Municipal Government History
More
Search
Although originally proposed in 1832, municipal government status was first conferred in 1888 with a council of five elected councillors and two government appointees. At that time the population was approximately 30,000.
In 1921, the City of St. John's Act incorporated St. John's. Today, St. John's remains the commercial centre and political capital of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Council
Today, City Council consists of on elected Mayor, Deputy Mayor, five Ward Councillors and four Councillors-at-large. The following outlines how the City was governed from 1888 until today:
| 1888-1899 |
|
August 30, 1888 General Election
Government appointees on Council: James Goodfellow, Chairman and James P. Fox. The
Appointees to Council: Edward W. Bennett and Thomas Mitchell. On February 26, 1892, 1893 By-Election: John Harris elected following the death of John Carnell.
Appointments by Government: Thomas J. Edens and R.A. McCoubrey The new Council held its first meeting on February 7, 1896 and Power was elected Chairman. 1898 to 1902: St. John's was governed by Commission. Three members were appointed by Government 1899: P. C. O'Driscoll succeeded T. M. White on the Commission that ran St. John's from 1898 to 1902.T. M. White resigns from the Commission that governed St. John's for the period 1898 to 1902. |
| 1900-1924 |
| 1900: H. F. Bradshaw appointed to the Commission that governed St. John's during the period 1898 to 1902. He replaced P.C. O'Driscoll and T. M. White. 1902: Abolishment of the Commission Legislation was passed providing for an elected Council consisting of a Mayor and six Councillors, all elected at large. Elections were to be held in June of every fourth year from 1902 onwards. June 19, 1902 General Election
June 26, 1906 General Election
Between September 3-10, 1906 John Carew died in office, no by-election was held. July 1908: First civic strike held by sanitary workers.
August 9, 1911: Council opened the town's first civic-owned offices after having purchased the Seaman's
July 1, 1921 to December 31, 1921: New commission appointed to replace the one that went out of office June 30, 1921. June 26, 1921. New commission took office. Appointments:
The old Commission ended its term of office on June 30, 1921 and the new Commission took office on July 26, 1921 leaving St. John's without any local government for nearly a month.
The new position of Deputy Mayor was to be determined by a vote of all the Council. |
| 1925-1944 |
December 8, 1925 General Election
Julia Salter Earle ran in this election and came within eleven votes of claiming the sixth and final Council seat. This is the first election in which women were allowed to run for Council. Three women ran unsuccessfully. 1927: The City's first Town Planning Commission appointed.
March 31, 1932: Charles J. Howlett died. Andrew Carnell administered the City.
May 1, 1941: Kenneth Ruby dies while in office.
1943: Edward Lawrence and John T. Meaney died while in office. Their seats were filled by A. M. Fraser and H.G.R. Mews in a by-election later that same year. |
| 1945-1964 |
November 13, 1945 General Election
Spratt was chosen as Deputy Mayor by Council. A tradition had evolved whereby the Deputy Mayor's position was given to the Councillor finishing first in the polls. 1948: William P. Ryan dies while in office. 1949: John P. Kelly dies in September 1949.
The new Council was sworn in on January 3, 1950. January 7, 1950, Ronald Martin appointed City Engineer.
November 12, 1957 General Election
James tucker resigned from Council on April 30, 1958.
October 1963 James D. Higgins resigned as a result of an appointment to the Supreme Court. |
| 1965-1984 |
November 16, 1965 General Election
November 15, 1966 By-Election: Clarene L. Englebrecht (Bob Lewis) elected as Councillor. By-Election was called due to the resignation of John Crosbie from Council. November 18, 1969 General Election
November 13, 1973 General Election
November 8, 1977 General Election
September 25, 1979 By-Election: Thomas Osbourne wins a By-Election that was called due to the death of Brian Higgins. November 3, 1981 General Election
|
| 1985-2000 |
November 12, 1985 General Election
November 13, 1990 General Election
February 25, 1992 By-election for Wards 5 and 6
November 24, 1992 By-Election: Bruce Tilley elected in Ward 2. By-Election called due to the resignation of Douglas Atkinson. Tilley was sworn in on December 7, 1992. November 9, 1993 General Election
|
| 2001-2021 |
September 25, 2001 General Election
Council sworn in on October 9, 2001. November 27, 2001 By-Election: Sandy Hickman elected as Councillor at Large. Sworn in on December 3, 2001. September 27, 2005 General Election
June 3, 2008 By-Election: Dennis O’Keefe elected Mayor, Ron Ellsworth elected Deputy Mayor, Debbie Hanlon elected Ward 4 Councillor. June 9, 2008 Swearing in ceremonies for newly elected Council Members. September 29, 2009 General Election
October 13, 2009 New Council sworn in.
October 7, 2013 New Council sworn in.
October 10, 2017 New Council sworn in.
October 12, 2021 New Council sworn in. |
City Administration
Throughout the City's history, a number of individuals have served in key roles.
| City Clerks |
|
|
City Managers |
|
As early as 1949, it was recommended that City Council appoint a City Manager to coordinate the overall activities of the municipal government. However, it was not until 1976 that the Office of the City Manager was created. Prior to this appointment Council provided administrative supervision and coordination for the entire organization, with department heads reporting directly to council. The Office of the City Manager was designed to take over this role so Council could concentrate on the function of developing municipal policy.
The City Manager was designated responsibility of integrating city staff and operating services; budgetary planning and control; and the development of uniform personnel policies and procedures. All departments would report to the City Manager, who would then act as an advisor to Council.
In 1995, Council decided to change to a commissioner system, upon the recommendation of the Doane-Raymond Report released in 1992. The position of City Manager was replaced by a Chief Commissioner who oversaw three commissioners chosen from among the department heads. Each department reported to a specific commissioner, and those commissioners reported to and advised Council.
The position of Chief Commissioner was held by one person:
Ron Penney also held the position of City Solicitor during this time.
In 2010 the system of Chief Commissioner was abandoned and replaced by the City Manager system which continues today.
|
| City Engineers |
|
Municipal Services
City services have come a long way in the last century.
Did you know, for example, that by the turn of the century, electric street cars provided public transit downtown along Water Street, Adelaide Street, Queens Road, Rawlins Cross and Military Road? Gasoline powered buses replaced the street cars in 1948.
Although there were electric street lights on the main roads and a public water supply, many residents registered complaints about inadequate sewage disposal facilities.
Under the Streets
The first sewage disposal systems in St. John's were put in place beginning in the late nineteenth century. Sewage discharge outfalls went to St. John's harbour. Neighbouring communities followed suit when installing their sewage disposal systems.
By the early 2000s the St. John's Harbour Clean-up project was in place. The plan was to treat wastewater before discharging it into the harbour. The Riverhead Wastewater Treatment Facility opened on the south side of St. John's harbour in 2009.
Archaeology and the Harbour Interceptor Sewer Project
The Harbour Interceptor sewer project installed two kilometres of sanitary sewer pipe under the historic downtown streets St. John's. This massive project required an Environmental Assessment. Part of the assessment was a historic resources (archaeological) study. The City hired Gerald Penney Associates Limited to conduct it.
Since 2004 they have had more than 10 archaeology permits and more than 60 archaeology sites in the area of the sewer installation. Many of these findings are outlined in a public presentation first given in February 2010.
Contact Us