Brian Ashton is a former Canadian politician who served as a city councillor in Toronto, Ontario. Ashton represented Ward 36 Scarborough Southwest from amalgamation in 1997 to 2010. He did not run for re-election in the 2010 municipal election and was succeeded by Gary Crawford. Following retirement, he was elected president of the Canadian National Exhibition each year from 2012 to 2016. He was first elected in 1984 as a Scarborough alderman, before being elected to Metro Toronto Council in 1988 until amalgamation in 1997.