1921 Calgary municipal election

The 1921 Calgary municipal election was held on December 15, 1921 to elect six aldermen to sit on Calgary City Council. Additionally a commissioner, four members for the public school board and three members for the separate school board. The Mayor Samuel Hunter Adams was acclaimed.

1921 Calgary municipal election

← 1920 December 15, 1921 1922 →
 
Candidate Samuel Hunter Adams
Popular vote Acclaimed

Mayor before election

Samuel Hunter Adams

Elected mayor

Samuel Hunter Adams

There were twelve aldermen on city council, but six of the positions were already filled: Fred J. White, John Sidney Arnold, John Hugill, Charles Stevenson, Walter Little and Alexander McTaggart, were all elected to two-year terms in 1920 and were still in office.

A number of plebiscites were held, all requiring a two-thirds majority to pass. The only successful plebiscite reduced the number of commissioners election from three including the mayor, to two including the major.

The election was held under the Single Transferable Voting/Proportional Representation (STV/PR) with the term for candidates being two years.[1][2][3]

A number of women were refused ballots during the 1921 election, the Calgary Daily Herald estimated a total of 1,000 to 1,500 women were refused votes. Women were refused who were not on the voting list, and many women assumed they would be on the voting list due to being registered for the 1920 Calgary municipal election.[4]

Results

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Council

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Party Candidate Votes % 2nd Count Elected
Citizen's Committee George Harry Webster 1,499 16.49% 0  Y
Dominion Labor Andrew Davison 1,142 12.56% 0  Y
Dominion Labor Annie Gale 1,051 11.56% 0  Y
Citizen's Committee James H. Garden 646 7.11% 0  Y
Dominion Labor George D. Batchelor 674 7.42% 0  Y
Dominion Labor Robert H. Parkyn 781 8.59% 0  Y
Independent John Walker Russell 753 8.28% 0
Citizen's Committee Neil Intyre McDermid 609 6.70% 0
Independent George J. Connolly 469 5.16% 0
Citizen's Committee Geoffrey Silvester 381 4.19% 0
Independent George E. Williams 301 3.31% 0
Dominion Labor John Stark 300 3.30% 0
Independent J. B. Douglas 200 2.20% 0
Independent William Turner 176 1.94% 0
Independent F. C. Potts 107 1.18% 0
Total valid votes 9,089
  • Full Names and affiliations of unsuccessful candidates not available.

Commissioner

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Party Candidate Votes % Elected
Citizen's Committee Angus Smith 4,654 52.90%  Y
Citizen's Committee Arther Garnet Graves 4,325 47.10%
Total valid votes 8,979

Public School Board

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Party Candidate Votes % Elected
Dominion Labor R. B. Gale 2,051 25.47%  Y
Citizen's Committee Fred S. Selwood 1,461 18.14%  Y
Dominion Labor Thomas B. Riley 1,127 13.99%  Y
Independent Harry Pryde 1,049 13.03%
Citizen's Committee Clifford T. Jones 1,028 12.77%  Y
Independent V. H. Macaulay 834 10.36%
Citizen's Committee H. T. Whittemore 503 6.25%
Total valid votes 8,053

Separate School Board

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Party Candidate Votes % Elected
Independent P. V. Burgard 215 32.77%  Y
Independent George D. Venini 183 27.90%  Y
Independent M. A. Harvey 106 36.16%
Independent A. P. Donnelly 94 14.33%  Y
Independent John J. Bowlen 58 8.84%
Total valid votes 656
  • Political affiliations are not available.

Plebiscites

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All plebiscites required a two-thirds majority to pass. Only the reduction in number of commissioners plebiscite passed.

Reduce number of commissioners

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Plebiscite to reduce number of commissioners from three, including the mayor, to two including the mayor. - Passed

Reduce Number of Commissioners Votes %
Yes 3,202 81.69%
No 718 18.31%

Hospital Expenditure

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Plebiscite to capitalize $71,381.61 of hospital expenditure and place it in previous $155,000 bylaw. - Defeated

Hospital Expenditure Votes %
Yes 2,150 46.20%
No 2,504 53.80%

Victoria Park Bath House

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Plebiscite to build public bath house in Victoria Park with $30,000 borrowed from electric light fund. - Defeated

Victoria Park Bath House Votes %
Yes 1,578 40.52%
No 2,316 59.48%

Sewer Connection Bylaw

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Bylaw for sewer connections, $25,000. - Defeated

Sewer Connection Bylaw Votes %
Yes 2,028 55.26%
No 1,642 44.74%

Water Connection Bylaw

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Bylaw for water connections, $25,000. - Defeated

WaterConnection Bylaw Votes %
Yes 1,951 53.32%
No 1,708 46.68%

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Candidates for Municipal Honors and Their Platform". The Calgary Daily Herald. No. 4324. December 13, 1921. p. 8. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  2. ^ "Angus Smith Elected City Commissioner Over Graves Labor Scores Big Success". The Calgary Daily Herald. No. 4326. December 15, 1921. p. 1. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  3. ^ "The City Council". The Calgary Daily Herald. No. 4326. December 15, 1921. p. 6. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  4. ^ "Many Women Go To Polls Under Missapprehension". The Calgary Daily Herald. No. 4326. December 15, 1921. p. 13. Retrieved March 4, 2020. Because they were on lists in 1920 figured they were on this year. 100 at one booth are refused votes.