Joseph George Ramsden (July 3, 1867 to December 28, 1948) was a long active municipal politician in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

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, Canada. He was born in

Thornhill, Ontario Thornhill is a suburban district in the Regional Municipality of York in Ontario, Canada. The western portion of Thornhill is within the City of Vaughan and its eastern portion is within the City of Markham, Ontario, Markham, with Yonge Street ...

and first became active in politics working for Alexander Mackenzie in a York East by-election. He served for fifteen years as Chief Inspector for the

Department of Indian Affairs Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military * Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

, which saw him travel extensively through the north of the country. He was also a businessman owning a bakery and other stores in the city. He was first elected to

Toronto City Council Toronto City Council is the governing body of the municipal government of Toronto, Ontario. Meeting at Toronto City Hall, it comprises 25 city councillors and the mayor of Toronto. The Toronto City Council 2022–2026, current term began on Nove ...

in 1903 and retired as a member of the

Toronto Board of Control The Board of Control of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, was a part of its municipal government until it was abolished in 1969. It served as the executive committee of the Toronto City Council. When it was initially created in 1896 by mandate of the provi ...

in 1936. In total he won sixteen elections over that period, also losing office at several points. He was a Liberal Party member in a city whose politics were then dominated by the Tories. In 1935 he attempted to run for mayor but finished a distant third behind

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member James Simpson and conservative Harry W. Hunt. He was nicknamed the "Watchdog of the Treasury" for his focus on reducing spending whenever possible. Ramsden Park on

Yonge Street Yonge Street ( ') is a major arterial route in the Canadian province of Ontario connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Great Lakes#Geography, Upper Great Lakes. Ontario's first colonial administrator, ...

just north of Davenport is named after him.

References

*"Treasury Watchdog, George Ramsden Dies." ''The Globe and Mail.'' December 29, 1948 pg. 4 {{DEFAULTSORT:Ramsden, J. George 1867 births 1948 deaths Toronto city councillors 20th-century Canadian municipal councillors