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William Peyton Hubbard (1842 - 1935), City of Toronto Alderman from 1894 to 1914, was a popular and influential politician, of particular historical note as the city's first politician of African descent.
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Born in Toronto, Hubbard was the son of American slaves who escaped to Canada via the Underground Railroad. He became a baker by trade, and one well-known for his strong political opinions. Armed with a sharp wit and a powerful oratory skills, he eventually found his way into politics.
He was first elected in 1894 in a quiet, tree-lined ward of grand homes that happened to be the wealthiest and whitest ward in the city (encompassing an area between University Avenue and Bathurst Street).
Hubbard was known for his strong sense of public duty, and made a name for himself fighting the privatization of Toronto's water and hydroelectric supplies. He was elected to the powerful Toronto Board of Control in 1904 and topped the polls in the city-wide election to the Board in 1906. He was re-elected in 1907 but defeated in 1908. He served as Acting Mayor on more than one occasion.
Losing an election in 1915, Hubbard retired to the Riverdale area of the city building a home that he would spend his remaining days in until he died at the age of 93. Coincidentally, the alderman dubbed the Grand Old Man by Toronto press in his political days, serving well into his 70s, was the quite literally the oldest man in the city for a short period before his death.
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