Edmonton municipal election, 1949

The 1949 municipal election was held November 2, 1949 to elect a mayor and six aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council. The electorate also decided eight plebiscite questions. There were no elections for school trustees, as candidates for both the public and private boards were acclaimed.

There were ten aldermen on city council, but four of the positions were already filled: Frederick John Mitchell, Sidney Bowcott, Athelstan Bissett, and Richmond Francis Hanna were all elected to two year terms in 1948 and were still in office. Sidney Parsons was also elected in 1948 to a two year term, but he resigned in order to run for mayor; accordingly, Edwin Clarke was elected to a one year term.

There were seven trustees on the public school board, but three of the positions were already filled: Harry Fowler, James MacDonald, and Robert Rae had been acclaimed to two year terms in 1948 and were still in office. The same was true on the separate board, where Adrian Crowe, Joseph O'Hara, and Francis Killeen were continuing.

Contents

Voter turnout

There were 26606 ballots cast out of 86839 eligible voters, for a voter turnout of 30.6%.

Results

(bold indicates elected, italics indicate incumbent)

Mayor

Party Candidate Votes  %
     Independent Sidney Parsons 8,954 33.89%
     Citizens' Committee Duncan Innes 8,320 31.49%
     Independent George Gleave 6,760 25.59%
     Independent Thomas Graham 2,095 7.93%
     Independent Frederick Speed 289 1.09%

Aldermen

Party Candidate Votes
     Citizens' Committee Harold Tanner 20,779
     Citizens' Committee Armour Ford 20,530
     Citizens' Committee Rupert Clare 19,598
     Citizens' Committee Kenneth Lawson 18,519
     Citizens' Committee Edwin Clarke 16,605
     Citizens' Committee William Hawrelak 15,402
     Independent Joseph Kallal 12,120
     Independent George Linney 11,761
     Independent Julia Kiniski 6,370

Public school trustees

George Brown, Mary Butterworth, J W K Shortreed, and John Thorogood were acclaimed.

Separate (Catholic) school trustees

Joseph Gallant, Lawrence Keylor, Ambrose O'Neill, and Joseph Pilon were acclaimed.

Plebiscites

Paving

Shall Council pass a bylaw creating a debenture debt in the sum of $1,260,000.00 for City share of paving, mainly on arterial streets and bus routes. Serial Plan debentures to be issued, 30 year term; interest rate 3 3/4 per centum per annum, payable semi-annually?

High Level Bridge

Shall Council pass a bylaw creating a debenture debt in the sum of $1,000,000.00 for the purpose of providing a four-lane vehicular traffic deck on the High Level Bridge to relieve serious traffic congestion between North and South Sides of the river. Serial plan debentures to be issued, 30 year term; interest 3 3/4 per centum per annum, payable semi-annually?

Street Grading, Cleaning, and Flushing

Shall Council pass a bylaw creating a debenture debt in the sum of $140,000.00 to purchase equipment for the Engineer’s Department of the City for grading, cleaning and flushing of streets and catch basins and for scavenger trucks and similar purposes?

Engineer's Department Storage

Shall Council pass a bylaw creating a debenture debt in the sum of $110,000.00 for the erection of one building on the North Side of the river and one building on the South Side, both said buildings to be used for the storage of equipment of the Engineer’s Department?

Paving Plant

Shall Council pass a bylaw creating a debenture debt in the sum of $25,000.00 to increase the capacity of the City’s paving plant?

Fire Stations

Shall Council pass a bylaw creating a debenture debt in the sum of $245,000.00 for new fire stations and additions to existing fire stations, including Alarms communication Building, for the City Fire Department?

Fire Fighting Equipment

Shall Council pass a bylaw creating a debenture debt in the sum of $405,000.00 to purchase equipment and apparatus, such as pumpers, aerial ladder, high pressure fog wagon, fire alarm extension system and revision of outside electrical circuits to improve fire fighting capacity of the Fire Department?

Comfort Stations

Shall Council pass a bylaw creating a debenture debt in the sum of $40,000.00 to erect comfort station buildings?

References

City of Edmonton: Edmonton Elections