1960 Edmonton municipal election

The 1960 Edmonton municipal election was held October 19, 1960, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, to elect five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and three trustees to sit on each of the public and separate school boards. The electorate also decided eight plebiscite questions.

There were ten aldermen on city council, but five of the positions were already filled: William Henning, Angus McGugan, Ed Leger, Gordon McClary, and McKim Ross were all elected to two-year terms in 1959 and were still in office.

There were seven trustees on the public school board, but four of the positions were already filled: Angus MacDonald, Edith Rogers, Vernon Johnson, and Douglas Thomson were elected to two-year terms in 1959 and were still in office. The same was true on the separate board, where Joseph Moreau, Orest Demco, Catherine McGrath, and Henry Carrigan were continuing.

Voter turnout edit

There were 26,009 ballots cast out of 158,771 eligible voters, for a voter turnout of 16.4%.

Results edit

(bold indicates elected, italics indicate incumbent)

Aldermen edit

Each voter could cast up to five votes. Voting was at-large so each voter could vote for any candidate in the running. The most popular candidates of two different parties were elected; the least popular were not.

The elected council represented a variety of interests. Candidates belonging two different parties - Civic Government Association and Civic Reform Association - were elected. But smaller voting blocks were denied representation. Ivor Dent of the CCF (soon to be the NDP) was denied a seat although getting a vote from more than a third of the voters.

Three of the five successful candidates got a vote from a majority of voters across the city.[1]

Party Candidate Votes Elected
Civic Government Association Frederick John Mitchell 13,836  Y
Civic Reform Association George Prudham 13,258  Y
Civic Government Association Morris Weinlos 13,105  Y
Civic Government Association Ethel Wilson 10,969  Y
Civic Reform Association Milton Lazerte 10,847  Y
Independent Laurette Douglas 10,763
Civic Reform Association C. H. Clarke 9,454
Independent Ivor Dent 9,265
Civic Government Association Stanley Milner 8,659
Civic Reform Association Ian MacDonald Nicoll 8,553
Civic Government Association Sidney Wrigglesworth 5,756
Independent Edgar Gerhart 5,581
Civic Reform Association Rex Martin 5,540
Independent E. J. (Slim) Powell 2,876
Independent Paul Stepa 2,059

Public school trustees edit

Party Candidate Votes Elected
Better Education Association & Civic Reform Association Warren Edward (Ted) Smith 11,833  Y
Better Education Association John Andrews 11,729  Y
Better Education Association Shirley Forbes 9,832  Y
Civic Government Association James Falconer 6,680
Civic Government Association John Thorogood 6,619
Civic Reform Association John McIntosh Hope 6,074
Civic Government Association Murray Cooke 5,427
Civic Reform Association William Hackett 4,140
Independent David Graham 2,790

Separate (Catholic) school trustees edit

Party Candidate Votes Elected
Independent Leo Lemieux 3,845  Y
Independent Edward Stack 3,211  Y
Independent John Barbeau 3,195  Y
Independent Vincent Dantzer 3,133

Plebiscites edit

At-Large Elections edit

Are you in favour of changing the Election System for Alderman and Public School Board Members so that all such elected representatives are elected from the City at large without regard to whether they live North or South of the North Saskatchewan River or own fifty percent of their property North or South of this river?

  • Yes - 17204
  • No - 9668

Paving edit

Shall Council pass a bylaw creating a debenture debt in the sum of $450,000.00 for the City share of standard paving of arterial and residential streets?

  • Yes - 14728
  • No - 4489

Asphalt on Existing Gravel Streets edit

Shall Council pass a bylaw creating a debenture debt in the sum of $250,000.00 for the City share of asphalt paving on existing gravel arterial and residential streets?

  • Yes - 14501
  • No - 4471

Asphalt on New Gravel Streets edit

Shall Council pass a bylaw creating a debenture debt in the sum of $500,000.00 for the City share of asphalt paving on new gravel arterial and residential streets?

  • Yes - 13241
  • No - 5338

Traffic Lights edit

Shall Council pass a bylaw creating a debenture debt in the sum of $180,000.00 in order to purchase and locate traffic lights on certain highway intersections within the City?

  • Yes - 15812
  • No - 3554

Parks edit

Shall Council pass a bylaw creating a debenture debt in the sum of $600,000.00 for the purpose of constructing and improving parks and playgrounds?

  • Yes - 14455
  • No - 4829

Bridge edit

Shall Council pass a bylaw creating a debenture debt in the sum of $500,000.00 for the purpose of constructing a district bridge as part of the City's overall arterial road system?

  • Yes - 15043
  • No - 4454

Library edit

Shall Council pass a bylaw creating a debenture debt in the sum of $165,000.00 for the purpose of constructing a district library?

  • Yes - 12173
  • No - 6756

References edit

  1. ^ Joseph Rek, Municipal elections in Edmonton, p. 44

External links edit