born in Ontario County and moved to Bytown at the age of 20. He gained fame for opening a successful general store before transitioning to the fur trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1855, he was elected to the city council and ran for mayor three days later. His biography includes several notable achievements:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>President of the Bytown Telegraph Company;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>President of J.R. Booth\u2019s Canada Atlantic Railway;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>One of the founders of the Bytown and Prescott Railway.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Edward McGillivray passed away in 1885 at the age of 70 and was buried in Beechwood Cemetery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ottawayes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/02\/ad_4nxdclou0rj1y_7uz32brjy_zmgjgest-43mc1ow4-odj8zvzulr50_d4z2uyyif9wqmsaxbfclqzy-eya9ln0unch-c_zusxqb2rtdcefdibosh9zxm29zfbdfhktd-iam_qckdmqkey3ckvuxpjxzckabrmnkpcr3zp.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Alexander_Workman\"><\/span>Alexander Workman<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The third mayor of Ottawa, Alexander Workman, served from 1860 to 1862. Born in Ireland, he moved to Bytown in 1845 and co-founded a manufacturing business. He also attempted to establish a Unitarian Church in Ottawa, but this effort was unsuccessful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before becoming mayor, he was a longtime city council member. He lived to the age of 93.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Henry_James_Friel\"><\/span>Henry James Friel<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Henry James Friel holds a unique place in Bytown and Ottawa\u2019s political history, having served as mayor twice\u2014first in 1854 and later from 1868 to 1869. A Montreal native from an Irish Catholic family, he moved to Bytown in 1827. In 1847, he was elected to Bytown\u2019s first city council. Although he lost the following year, he was eventually elected mayor in 1854.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1846, Friel and John Bell acquired the newspaper Bytown Packet. He later sold it to Robert Bell, who renamed it Ottawa Citizen. In 1858, he launched a new publication, Ottawa Union, which he sold to Ottawa Times in 1866.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Friel died of pneumonia in Ottawa in 1869.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Stanley_Lewis\"><\/span>Stanley Lewis<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Stanley Lewis served as Ottawa\u2019s mayor from 1936 to 1948, after starting his political career as a city councillor in 1930. He became the longest-serving mayor at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During his tenure, he attended the coronation of King George VI and hosted the royal visit of the King and Queen to Ottawa in 1939. One of his most significant achievements was receiving an honorary degree from the University of Ottawa in 1941.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He voluntarily stepped down in 1948 following a severe illness. Before his passing in 1970, he remained active in charity work. He died of a heart attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ottawayes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/02\/ad_4nxdjwv7pezeizhh8-7usr4kar-5tta1vrettn05kg1_gp2bueezvm1ydas6aj2bl886d18e3orpql0qbxlsr3iyucry2x8sqn54qrqktjkbh9fx0jcig-7c4gy95gmhzqcett1btpqkey3ckvuxpjxzckabrmnkpcr3zp.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Eddie_A_Bourque\"><\/span>Eddie A. Bourque<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Eddie A. Bourque was first elected to the Board of Control in 1936 and later served as mayor from 1949 to 1950. During his tenure, over $300,000 was allocated for the construction of the Mackenzie King Bridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He was a member of various associations and received an honorary Doctor of Business Administration degree from the University of Ottawa. He passed away in 1962.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Grenville_Goodwin\"><\/span>Grenville Goodwin<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Raised in Prescott, Grenville Goodwin moved to Ottawa in 1911 to attend Lisgar Collegiate Institute. After serving in World War I, he studied at the University of Toronto and later pursued optometry, eventually opening his own practice in 1926.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His tenure as mayor lasted only eight months before his sudden passing at the age of 53.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ottawayes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/02\/ad_4nxf1jsl0grrjd6tlkuktlfgvyhogdqwss1cg_bf8p-9ck_0azhwepp03xa2tjfaoh8batafcyc63znbxogtpwyxl1pos_nktr84hafxomg-orhflpfytfoirsymx_0cov42yxgoewgkey3ckvuxpjxzckabrmnkpcr3zp.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Charlotte_Whitton\"><\/span>Charlotte Whitton<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Charlotte Whitton made history as Ottawa\u2019s first female mayor. Following Goodwin\u2019s death in 1951, she stepped in to fulfill his duties, remaining in office until 1956. Known for her outspoken and dynamic personality, she frequently clashed with city councillors. In 1961, she returned to municipal politics and served a second term as mayor until 1964.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before entering politics, Whitton was a social worker and writer. She co-founded the Canadian Council on Child Welfare and later decided to run for office\u2014a surprising move at the time, as she was the first woman to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During her tenure, Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited Ottawa in 1951, and Whitton attended Queen Elizabeth II\u2019s coronation in 1953.