By Dan Bourgeois
The above is a lyric from the song Ball of Confusion by the Motown soul group The Temptations, released in 1970.
Although best known for their harmonies and tightly choreographed dance moves when performing, many of their songs contained pointed social commentaries, of which this song was one of the best. It was released during a time of turmoil in the USA; from race riots and the fight for civil rights, to the social changes being brought about by the young “Boomer” generation, to protests against the draft and Vietnam war culminating in the killing of four and wounding of nine Kent State University students by the Ohio National Guard during an antiwar pro-test in May 1970. The song’s lyrics reflect the uncertainty and cynicism many felt at the time (sound familiar?).
However, this is a local history column, not a history of the USA. How did local people choose their local leaders and how did this change over time?
What was the makeup of local and regional government and how did it evolve into its current system?
In the early 1800s, at the time of early European settlement in this area, the colony of Upper Canada was divided into large districts, which were then divided into counties and townships. Cavan township was part of Durham County in the Newcastle District (this included Millbrook, not yet a separate municipality).Monaghan township was in Northumberland County in the district of Colborne. In 1841,the northern part of Northumberland County became the new County of Peterborough and this included the northern part of Monaghan township, hence the current North and South Monaghan townships.
Over time the districts were replaced by provincial ridings, but the county and township structures have remained, albeit with some changes, including locally. In 1879 Millbrook village was incorporated as separate from Cavan town-ship. In 1974 Cavan township became part of Peterborough County. North Monaghan has seen the biggest changes. In 1850 the northeast corner of this township was separated to form the new town of Peterborough. Further annexations occurred in 1945, 1948, 1955 and 1962. The original North Monaghan township includes the area from Parkhill Avenue to the north, Park Street to the east, south to Crawford Drive and west to Brealey Drive; essentially much of midtown Peterborough as well as the south and west ends.
In 1998 the provincial government restructured and amalgamated many communities, ostensibly to minimize expenses and improve efficiencies. Locally, Millbrook village, Cavan and North Monaghan townships formed the aptly named township of Cavan-Millbrook-North Monaghan. In 2007 the name was shortened to Cavan-Monaghan which is our current municipal government.
Originally, District members of the provincial legislature were elected by male property owners of British descent. However, this was basically an advisory body and the real power rested with the Lieutenant Governor of the colony. He (they were all men) appointed township Justices of the Peace, who functioned both as judges dealing with local legal issues as well as overseeing local administration. Patrick Maguire, a prominent character in the 4th Line Theatre play The Cavan Blazers, held this position in Cavan township in the mid 1800s. A township clerk was also appointed to handle day to day business. Minor local officials such as tax collectors and auditors, tavern inspectors and path master (responsible for inspecting and maintaining roads) were usually selected at townhall meetings. Elections for local government officials were not a thing.
In 1849 the decision was made in the United Province of Canada (the old Upper and Lower Canadas) to allow the election of government officials who had legislative powers. Eligible voters were males over the age of 21 who either owned land or had a certain amount of other assets. Women, Chinese and Indians (South Asians) as well as Indigenous nation members were excluded (unless they gave up their Status position), as were members of some religious groups, including at times the Quakers, Catholics, Jews and Mennonites. The townships were to elect a reeve (basically the mayor) and deputy, as well as a variable number of councillors representing different areas of the township (similar to the current setup).
The first Reeve of Cavan was John Thorne and that of North Monaghan was Thomas Fortye. John Thorne was one of the early settlers in the township, having been granted a concession on the Carmel(Second) Line east of County Road 10 in 1820. He built the first mill in the area (run by hand) with which to grind corn into meal. Mr Fortye held land on the 11th Concession, now Whittington Avenue, at about the current site of Fleming College.
The township (and later, Millbrook) council was elected yearly. Originally, this was an open vote; that is, the voter declared his preference verbally at the polling station to the candidates or their representative and the polling officer. It was not uncommon for a candidate to have a group of his supporters on hand to make sure the vote was “properly” cast. The lads were occasion-ally provided with liquor to pass the time and intimidation was a frequent issue. Brawls between candidates’ supporters were not unheard of. From a description of a brawl in Montreal in 1820, “Passions ran so high that a terrible fight broke out. Punches and every other offensive and defensive tactic were employed. In the blink of an eye table legs were turned into swords and the rest into shields… the face of many and the bodies of nearly all attested to the doggedness of the fighting”. Of course, such a thing would never have happened here- the Cavan Blazers would have made sure of that, as long as the vote was in favour of their candidate, that is. In 1874, the closed ballot, the system we have today, was introduced.
Gradually restrictions to voting were lifted. In 1882 widows and unmarried women who owned property earned the right to vote and in 1885 all males over 21 years of age could vote. In 1917 all women were granted this right. It wasn’t until 1949 that Chinese and South Asians gained the right to vote. First Nations citizens were freely granted this right only in 1960.
Clearly the right to choose our elected representative is a hard-won privilege. It’s our responsibility to participate in selecting our local representatives. We must remember that the municipal level of government is critically important in our day to day lives, even if we don’t always recognize it as such.