 Blair became involved in municipal politics and was elected an alderman on East York's town council in 1958 and would serve on council for 18 years.He was elected mayor of what was by then the borough of East York in the 1972 municipal election, succeeding True Davidson, and took office on January 1, 1973.Blair was re-elected to a second two-year term in 1974 but resigned in 1976 to accept an appointment to the Ontario Municipal Board.