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ottawayes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/02\/ad_4nxfjqmrf_bwp5k3qzic0mi8xzphx0ixg5sf3a9hjmgauwzqpt7hk8ectq1nm6kch5q__zdhcuaujt-v6yxxxgffze5wdyenn8agenzyc2l_wlzfv6_ob1vtab19n8nlg1idkwhwlkey3ckvuxpjxzckabrmnkpcr3zp.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Other_Mayors\"><\/span>Other Mayors<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Following Charlotte Whitton, Ottawa was led by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>George H. Nelms (1957\u20131960);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Donald Bartlett Reid (1965\u20131969);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kenneth H. Fogarty (1970\u20131972);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pierre Benoit (1972\u20131974);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lorry Greenberg (1975\u20131978).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Marion_Dewar\"><\/span>Marion Dewar<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Marion Dewar, a prominent member of the New Democratic Party, was Ottawa\u2019s second female mayor, serving from 1978 to 1985. She made an impact through several major initiatives:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Convened a convention on LGBTQ+ rights;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Led a project to sponsor refugees from other countries;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Advocated for nuclear disarmament and peace;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Featured in the 1985 documentary Speaking Our Peace.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ottawayes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/02\/ad_4nxet8gyff6tjc1yngxebqtf0sqghvgyghqhli51ejepuup7p6sddp8gvl1tx9x_y9h0uri7mwp8dn3vrd6hjefxpcw07zzwdppkmywl6fy1ie_ecad5xef3pohxnlbmeafipn3pf8qkey3ckvuxpjxzckabrmnkpcr3zp.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Successors_in_Ottawas_Political_Landscape\"><\/span>Successors in Ottawa\u2019s Political Landscape<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After Dewar, Ottawa\u2019s mayors included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>James A. Durrell (1985\u20131991);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jacqueline Holzman (1991\u20131997);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jim Watson (1997\u20132000);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Allan Higdon (2000\u20132001).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ottawayes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/02\/ad_4nxchn37ibplyduq9uq2f712hewufuxwy0oyepftw_lrmp8pngvdsk3ft6vxmpfm5uwrj8urmxuznd8qmu1rj4bycuwff9fd2hmm_sw9brq4jerz0apd4h-_nkv9vcsaxmrv4r5fuuwkey3ckvuxpjxzckabrmnkpcr3zp.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Jim_Watson\"><\/span>Jim Watson<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Jim Watson holds the record as Ottawa\u2019s longest-serving mayor, elected for four terms. He first served on Ottawa\u2019s city council from 1991 to 1997 and was elected mayor in 1997. He was successfully re-elected in 2014 and 2018. In 2014, he secured 76.2% of the vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His tenure exceeded that of Stanley Lewis, who had served for 12 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Few politicians have had such enduring success as Ottawa\u2019s mayor. Politics can be unforgiving, but those who persevere earn the respect of residents. These leaders have made lasting contributions to the city\u2019s growth and have cemented their place in its history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ottawayes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/02\/ad_4nxe6-qvtz-lid-rrqpbfrvnedelbijfnwfmnhi6dunt88z6ervophyoorugmiswzxwviochuffywstsk88fbw4vcctypuvyh7zn3phz9xjoljq_xbxibhb0pemqv2mij52jtk61azwkey3ckvuxpjxzckabrmnkpcr3zp.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Until 1854, the city was widely known as Bytown, which from 1847 to 1854 had eight elected mayors. Their term in office lasted one year. Ottawayes will explore some of the mayors elected in Ottawa who governed the city, cared for its infrastructure, and contributed to its development. John Bower Lewis John Bower Lewis was [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":419,"featured_media":5218,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[497],"tags":[2240,2243,2238,2237,2242,2178,2241,2246,2235,2244,2236,2239,2234,2245,2247],"motype":[491],"moformat":[99],"moimportance":[100,101,104],"class_list":{"0":"post-5195","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-about-the-mayor","8":"tag-biography-of-the-first-mayors-of-ottawa","9":"tag-eddie-a-bourke","10":"tag-edward-mcgillivray","11":"tag-first-mayor-of-ottawa","12":"tag-grenville-goodwin","13":"tag-jim-watson","14":"tag-john-bower-lewis","15":"tag-marion-dewar","16":"tag-mayors-of-ottawa","17":"tag-pacific-scandal","18":"tag-political-life-of-ottawa","19":"tag-political-successors","20":"tag-retrospective","21":"tag-stanley-lewis","22":"tag-what-are-the-mayors-of-ottawa-remembered-for","23":"motype-eternal","24":"moformat-spysok-korotka","25":"moimportance-aktualna-bilshe-roku","26":"moimportance-golovna-novyna","27":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatory"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5195","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/419"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5195"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5195\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5217,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5195\/revisions\/5217"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5218"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5195"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5195"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5195"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=5195"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=5195"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=5195"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}