By Dan McCaffery for the Sarnia Observer
James F. Newton wasn’t the type to let a little thing like the Great Depression stop him from moving Sarnia ahead economically.
Newton, who was in the Mayor’s chair when the stock market crashed in 1929, found an innovative way to keep the local economy booming.
It was no easy task because, in addition to the Depression, the Ontario Government had passed legislation in the Roaring Twenties making it illegal for municipalities to lure factories with grants.
But when Newton heard the Electric Auto-Lite Company of Toledo, Ohio wanted to build a plant in Canada, he got around the ban by talking local businessmen into offering private money to the American firm.
The Chamber of Commerce was approached and several dozen local businessmen came up with a combined total of $50,000.00, which was offered to Electric Auto-Lite if it would agree to come here.
That was an enormous sum of money in 1929 and the company quickly jumped at the inducement, opening a Sarnia plant in the winter of 1930.
The move created 750 jobs, making Electric Auto-Lite Sarnia’s second largest employer next to Imperial Oil Ltd.
Newton, who was born in rural Ontario, moved to Sarnia as a 22-year old.
He became manager of Sarnia Woolen Mills, married Evelyn Morse and had one child.
In 1925 Newton became interested in municipal politics, winning an Aldermanic seat on City Council.
Two years later, he was sworn in as the City’s 45th Mayor. He took a year off in 1928, but returned to the Mayor’s chair in 1929, becoming our 47th Chief Magistrate.
Despite his success with Electric Auto-Lite, Mayor Newton had his critics. In fact, political opponents charged he neglected Sarnia’s streets, leaving some in deplorable shape. Russell
Street was so bad, one Alderman charged, that it was almost impassable.
Newton lived in Sarnia for 70 years, dying at St. Joseph’s Hospital on March 31, 1976 at age 92.