Allan A. Lamport

Allan Austin Lamport CM (April 4 1903 – November 18 1999) was Mayor of Toronto, Canada, from 1952 to 1954. Known as "Lampy", his most notable achievement was his opposition to Toronto's Blue laws which banned virtually any activities on Sundays. Lamport fought to allow professional sporting activities on Sundays. He won the 1954 election, but resigned after six months to become vice-chairman (later chaiman) of the newly formed Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). Lamport later returned to City Council and made headlines for his opposition to Yorkville's hippies in the late 1960s.

He first sat on Toronto City Council in 1937. A licenced pilot, he urged the city to build airports on Toronto Island and in Malton, Ontario. These projects were approved and became the Toronto Island Airport and what is now Pearson International Airport.Warren Gerard and Jim Foster, "Allan Lamport, 1903-1999 --- `Lampy' took T.O. into 20th century --- Lamport was the man who got Toronto moving, Lastman recalls", "Toronto Star", November 20, 1999] He also advocated the construction of the Mount Pleasant Road extension connecting it to Jarvis Street in order to create a north-south alternative to Yonge Street.Donn Downey, "Mayor gave city Sunday sport", "Globe and Mail", November 20, 1999]

From 1937 to 1943 he was an Ontario Liberal Party Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for the Toronto riding of St. David. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II and once rose in the legislature to denounce Henry Ford for his lack of support for the Canadian war effort calling him a "black-hearted American Quisling". As a result he was transferred by the RCAF to the east coast and was unable to carry out his political duties contributing his electoral defeat in the 1943 provincial election. He returned to city council in 1946 and campaigned for the provincial government of George Drew to permit the opening of cocktail bars in Toronto. In 1947, the legislature approved the opening of bars in cities with more than 100,000 people. In 1949 he was elected to the Board of Control for the first time.

In 1950, Lamport spearheaded a municipal plebiscite that approved the playing of sports on Sundays. Until then, playing fields and even swings were padlocked on the Lord's Day.

He was defeated in his first campaign for mayor in 1951 but won on his second attempt the next year. As mayor, Lamport encouraged the construction of Toronto's subway system which would be Canada's first when it opened in 1954. He also advocated the creation of Regent Park, Canada's first large scale public housing project. Premier Leslie Frost offered Lamport the position of Chairman of the newly created Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto but he declined. Instead, he resigned as mayor in 1954 to serve on the Toronto Transit Commission first as vice-chairman and then as chairman from 1955 to 1959 and recommended and won approval for the construction of the Bloor-Danforth subway line. In 1960, he again ran for mayor but was defeated by Nathan Phillips. In 1964, he again ran for mayor and was defeated by Phil Givens. He subsequently returned to City Council again as a Controller and then as an alderman when the Board of Control was abolished. He famously opposed the hippies who populated the neighbourhood of Yorkville pledging to drive them out of Toronto and encouraging police action against them and urged that the neighbourhood be demolished and replaced by a shopping mall. He clashed with David DePoe, spokesperson for the Yorkville hippies [Philip Marchand, "Toronto's summer of love; 40 years ago, Yorkville belonged to the hippies and Queen's Park was made for grooving", "Toronto Star", May 21, 2007] opposing DePoe's bid to address city council. [Michael Valpy, "Lamport's death marks the passing of old Toronto", "Globe and Mail", November 24, 1999] The confrontation resulted in Lamport ordering police to remove the hippies from the city council chamber

In 1994, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada. Lamport Stadium in Toronto was named in his honour.

Lamport was well known for his malapropisms. Among some of his quotations::"All this progress is marvellous... now if only it would stop!":"It's hard to make predictions - especially about the future." :"I’m lost, but I’m making record time.":"I spent a week in Montreal last weekend.":"We shall reach greater and greater platitudes of achievement.":"We've got to act wisely and otherwisely.":"Let's jump off that bridge when we come to it.":"We have to choose between collapse and ruin.":"What you're telling me is a matter of major insignificance.":"I am a man of sound prejudice.":"This is the crutch of the problem.":"Canada is the best country in the nation.":"I deny the allegations and I defy the allegators.":"When you're talking about me, keep your mouth shut."

References

External links

*