Hiram E. McCallum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hiram Emerson McCallum
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| 49th Mayor of Toronto | |
| In office 1948–1951 |
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| Preceded by | Robert Hood Saunders |
| Succeeded by | Allan A. Lamport |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 14, 1899 Caledon East, Ontario |
| Died | January 13, 1989 (aged 89) Guelph, Ontario |
Hiram Emerson McCallum (born August 14, 1899 – died January 13, 1989) was an important leader in Toronto, Ontario. He served as the city's mayor from 1948 to 1951. After his time as mayor, he worked in management roles at the Canadian National Exhibition, a big fair in Toronto, from 1952 to 1964.
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Early Life and Start in Politics
Hiram McCallum was born in 1899 in Caledon East, Ontario. His first job was at a newspaper called The Mail and Empire. He worked there as a clerk in the advertising department. Later, in 1931, he started his own printing business.
Hiram McCallum became interested in politics because he was worried about pollution. He noticed that Toronto's Eastern beaches were getting dirty. He joined a small group of people who wanted to fix this problem.
Becoming a City Leader
In 1941, McCallum became an alderman for Ward 8. An alderman is a local politician who helps make decisions for a specific area of the city. This was his first step into city government.
He continued to move up in city leadership. In 1946, he became the vice-chairperson of Toronto's Board of Control. This board helps manage the city's money and projects.
Becoming Mayor of Toronto
When the mayor at the time, Bob Saunders, left his job, Hiram McCallum became the new mayor of Toronto. This happened in 1948. He served as mayor until 1951.
Key Achievements as Mayor
As mayor, Hiram McCallum worked on several important projects for Toronto.
Improving City Transportation
One of his big projects was starting the planning for Toronto's first subway line. This was the Yonge Street line, which is still a very important part of the city's public transportation today.
Protecting the Environment
He also worked towards creating a regional government. This type of government helps different areas around a big city work together.
In 1950, about 10 years after he first became a politician, he opened a new sewage treatment plant. This plant helped clean up wastewater. It greatly reduced pollution in Toronto's Eastern Beaches. This was a major success, as cleaning up the beaches was his original reason for getting into politics.
After Being Mayor
In 1952, Hiram McCallum became the assistant general manager of the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). The CNE is a huge annual fair held in Toronto.
He became the general manager of the CNE in 1953. He held this important position until he retired in 1964, when he was 65 years old.
Personal Life
Hiram McCallum was married to Margaret. They had a daughter named Dorothy and a son named Bruce. He was also a grandfather to four children. He passed away at the Guelph General Hospital in 1989.
