Edmonton municipal election, 1920

The 1920 municipal election was held December 13, 1920 to elect a mayor and six aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and three trustees to sit on the public school board. J Cormack, Joseph Gariépy, and J J Murray were acclaimed to two-year terms on the separate school board. In the election's only plebiscite, Edmontonians rejected a proposal to pay their aldermen for the second consecutive election.

There were ten aldermen on city council, but four of the positions were already filled: Percy Abbott, John Bowen, James East, and Rice Sheppard were all elected to two-year terms in 1919 and were still in office. J. A. Kinney had also been elected to a two-year term in 1919, but had resigned. Accordingly, Samuel McCoppen was elected to a one-year term.

There were seven trustees on the public school board, but four of the positions were already filled: Samuel Barnes, J. W. H. Williams, J A McPherson, and Frank Scott had all been elected to two-year terms in 1919 and were still in office. The same was true on the separate board, where Joseph Henri Picard, Paul Jenvrin, Thomas Magee, and Thomas Malone were continuing.

Voter turnout

There were 14710 ballots cast out of 26903 eligible voters, for a voter turnout of 54.6%.

Results

(bold indicates elected, italics indicate incumbent)

Mayor

Party Candidate Votes %
     Citizens' Progressive League David Duggan 7,537 51.78%
     Labour Joseph Clarke 6,974 47.90%
     Independent Albert Stimmel 47 0.32%

Aldermen

Party Candidate Votes
     Citizens' Progressive League Joseph Adair 7,023
     Citizens' Progressive League Andrew McLennan 6,996
     Citizens' Progressive League Valentine Richards 6,385
     Citizens' Progressive League James Collisson 6,280
     Citizens' Progressive League William Campbell McArthur 5,679
     Labour Samuel McCoppen 5,478
     Labour A. Boileau 5,133
     Citizens' Progressive League W. H. Speer 5,111
     Labour Alfred Farmilo 4,638
     Labour Daniel Kennedy Knott 4,625
     Labour J. J. Murray 4,574
     Labour G. Latham 4,312
     Independent John McKenzie 3,040
     Independent Labour George L. Ritchie 1,610
     Independent Labour Joseph White 957
     Independent Hyman King 760

Public school trustees

Party Candidate Votes
     Citizens' Progressive League Mrs. E. T. Bishop 6,988
     Citizens' Progressive League William Hardy Alexander 6,711
     Citizens' Progressive League William Rea 6,667
     Labour J. W. B. Williams 5,599
     Labour Frank Crang 5,444
     Labour J. Heron 4,137

Separate (Catholic) school trustees

Party Candidate Votes
     Independent J. Cormack acclaimed
     Independent Joseph Gariépy acclaimed
     Independent J. J. Murray acclaimed

Plebiscite

Should Aldermen be paid?
Votes %
Yes 4,234 32.46%
No 8,811 67.54%

References