George S. Armstrong

George Seale Armstrong (May 16, 1867^[1] – June 9, 1947) was a politician in Alberta, Canada and a mayor of Edmonton.

Biography

Armstrong was born in Hopeville, Grey County, Ontario. He came to Edmonton in 1905 or 1906, and ran for Edmonton City Council as an alderman in the 1907 election. He finished second of twelve candidates, and was elected to a two year term. He was re-elected in the 1909 election, but resigned one year into his term in order to contest the mayoral election in 1910. He was acclaimed as mayor, and was re-elected in 1912. February 1, 1912 also saw the amalgamation of Edmonton on the north side of the Saskatchewan River, with Strathcona on the south side into greater Edmonton, with George S. Armstrong as the first mayor of the combined city. As mayor, he commissioned a master plan for the city from an American firm. He completed his term, but did not seek re-election.

He operated a drugstore from his arrival in Edmonton, and was involved in several real estate ventures and construction projects with his brother Gordon. He worked for the post office beginning in 1913, and became postmaster ten years later, a position he filled until his retirement in 1937.

He was a member of the hospital board, the Edmonton Exhibition Board, the Masonic Order, and the United Church of Canada. George Armstrong died June 9, 1947, survived by a wife, Jessie Mathieson Armstrong, one son, William Sloan Seale Armstrong and two daughters, Helen Armstrong and Jessie Watson.

Armstrong Industrial, an Edmonton neighbourhood, is named in his honour.

References

• Edmonton Public Library Biography of George Armstrong
• City of Edmonton biography of George Armstrong
• Report to the Edmonton City Council Executive Committee including a list of aldermen who have been honoured in the names of Edmonton's features
• Alberta Online Encyclopedia article on the History of Edmonton
• George S. Armstrong at Find-A-Grave