39) David James Thomas: Elected mayor for the City of Welland in 1951 & 1952

Vital statistics

Birth: December 30, 1913 at Welland, Ontario, Canada

Death: August 23, 1976 at Toronto, Ontario, Canada (age 62)

Burial place: Woodlawn Cemetery (Find a Grave )

Parents: William John / Naomi (née Lowfield)

Spouse: Elma Elizabeth (née Smillie)

Children: Jan / John Lawfield / Jeffrey

Occupation: Lawyer

Religion: Anglican

Political affiliation: Liberal

Community affiliations: Pastmaster Copestone Masonic Lodge / Board of Welland Water Commission / City Councillor / Rameses Temple Shriner / Rotary Club

Profile

David James Thomas was born on December 30, 1913 in Welland to William John and Naomi (née Lowfield) Thomas. His father ran a grocery business and was heavily involved with the Welland Board of Education. David attended Empire School and then Welland High, notably playing on the rugby teams there, then attended Western University, and then decided to begin his own construction business in the late 1930s. He changed career paths around 1939 deciding to study law at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto.

His law studies were interrupted by WWII: he entered the Canadian Army in 1942. “He was a Lieutenant in the Royal Regiment of Canada, and overseas in Belgium, Holland, and Germany. Was in the Rhine crossing, and wounded in Holland April 13, 1945. Lieutenant Thomas was discharged from the Army due to the effects of his wound, and received the Order of the Bronze Lion from Queen Wilhemina on behalf of the Netherland’s Government.” An editorial after his death said that he was particularly proud of the Bronze Lion decoration.

After the war, he completed his education at the Osgoode Hall Law School and was called to the bar in September 1947. He then joined in the law firm of Pettit & Darby in Welland, eventually taking over the firm in March 1949. It was located at 77 East Main Street in the Woolworth building. He married Elma Elizabeth (née Smillie) with whom he had two sons and one daughter.

1948 was the year he was first elected to municipal council as a councillor (the election was held December 6, 1948 for council to preside in the year 1949). He was a newcomer and yet headed the poll of all councillors with 1,514 votes. Also of note, that was the year the first woman was elected to council: Anna Oram, a public health nurse, polled third overall with 1,414 votes. An ad he ran in the paper while running for election stated that in offering his services, he does so with “the deep impression that Welland’s interests are his interests… if elected, will be much concerned with Welland’s pressing traffic problems.” He ran again next year and was elected again, only 10 votes kept him from first place again. In fact, the person he trailed by 10 votes was Wilfred Lewis Valencourt, and the next election for the 1951 mayoralty was between David and Wilfred. It was an extremely close election and David won 2,144 to 2,100. However the evening of the election Valencourt was declared mayor, it was only the next day that it was discovered that the totals for sub-division 22 at Ross School were mixed up. It was 142 for Thomas and 76 for Valencourt but the prior evening those totals were attributed to the wrong person. Thomas was gracious in victory, saying it was a great honor that humbled him, and at the moment he was more concerned about the unfortunate experience Valencourt went through, being declared mayor and then having it corrected. “I deeply regret that this should happen to Wilf. I know how he must feel and it’s just too bad.” The error wouldn’t have mattered if the vote wasn’t so close. The next day Valencourt joked that if Thomas felt too bad that he was always free to withdraw.

The next year David was acclaimed as mayor (unopposed). He decided he would not run again for mayor, and the next years of 1953 and 1954 was elected as councillor, and then the rest of his municipal efforts while he lived in Welland were spent with the Water Commission. At the final council meeting of 1952, former mayor John R. Joyce said that there was wonderment how David would fill the mayors chair, and it turned out that he filled it exceeding well. Incoming mayor Armour McCrae said “You have set quite a pace for me to follow, and I think that it is a fine tribute to you and to Alderman Diffin also that when you both relinquished the reins as chief magistrate you came back into council at the head of the polls.” Referencing the 1951 voting issue, Wilfred Lewis Valencourt said “I hope you will be mayor again some day, but not the way you became mayor last time.” Earlier in November David stated “that being elected as mayor of the city was the greatest honor ever bestowed upon him and he thanked the members of the 1952 council for the perfect cooperation they had extended to him.”

In 1968 David was appointed assistant director of the Legal Aid program for the province of Ontario, and he moved from Welland to Toronto. He lived there the rest of his life until he died on August 23, 1976 at the young age of 62. The then-current mayor Allan Pietz said “His long previous service as alderman, mayor and water commissioner, as well as other community efforts have benefitted this city.” An editorial after his death also pointed out his cheery good nature, and an engaging jocular way of companionship. “There was an infectious happy-go-lucky strain in this popular Wellander, who will be sadly missed.”

Sources

Coombs, Albert Ernest, “History of the Niagara Peninsula” (1950), 265.
“David J. Thomas.” Welland-Port Colborne Evening Tribune, November 27, 1948.
“Error At Polls Changes Mayoralty – Thomas In.” Evening Tribune, December 5, 1950.
“Eulogies In Order When Council Winds Up For ’53.” Evening Tribune, December 17, 1952.
“Lawyer, former mayor David J. Thomas dead.” The Evening Tribune, August 24, 1976.
“A most likeable figure.” The Evening Tribune, August 26, 1976.
“Netherlands Decoration For Lt. D. J. Thomas.” Welland-Port Colborne Evening Tribune, January 16, 1946.
“Retiring Mayor.” Evening Tribune, November 15, 1952.
“Thomas Heads Council Vote.” Welland-Port Colborne Evening Tribune, December 7, 1948.
“To Seek Foolproof Vote Return Plan.” Evening Tribune, December 6, 1950.