Balfour joined his father in Toronto at age seven and was educated at De La Salle College.
He went into business owning a stationery supply store and became active on the Separate School Board, serving there fifteen years.
Throughout his political career Balfour was strongly identified as representing the city's Roman Catholic population.
There were then few Catholic elected officials in Toronto as municipal politics was dominated by those affiliated with the Protestant Orange Order.
Another campaign that brought Balfour much attention was his attacks on what he termed "salacious literature and suggestive art."
Fellow controller Hiram E. McCallum argued that Balfour naming salacious books had the effect of greatly increasing their sales.