Thomas Foster (Canadian politician)
| Thomas Foster | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 40th Mayor of Toronto | |
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In office 1925–1927 |
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| Preceded by | William W. Hiltz |
| Succeeded by | Samuel McBride |
| Member of the Canadian Parliament for York East |
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In office 1917–1921 |
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| Preceded by | Riding reestablished (2nd time) |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Henry Harris |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
July 24, 1852 York Township, Canada West |
| Died | December 10, 1945 (aged 93) |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation | Butcher, Meat Cutter |
Thomas Foster (July 24, 1852 – December 10, 1945) was the Mayor of Toronto, Ontario, Canada from 1925 to 1927.
The son of John T. Foster and Frances Nicholson, Thomas Foster was born July 24, 1852, in Lambton Mills, Ontario. His family soon moved to Leaskdale, Ontario after his mother's death.
He started his working life as a butcher's boy in Toronto, until he saved enough money to purchase his own butcher shop for $50. The earning from that business allowed him to purchase property which became the source of his eventual wealth.
He was first elected as an alderman for St. David Ward in 1891, then reelected in 1892 and 1894. In 1895 he lost the election. He would not return to council until 1900 as an alderman for Ward 2, a position which he would hold until 1909. He was elected to the Toronto Board of Control in 1910; however, he lost the 1911 election. In 1912 he was again elected Controller and kept his seat until 1917.
Foster served as a Member of Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1921. He was elected as a Union Government candidate in the 1917 federal election for East York. He lost in his party's nominations for candidates so he ran as an independent and lost his seat in the 1921 election.
Foster returned to City Council for the next three years, then was elected as mayor in 1925. He was a great supporter of Hydro expenditures and loved flowers. As an alderman he fought for the rebuilding of the pavilion (it had been destroyed by fire) at Allan Gardens. In his 25 years of civic service he would earn the informal title of "Honest Tom". As mayor of Toronto he was reported to have saved the city two million dollars by rigid economics.
Foster was known to collect the rents on his properties in person, even when he was mayor. If a tenant complained about a problem, or wanted a bit of work done, Foster would go out to his car, get his tools and fix the issue on the spot. His penny pinching eventually led to his defeat due to his refusal to raise police salaries.
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