Elmer Ernest Roper

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Elmer Ernest Roper (June 4, 1893 - November 12, 1994) was a Canadian politician. He was born in Ingonish, Nova Scotia as the son of a sea captain George Franklin and Nettie Edith (née MacDonald) Roper. He went to school in Sydney, Nova Scotia. His family moved to Calgary, Alberta in 1907. He married Goldie C. Bell on June 15, 1914 and was married for sixty-six years and had three daughters and one son.

He was apprenticed as a printer and worked for the Calgary Herald and moved to Edmonton to became foreman of The Edmonton Bulletin's pressroom. He eventually started his own printing business in 1921. In 1916 he was the President of the Calgary Trades and Labour Council. He was the Secretary-treasurer of the Alberta Federation of Labor from 1922 to 1932.

He entered politics as a Labour candidate in the Edmonton provincial electoral district during the 1921 Election and 1926 Election as well as a 1931 by-election. He helped found the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation from the Labour Party of Alberta in 1932. In the 1940 Election he ran for the Alberta Cooperative Commonwealth Party. He was first elected in a 1942 by-election. He was re-elected three times, and served as leader of the party for thirteen years. In the 1955 Election, he was badly defeated. On October 14, 1959 he was elected Mayor of Edmonton, Alberta and served for two two year terms. He was defeated by William Hawrelak in 1963. His son, G. Lyall Roper, also served as an alderman on Edmonton City Council from 1983 - 1986. After a long political career, he retired to Victoria, British Columbia in 1975.

The University of Alberta awarded him an honorary Doctor of Law degree in 1959. He was also awarded an honorary life membership of the Edmonton Rotary Club.

His wife died in August 1994. Elmer Roper died months later at 101 years old.