William Sutherland

William "Bill" Sutherland (1926/27 – June 11, 1998) was a municipal politician in Toronto, Canada. He served on the North York City Council and the Metropolitan Toronto Council for several years, and challenged Mel Lastman for Mayor of North York in 1976. Early life and career Sutherland was born in Toronto, received a journalism degree from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, and worked for a large electrical manufacturing firm before entering political life. North York councillor Sutherland was elected to North York's eleventh ward in 1964, following failed bids in 1960 and 1962. He remained a ward councillor until 1974, when he was elected to a seat on the North York Board of Control. The position also gave him an automatic place on the Metropolitan Toronto council. Sutherland campaigned for Mayor of North York in 1976, as the primary challenger to incumbent mayor Mel Lastman. A The Globe and Mail editorial from the election campaign indicates that his area of expertise was finance, and that his approach to politics was "responsible - if somewhat stiff". He said that North York's council had developed a "circus image" under Lastman, and promised to restore dignity and respect to the institution. Lastman argued that Sutherland's approach to politics was grounded in secretive backroom deals. Lastman won by a convincing margin.