1963 Edmonton municipal election

Canadian election September 2023 The 1963 municipal election was held October 16, 1963 to elect a mayor and six aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and four trustees to sit on each of the public and separate school boards. The electorate also decided three plebiscite questions. There were ten aldermen on city council, but four of the positions were already filled: Frederick John Mitchell, Ethel Wilson, Morris Weinlos, and Vincent Dantzer were all elected to two-year terms in 1962 and were still in office. George Prudham was also elected to a two-year term in 1961, but resigned. Six were elected in this election, all to one-year terms. All elected officials were elected to one-year terms in this election, in preparation for the changeover to a new system, whereby elections would be held only every two years with all officials elected to two-year terms. There were seven trustees on the public school board, but three of the positions were already filled: James Falconer, Milton Lazerte, and Helen Sinclair were elected to two-year terms in 1962 and were still in office. Four were elected in this election through Plurality block voting. The same was true on the separate board, where Edward Stack, Jean McDonald, and Bill Diachuk were continuing. Four were elected in this election through Plurality block voting. In addition to choosing members for City Council, citizens were asked to vote on three plebiscites. Two of the plebiscites were related, asking if the city should borrow money to purchase a four city block parcel of land in downtown Edmonton, and if the city should borrow money to build a sports and convention complex on that land. These two plebiscites were rejected. The site under consideration, on the north side of Jasper Avenue, is now occupied by the Citadel Theatre (opened 1976), Sun Life Place (1978), and Canada Place (1988). The eventual (1983) scaled down Edmonton Convention Centre was built a few metres south of the 1963 proposal site, on the cliff side of Jasper Avenue. Citizens did agree to a sports/convention centre in a 1968 plebiscite, but later rejected the specific 1970 Omniplex project plebiscite. The similar-looking Commonwealth Stadium was built a few years later. Voter turnout There were 98052 ballots cast out of 173901 eligible voters, for a voter turnout of 56.4%. Results (bold indicates elected, italics indicate incumbent) Mayor Party Candidate Votes % EDM Independent William Hawrelak 52,340 53.80% EDM Civic Government Association Stanley Milner 44,950 46.20% Aldermen Party Candidate Votes Elected EDM Civic Government Association McKim Ross 53,516 yes EDM Civic Government Association John Leslie Bodie 43,186 yes EDM Civic Government Association Gordon McClary 41,248 yes EDM United Voters Association Ivor Dent 41,044 yes EDM United Voters Association Julia Kiniski 36,861 yes EDM Citizens Council Ed Leger 35,927 yes EDM Civic Government Association Murray Hamilton 35,725 EDM Civic Government Association Robert Brower 33,408 EDM United Voters Association Allan Welsh 30,611 EDM Civic Government Association Fred Kurylo 28,654 EDM United Voters Association Norbert Berkowitz 26,246 EDM United Voters Association Kenneth McAuley 26,153 EDM United Voters Association R. J. Dunseith 20,819 EDM Independent John Sehn 14,369 Public School Trustees Party Candidate Votes Elected EDM Better Education Association Earl Buxton 33,699 yes EDM Better Education Association Walter Gainer 32,735 yes EDM Quality Education Council Edith Rogers 32,666 yes EDM Civic Government Association Vernon Johnson 25,366 yes EDM Civic Government Association P. William Jones 24,538 EDM Better Education Association Herbert Meltzer 21,560 EDM Better Education Association John Bracco 21,334 EDM Civic Government Association Bruce Mathew 19,179 EDM Quality Education Council Lee Fosmark 11,741 EDM Quality Education Council Arnold Rapske 11,015 EDM Quality Education Council George Edward Machon 8,357 Separate (Catholic) School Trustees Party Candidate Votes Elected EDM Independent Orest Demco 11,581 yes EDM Independent A. A. Gorman 9,441 yes EDM Independent G. R. Boileau 9,689 yes EDM Independent B. Feehan 9,147 yes EDM Independent John Barbeau 8,506 EDM Independent Roy Watson 6,103 EDM Independent Harry Carrigan 6,020 EDM Independent William Betzler 5,586 Plebiscites Plebiscite items required a minimum two-thirds "Yes" majority to bring about action Land Exchange Are you in favour of the disposition, by exchange, of approximately 1.23 acres of land lying East of Bellamy Hill, approximately .43 acres of which is now designated as Parkland, for approximately 215 acres of land lying in the Southwest section of the City in an area West of Whitemud Creek? The purpose of the exchange is to enable the purchaser to construct a commercial building on the Bellamy Hill site. If the exchange is accepted, the land acquired by the City will be Parkland?Note that the Land Exchange plebiscite areas convert as: 1.25 acre ha, 0.43 acre ha and 215 acre ha. Yes– 63,344No– 26,421 Convention Complex Land Acquisition Shall Council pass bylaw No. 2454 to borrow by debentures $4,000,000.00 with which to buy the land and buildings between Jasper Avenue and 102nd Avenue and between 97th Street and 99th Street so that a convention centre, an arena for sporting and cultural events and exhibitions, a theatre building, tourist centre and parking garage can be built there as part of the City Centre Development Plan? Yes– 33,470No– 25,300 Convention Complex Shall Council pass bylaw No. 2455 to borrow by debentures $10,250,000.00 to construct a convention centre, an arena for sporting and cultural events and exhibitions, a theatre building, tourist centre and parking garage? Yes– 30,903No– 25,457 Notes References Election History, City of Edmonton: Elections and Census Office 1963 Edmonton Category:1963 in Alberta Category:October 1963 in Canada Category:1960s in Edmonton