Edmonton municipal election, 1944

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The 1944 municipal election was held November 1, 1944 to elect a mayor and five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and three trustees to sit on the public school board, while three trustees were acclaimed to the separate school board. This was the first election to be held on the first Wednesday of November rather than the second Wednesday, in order to avoid future conflicts with the Armistice Day holiday, as happened in 1936 and 1942.

Edmonton City Council governing body of the City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

The Edmonton City Council is the governing body of the City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Armistice Day commemoration on November 11 of the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany in 1918

Armistice Day is commemorated every year on 11 November to mark the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France at 5:45 am, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918. But, according to Thomas R. Gowenlock, an intelligence officer with the US First Division, shelling from both sides continued for the rest of the day, only ending at nightfall. The armistice initially expired after a period of 36 days and had to be extended several times. A formal peace agreement was only reached when the Treaty of Versailles was signed the following year.

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There were ten aldermen on city council, but five of the positions were already filled: James McCrie Douglas (SS), Harry Ainlay (SS), Winslow Hamilton, Charles Gariepy, and Melvin Downey (SS) were all elected to two-year terms in 1943 and were still in office.

James McCrie Douglas Canadian politician

James McCrie Douglas was a politician in Alberta, Canada, a mayor of Edmonton, and a member of the House of Commons of Canada.

Charles Edward Gariepy was a Canadian politician. He was elected to the separate Catholic school board from 1929-1937. Gariepy was elected to be North side alderman, Edmonton City Council, Alberta, Canada 1940-1948.

There were seven trustees on the public school board, but four of the positions were already filled: Albert Ottewell (SS), Bertram Robertson, Frank Newson, and Roy Sutherland had been elected to two-year terms in 1943 and were still in office. The same was true of the separate board, where William Wilde (SS), Joseph Gallant, Thomas Malone, and J O Pilon were continuing.

Voter turnout

There were 9,948 ballots cast out of 61,033 eligible voters, for a voter turnout of 16.4%.

Results

Strathcona, Alberta Area in Alberta, Canada

Strathcona was a city in Alberta, Canada on the south side of the North Saskatchewan River across from the City of Edmonton.

North Saskatchewan River river in Alberta and Saskatchewan

The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows from the Canadian Rockies continental divide east to central Saskatchewan, where it joins with another major river to make up the Saskatchewan River. Its water flows eventually into the Hudson Bay.

Mayor

Party Candidate Votes %
Independent John Wesley Fry 7,01771.12%
Independent Rice Sheppard 2,850 28.88%

Aldermen

Party Candidate Votes Elected
Citizens' Committee Sidney Bowcott 6,597 Green check.svgY
Citizens' Committee Athelstan Bissett6,317 SS Green check.svgY
Citizens' Committee Sidney Parsons 6,094 Green check.svgY
Citizens' Committee James Ogilvie5,916 Green check.svgY
Citizens' Committee Frederick John Mitchell 5,532 Green check.svgY
Independent Gwendolen Clarke 3,420
    Co-operative Commonwealth FederationMargaret Thompson2,311
    Co-operative Commonwealth FederationEdith Rogers2,298
    Co-operative Commonwealth FederationAlfred Gregory2,273
    Co-operative Commonwealth FederationHoward Smith2,015
    Co-operative Commonwealth FederationRobert Haskins1,944
Independent Jan Lakeman 1,585

Public school trustees

Party Candidate Votes Elected
Citizens' Committee Izena Ross5,593 Green check.svgY
Citizens' Committee George Cormie 5,255 Green check.svgY
Citizens' Committee Alex Gemeroy5,143 Green check.svgY
    Co-operative Commonwealth FederationMary Butterworth3,371SS
    Co-operative Commonwealth FederationWilliam Thornton2,994
    Co-operative Commonwealth FederationArchibald Richardson2,888

Separate (Catholic) school trustees

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

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