Edmonton municipal election, 1917

The 1917 municipal election was held December 10, 1917, to elect a mayor and seven aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and four trustees to sit on each of the public and separate school boards. There were also two plebiscite questions asked.

There were ten aldermen on city council, but three of the positions were already filled: George Pheasey, William Martin, and Charles Grant were all elected to two-year terms in 1916 and were still in office. Thomas Bellamy and James Macfie MacDonald were also elected to two-year terms in 1916, but both resigned to run for mayor; accordingly, Samuel McCoppen and Henri Martin were elected to one-year terms.

There were seven trustees on the public school board, but three of the positions were already filled: Joseph Duggan, C. Frost, and William Rea had all been elected to two-year terms in 1915. The same was true of the separate board, where Joseph Gariépy, M. J. O'Farrell, and G. W. Curtis were all continuing.

The five mayoral candidates were the most in Edmonton's history up to that point.

Voter turnout

There were 7895 ballots cast out of 11271 eligible voters, for a voter turnout of 70.0%.

Results

(bold indicates elected, italics indicate incumbent)

Mayor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Harry Marshall Erskine Evans	3,799	50.10%
	Independent	Joseph Clarke	1,791	23.62%
	Independent	Samuel Barnes	788	10.39%
	Independent	Thomas Bellamy	757	9.98%
	Independent	James Macfie MacDonald	448	5.91%

Aldermen

Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Matthew Esdale	4,199
	Labour	James Kinney	4,190
	Independent	Charles Wilson	4,000
	Labour	Samuel McCoppen	3,578
	Independent	Henri Martin	3,327
	Independent	Warren Prevey	3,022
	Independent	Orlando Bush	2,921
	Labour	T. Scott	2,258
	Labour	S. W. Field	2,068
	Labour	J. E. White	1,791
	Independent	S. Freeman	990

Public school trustees

Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Henry Douglas	4,854
	Independent	J. A. McPherson	3,815
	Independent	Arthur Cushing	3,121
	Independent	E. T. Bishop	2,894
	Labour	Alfred Farmilo	2,147
	Independent	A. L. Marks	1,916
	Independent	Joseph Clarke	1,502

Separate (Catholic) school trustees

Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	M. Kelly	497
	Independent	F. A. French	490
	Independent	Joseph Henri Picard	417
	Independent	H. J. Roche	387
	Independent	Richard Crossland	178

Plebiscites

	Votes	%
Are you in favour of the assessment of buildings and improvements at a percentage value not exceeding 25 percent?
For	1,552	46.12%
Against	1,813	53.88%
Are you in favour of a business assessment equal to the full amount of rental value of the premises wherein business is carried?
For	3,555	61.36%
Against	2,239	38.64%

References

City of Edmonton: Edmonton Elections