# 1947 Edmonton municipal election

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, while four trustees were acclaimed to 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 (Southside), Sidney Parsons, James Ogilvie, and Frederick John Mitchell had each been 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 (SS), Francis Killeen, and James O'Hara were continuing.

## Voter turnout

There were 18,676 ballots cast out of 76,112 eligible voters, for a voter turnout of 24.5%.

## Results

* bold or Y indicates elected
* italics indicate incumbent
* "SS", where data is available, indicates representative for Edmonton's South Side, with a minimum South Side representation instituted after the city of Strathcona, south of the North Saskatchewan River, amalgamated with the City of Edmonton on February 1, 1912.

### Mayor

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Civic Democratic Alliance | Harry Ainlay | 16,948 | 91.60% |
| | Independent | Frederick Speed | 1,554 | 8.40% |

### Aldermen

| Party | Candidate | Votes | | Elected |
| Citizens' Committee | Armour Ford | 10,998 | | Y |
| Citizens' Committee | Harold Tanner | 10,909 | SS | Y |
| Citizens' Committee | James McCrie Douglas | 10,730 | SS | Y |
| Citizens' Committee | Charles Gariepy | 9,398 | | Y |
| Citizens' Committee | George Gleave | 8,229 | | Y |
| 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 | | Elected |
| Citizens' Committee | Mary Butterworth | 10,490 | SS | Y |
| Citizens' Committee | George Brown | 10,390 | | Y |
| Citizens' Committee | Stewart Graham | 8,697 | | Y |
| Citizens' Committee | William Morrow | 8,617 | SS | Y |
| 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 (SS), Joseph Gallant, Thomas Malone, and Joseph Pilon were acclaimed.

### Plebiscites

* Financial plebiscite items required a minimum two-thirds "Yes" majority to bring about action

#### Mayoral Term

Are you in favour of a two-year term for Mayor?
* Yes - 9,959
* No - 8,312

#### 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 - 4,362
* No - 4,105