1946 Edmonton municipal election

The 1946 municipal election was held November 6, 1946 to elect a mayor and six aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council, four trustees to sit on the public school board, while four trustees were acclaimed to the separate school board.

There were ten aldermen on city council, but four of the positions were already filled: James McCrie Douglas, John Munro, John Gillies, and Charles Gariepy were all elected to two year terms in 1945 and were still in office. Ethel Browne (SS) had also been elected to a two-year term in 1945, but had resigned due to ill health; accordingly, Harold Tanner (SS) was elected to a one-year term.

There were seven trustees on the public school board, but three of the positions were already filled: Mary Butterworth (SS), E S Haynes, and Armour Ford had been elected to two year terms in 1945 and were still in office. Albert Ottewell (SS) had also been elected to a two-year term in 1945, but had died; accordingly, Andrew Stewart was elected to a one-year term.

On the separate board, there were four vacancies out of seven seats, as Joseph Gallant, Thomas Malone, and Joseph Pilon were continuing. William Wilde (SS) had been elected to a two-year term in 1945, but had resigned; accordingly, newcomer Weldon Bateman (SS) was acclaimed to a one-year term.

Voter turnout

There were 24,919 ballots cast out of 73,852 eligible voters, for a voter turnout of 33.7%.

Results

• bold or Y indicates elected
• italics indicate incumbent
• "SS", where data is available, indicates representative for Edmonton's South Side, with a minimum South Side representation instituted after the city of Strathcona, south of the North Saskatchewan River, amalgamated into Edmonton on February 1, 1912.

Mayor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Civic Democratic Alliance	Harry Ainlay	22,839	92.44%
	Independent	Thomas Cairns	1,868	7.56%

Aldermen

Party		Candidate	Votes		Elected
	Citizens' Committee	Sidney Bowcott	14,161		Y
	Citizens' Committee	Athelstan Bissett	13,867	SS	Y
	Citizens' Committee	Harold Tanner	13,799	SS	Y
	Citizens' Committee	Sidney Parsons	13,065		Y
	Citizens' Committee	James Ogilvie	12,067		Y
	Citizens' Committee	Frederick John Mitchell	12,287		Y
	Civic Democratic Alliance	Percy Gwynne	10,682
	Civic Democratic Alliance	Charles Willis	9,586
	Civic Democratic Alliance	Edith Rogers	9,439
	Civic Democratic Alliance	Norman Finnemore	8,829
	Civic Democratic Alliance	Williston Haszard	8,412
	Civic Democratic Alliance	Charles Gilbert	8,192
	Independent	Julia Kiniski	2,635

Public school trustees

Party		Candidate	Votes		Elected
	Citizens' Committee	Andrew Stewart	13,830		Y
	Citizens' Committee	James MacDonald	12,779		Y
	Civic Democratic Alliance	John Morrison	11,739		Y
	Citizens' Committee	Robert Rae	11,106		Y
	Citizens' Committee	Carl W. Clement	10,590
	Civic Democratic Alliance	William W. R. Boyes	9,636
	Civic Democratic Alliance	John Moon	8,650

Separate (Catholic) school trustees

Adrian Crowe (SS), Francis Killeen, James O'Hara, and Weldon Bateman (SS) were acclaimed.

Daylight Saving Plebiscite

Are you in favour of Daylight Saving Time being put into operation in the City of Edmonton from a date in the month of April to a date in the month in September?

• Yes - 13,837
• No - 10,471

With the positive referendum result, Mayor Ainlay brought in daylight savings time just in the City of Edmonton in April 1947. The Social Credit Conservative government banned DST and it would not be until 1971 that Edmonton would be allowed to go on DST. ^[1]

References

1. "Daylight savings pioneers oppose move to scrap twice-yearly clock shift" https://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/daylight-saving-time-pioneers-oppose-move-to-scrap-twice-yearly-clock-shift-in-alberta. accessed May 8, 2025

• Election History, City of Edmonton: Elections and Census Office