West Toronto liquor plebiscite May1964

Source: Toronto Daily Stay 03 May 1964

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Always been dry

Plan West Toronto liquor plebiscite

A liquor plebiscite is in prospect for West Toronto, which now is Toronto’s Ward 7.

City clerk C. Edgar Norris tomorrow will ask Board of Control to take the necessary steps to hold the vote.

Ward 7 never has had liquor outlets. When West Toronto – bounded by Bloor on the south, the city limits on the west and north and on the east by the CPR and CNR railway lines running north from around Roncesvalles Ave. – joined Toronto in 1909 it obtained a home rule right on liquor outlets.

The agreement provided that West Toronto’s bylaw banning retail liquor outlets would remain in effect “until such bylaw shall be repeated by a bylaw of the City of Toronto approved by a majority of electors in the said territory…”

Mr. Norris sail he had received petitions containing 11,885 names asking for a plebiscite. Of these, 6,923 names also appear on the voters’ list.

There are 27,124 eligible voters in West Toronto and one quarter of that number, 6,781, are required to ask for the vote before it can be granted.

Mr. Norris said it would cost about $16,400 to conduct the poll but this could be reduced to $3,500 if the voter’s list is prepared from the assessment rolls.