January 1894 Calgary municipal election

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January 1894 Calgary municipal election
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  1893 January 15, 1894 (1894-01-15)(Dec) 1894 
  Wesley F Orr.jpg William Henry Cushing edit.jpg
Candidate Wesley Fletcher Orr William Henry Cushing
Popular vote244220
Percentage52.59%47.41%

Mayor before election

Alexander Lucas

Elected mayor

Wesley Fletcher Orr

The January 1894 Calgary municipal election was scheduled for January 15, 1894 to elect a Mayor and nine Councillors to sit on the first Calgary City Council from January 17, 1894 to January 7, 1895. In addition, two members were elected as school trustees. [1]

Contents

Background

This was the first election to take place after Calgary was officially incorporated as The City of Calgary under Chapter 33, Ordinance of North-West Territories on January 1, 1894. This was also the first election to establish a Ward system for the election of councillors, splitting the City into three wards, with three representatives each.

The prior Town Charter required municipal elections to take place in December 1893, however the new City Charter came into effect in such a way as to prevent the election from occurring in December 1893, and would require the election to take place in December 1894. The whole of Calgary City Council resigned to force a January election, which was eventually validated as a general election through the legislature. [2]

Voting rights were provided to any male, single woman, or widowed British subject over twenty-one years of age who are assessed on the last revised assessment roll with a minimum property value of $200.

The election was held under combination of First-past-the-post voting and Plurality block voting where each elector was able to cast a vote for the mayor and up to three votes for the candidates running to be ward councillors. [3]

Results

Mayor

January 1894 Calgary municipal election : Mayor
PartyCandidateVotes%Elected
- Wesley Fletcher Orr 24452.59%Green check.svgY
- William Henry Cushing 22047.41%
Total valid votes464-
Source(s)
[1]

Aldermen

In each ward, each voter was able to cast up to three votes (Plurality block voting). The number of total votes cast thus is much larger than it would have been if each voter cast just one vote. Under Block Voting, the largest voting block often takes all the seats, leaving none to the other voters who might make up the majority of voters.

Ward 1

January 1894 Calgary municipal election : Councillor Ward 1
PartyCandidateVotes%Elected
- Arthur Leslie Cameron 15524.68%Green check.svgY
- Joseph McKay Bannerman 14623.25%Green check.svgY
- Alexander Lucas 13721.82%Green check.svgY
- Eugene Watson 8313.22%
- James Reilly 7912.58%
-William Henry Lee284.46%
Source(s)

[1]

Election was held under multiple non-transferable vote where each elector was able to cast a ballot for the mayor and up to three ballots for separate councillors.

Ward 2

January 1894 Calgary municipal election : Councillor Ward 2
PartyCandidateVotes%Elected
- Joseph Edward Jacques 13824.21%Green check.svgY
- John August Nolan 11119.47%Green check.svgY
- Robert John Hutchings 8615.09%Green check.svgY
-H. Douglas7312.81%
-W. Maloney6912.11%
- Joseph Henry Millward 6711.75%
-T. Ede264.56%
Source(s)

[1]

Election was held under multiple non-transferable vote where each elector was able to cast a ballot for the mayor and up to three ballots for separate councillors.

Ward 3

January 1894 Calgary municipal election : Councillor Ward 3
PartyCandidateVotes%Elected
- John Simcoe Feehan 10026.88%Green check.svgY
- Alexander McBride 9826.34%Green check.svgY
- Thomas Underwood 5915.86%Green check.svgY
-John Creighton5113.71%
-F. J. Claxton4712.63%
-H. Douglas92.42%
-J. Reilly82.15%
Source(s)

[1]

Election was held under multiple non-transferable vote where each elector was able to cast a ballot for the mayor and up to three ballots for separate councillors.

School Trustee

PartyCandidateVotes %Elected
Independent A. Allan19931.39%Green check.svgY
Independent S. McComb18729.50%Green check.svgY
Independent Thomas B. Braden12419.56%
Independent Neville James Lindsay 12419.56%
Total valid votes634

By-Elections

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Municipal Elections". The Calgary Herald. No. 38. January 16, 1894. p. 4. Archived from the original on 21 September 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  2. Bly, David (October 9, 2001). "City Hall history provides tantalizing tales". Calgary Herald . p. B4.
  3. Ordinances of the North-West Territories; An Ordinance Respecting Municipalities , R.O.N.W.T. 1888, c. 8
  4. "City and District". The Calgary Herald. No. 50. February 27, 1894. p. 5. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  5. "City and District". The Calgary Herald. No. 51. March 2, 1894. p. 5. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  6. "City and District". The Calgary Herald. No. 86. July 6, 1894. p. 8. Retrieved 14 March 2020.

Sources