Edmonton municipal election, 1947
The 1947 municipal election was held November 5, 1947 to elect a mayor and five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and four trustees to sit on the public school board (Weldon Bateman, Joseph Gallant, Thomas Malone, and Joseph Pilon were acclaimed to two-year terms on the separate school board). Voters also voted on two plebiscites, one of which approved two-year mayoral terms. Accordingly, Harry Ainlay's election made him the first mayor of Edmonton to serve a two-year term.
There were ten aldermen on city council, but five of the positions were already filled: Sidney Bowcott, Athelstan Bissett, Sidney Parsons, James Ogilvie, Frederick John Mitchell were all elected to two-year terms in 1946 and were still in office.
There were seven trustees on the public school board, but three of the positions were already filled: James MacDonald, John Morrison, and Robert Rae had been elected to two-year terms in 1946 and were still in office. The same was true on the separate board, where Adrian Crowe, Francis Killeen, and James O'Hara were continuing.
Voter turnout
There were 18676 ballots cast out of 76112 eligible voters, for a voter turnout of 24.5%.
Results
(bold indicates elected, italics indicate incumbent)
Mayor
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Civic Democratic Alliance | Harry Ainlay | 16,948 | 91.60% | |
Independent | Frederick Speed | 1,554 | 8.40% |
Aldermen
Party | Candidate | Votes | |
---|---|---|---|
Citizens' Committee | Armour Ford | 10,998 | |
Citizens' Committee | Harold Tanner | 10,909 | |
Citizens' Committee | James McCrie Douglas | 10,730 | |
Citizens' Committee | Charles Gariepy | 9,398 | |
Citizens' Committee | George Gleave | 8,229 | |
Civic Democratic Alliance | Percy Gwynne | 7,031 | |
Civic Democratic Alliance | John Gillies | 6,953 | |
Civic Democratic Alliance | Charles Willis | 6,135 | |
Civic Democratic Alliance | Norman Finnemore | 5,451 | |
Civic Democratic Alliance | Charles Gilbert | 5,105 | |
Independent | Arthur Hamelin | 3,373 | |
Independent | Julia Kiniski | 2,133 | |
Independent | Amy Speed | 1,133 |
Public school trustees
Party | Candidate | Votes | |
---|---|---|---|
Citizens' Committee | Mary Butterworth | 10,490 | |
Citizens' Committee | George Brown | 10,390 | |
Citizens' Committee | Stewart Graham | 8,697 | |
Citizens' Committee | William Morrow | 8,617 | |
Civic Democratic Alliance | Elizabeth Haynes | 7,463 | |
Civic Democratic Alliance | Reta Rowan | 5,344 | |
Civic Democratic Alliance | Robert Boutilier | 4,701 | |
Civic Democratic Alliance | William Chmiliar | 4,031 | |
Independent | Frederick Speed | 1,416 |
Separate (Catholic) school trustees
Weldon Bateman, Joseph Gallant, Thomas Malone, and Joseph Pilon were acclaimed.
Plebiscites
Mayoral Term
Are you in favour of a two-year term for Mayor?
- Yes - 9959
- No - 8312
Civic Auditorium/Art and Recreation Centre
Shall the Council pass a bylaw to create a debt in the sum of $1,500,00.00 for the purpose of constructing, within the City of Edmonton, a municipal building to be used as a Civic Auditorium and an Art and Recreation Centre and issue serial debentures in the sum not exceeding 30 years with interest not exceeding 4% payable semi-annually?
- Yes - 4362
- No - 4105
References
City of Edmonton: Edmonton Elections