1935 Edmonton municipal election

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The 1935 municipal election was held November 13, 1935 to elect a mayor and five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and four trustees to sit on the public school board, while four trustees were acclaimed to the separate school board. Voters also approved a requirement that candidates for city council be required to own property.

Contents

There were ten aldermen on city council, but five of the positions were already filled: Hugh MacDonald, John Wesley Fry, Dick Foote, John McCreath, and James East were all elected to two-year terms in 1934 and were still in office.

This election saw emergence of two new civic political parties. Candidates for the first time ran in an Edmonton municipal election under the Social Credit label, excited after winning majority government in the 1935 provincial election. The Tax Reform League, an anti-Social Credit organization, also ran candidates. carrying on the anti-tax work that the Civic Government Association had conducted in previous elections. [1]

There were seven trustees on the public school board, but three of the positions were already filled: Samuel Barnes, Frederick Casselman, and Izena Ross had all been elected to two-year terms in 1934 and were still in office. The same was true of the separate school board, where A J Crowe (SS), J O Pilon, and J O'Hara were continuing.

Electoral system

Election of mayor and other single members conducted using First past the post.

Election of aldermen and schoolboard trustees conducted using Plurality block voting.

Voter turnout

There were 19,984 voters voting out of 48,003 eligible voters, for a voter turnout of 41.6%.

Results

Mayor

PartyCandidateVotes%
 Canadian Youth Association Joseph Clarke 11,12056.06%
 Tax Reform LeagueRalph Bellamy6,31331.83%
Independent Morris Baker2,33011.75%
Independent Frederick Speed730.37%

Aldermen

PartyCandidateVotesElected
Labour Margaret Crang11,226SSGreen check.svgY
Social CreditElisha East8,798Green check.svgY
Social CreditGuy Patterson8,409Green check.svgY
Canadian Youth AssociationWalter Clevely7,410Green check.svgY
Social CreditCharles Gould7,378SSGreen check.svgY
Tax Reform LeagueAthelstan Bissett7,095SS
Labour Harry Ainlay 6,848SS
Tax Reform LeagueErnest Edward Howard6,717
Tax Reform LeagueGeorge Patterson Ponton6,403
Tax Reform LeagueJohn Henry Warren5,918
Labour James Findlay5,598
Labour William Henry Miller2,832
Independent Raymond C. Ghostley1,226
Independent Charles Martin Keily683

Public school trustees

PartyCandidateVotesElected
Tax Reform League Walter Morrish 11,093Green check.svgY
Labour Frank Crang9,347SSGreen check.svgY
Independent Albert Ottewell8,745SSGreen check.svgY
Labour Sidney Bowcott8,566Green check.svgY
Tax Reform LeagueArmour Ford7,039
Social CreditMary Ann Gilchrist6,009
Social CreditAdam Bruce5,910

Separate (Catholic) school trustees

Charles Gariepy , Thomas Malone, R D Tighe, and William Wilde (SS) were acclaimed.

Property Qualification Plebiscite

Shall a candidate for Mayor or Alderman be required to have a property qualification?

References

  1. Tom Monto, Protest and Progress. Crang Publishing/Alhambra Books (2012), p.229