Sydney Moscoe

Sydney (Syd) Moscoe is a lawyer and former politician in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He served on the North York Board of Education from 1962 to 1969, and later sought election to the North York City Council. He is not related to Toronto City Councillor Howard Moscoe.
Biography
Moscoe was born in Toronto, but spent most of his childhood in Kirkland Lake in Northern Ontario. He was politically active in his youth, and was a member of the Ontario Liberal Party in 1951, when he was eighteen years old. He returned to Toronto in 1954.
Moscoe joined the North York Board of Education on March 26, 1962, when the other trustees nominated him to fill a vacancy in the board's fifth ward. He was re-elected in 1962, and was re-elected in 1964 and 1966. He opposed religious education in the public school system, and was endorsed by the Toronto Labor Council in 1962. In 1968, Moscoe opposed a motion to have a separate school representative appointed to the board. He was elected vice-chairman of the board in January 1969.
He did not seek re-election in 1969, following allegations of overspending on a retirement party for retiring director of education F.W. Minkler. Moscoe and five other councillors were also criticized for taking an expenses-paid trip to Hawaii for the official purpose of studying Pacific music. He campaigned for election to North York's Board of Control in 1972, and was narrowly defeated for the final position by first-time candidate Barbara Greene.
Sydney Moscoe attempted a political comeback in the 1982 municipal election, campaigning for North York's fourth council ward. This campaign was marked by some controversy, when incumbent councillor Howard Moscoe informed voters that the same thirteen nominees signed the nomination forms of Sydney Moscoe and rival candidate Eleanor Rosen. There was speculation that Sydney Moscoe's candidacy was an attempt confuse voters and siphon support from Howard Moscoe, although he denied this charge. Four of Sydney Moscoe's nominators stated in signed affidivats that they believed they were signing forms for Rosen. Sydney Moscoe argued that the four nominators had been pressured by Howard Moscoe's campaign into submitting their claims. A judge ruled that both Moscoes were legitimate candidates, citing insufficient evidence of duplicity. Sydney Moscoe finished in fourth place, while Howard Moscoe was re-elected.
Sydney Moscoe launched a $200,000 libel claim against Howard Moscoe during the 1982 campaign for alleging that his candidacy was illegitimate. The claim was dismissed in 1983, on the grounds that it was improperly prepared. Moscoe said that he would re-file, although it is not clear from media reports if he actually did.
A 1994 newspaper article identifies Moscoe as a lawyer in Thornhill. Moscoe has served as secretary of the Canadian and Commonwealth Shipping Heritage Association, and is active with the The Harbord Club Foundation. In 1998, he helped organize the re-dedication of the Kirkland Lake Hebrew Cemetery.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu