1935 Edmonton municipal election

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.

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

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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

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

Results

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Mayor

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Party Candidate Votes %
  Canadian Youth Association Joseph Clarke 11,120 56.06%
  Tax Reform League Ralph Bellamy 6,313 31.83%
Independent Morris Baker 2,330 11.75%
Independent Frederick Speed 73 0.37%

Aldermen

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Party Candidate Votes Elected
Labour Margaret Crang 11,226 SS Green tickY
Social Credit Elisha East 8,798 Green tickY
Social Credit Guy Patterson 8,409 Green tickY
Canadian Youth Association Walter Clevely 7,410 Green tickY
Social Credit Charles Gould 7,378 SS Green tickY
Tax Reform League Athelstan Bissett 7,095 SS
Labour Harry Ainlay 6,848 SS
Tax Reform League Ernest Edward Howard 6,717
Tax Reform League George Patterson Ponton 6,403
Tax Reform League John Henry Warren 5,918
Labour James Findlay 5,598
Labour William Henry Miller 2,832
Independent Raymond C. Ghostley 1,226
Independent Charles Martin Keily 683

Public school trustees

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Party Candidate Votes Elected
Tax Reform League Walter Morrish 11,093 Green tickY
Labour Frank Crang 9,347 SS Green tickY
Independent Albert Ottewell 8,745 SS Green tickY
Labour Sidney Bowcott 8,566 Green tickY
Tax Reform League Armour Ford 7,039
Social Credit Mary Ann Gilchrist 6,009
Social Credit Adam Bruce 5,910

Separate (Catholic) school trustees

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

Property Qualification Plebiscite

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

  • Yes - 14,478
  • No - 4,202

References

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