Edmonton municipal election, 1968

The 1968 Edmonton municipal election was held on October 16, 1968 to elect a mayor and twelve aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and seven trustees to sit on each of the public and separate school boards. The electorate also decided three plebiscite questions.

On May 2, 1968 the Legislative Assembly of Alberta passed the Municipal Elections Act. this Act had three major effects: first, it standardized municipal terms as being three years in all Alberta municipalities. Second, it standardized the date on which municipal elections in Alberta would be held – the nomination deadline would be the third Monday of September and the election would be four weeks later. Third, it allowed for the election of aldermen by ward, rather than at large.

This election was conducted under the new Act, and included a plebiscite to move to a ward system. It was approved by the electorate, and the 1968 election was the last in which aldermen were elected at large (although a 1970 by-election also elected an alderman at large, before the ward system was introduced in the 1971 election).

In addition to choosing members for City Council, citizens were asked to vote on three plebiscites. One plebiscite was related to a question rejected by voters in 1963, asking if the city should purchase land and build a combined sports and convention complex. The 1968 plebiscite saw voters agree to "construction of a Trade Convention and Sports Complex" in downtown Edmonton. Two years later, voters later rejected the specific, 50% more costly, Omniplex project plebiscite.[1] The single-site sports and convention concept was later served by the distributed Northlands Coliseum (opened 1974), Commonwealth Stadium (1978), and Edmonton Convention Centre (1983, a few metres south of the 1963 site).

Voter turnout

There were 93129 ballots cast out of 238828 eligible voters, for a voter turnout of 39%.

Results

(bold indicates elected, italics indicate incumbent)

Mayor

Aldermen

Public school trustees

Party Candidate Votes Elected
Better Education AssociationJackson Willis 38,496 Green tickY
Better Education AssociationJohn Bracco 31,844 Green tickY
Quality Education CouncilEdith Rogers 29,404 Green tickY
IndependentVernon Johnson 28,860 Green tickY
Better Education AssociationMilton Lazerte 27,422 Green tickY
Better Education AssociationWarren Edward (Ted) Smith 25,922 Green tickY
Better Education AssociationLois Campbell 23,976 Green tickY
Quality Education CouncilRichard Jamieson 17,981
Better Education AssociationDavid Ellis 16,578
Better Education AssociationAlan Robertson 16,419
IndependentJean O'Hara 15,704
Quality Education CouncilRobert Dunseith 14,346
IndependentDorothy Preston 12,389
Quality Education CouncilJoseph Boehm 10,388
IndependentDon McMillan 9,439
Quality Education CouncilAlbert Bourcier 9,378
Quality Education CouncilJohn Poppit 6,739
IndependentWilliam Chomyn 6,522
IndependentLaura Tuomi 5,791
Quality Education CouncilJohn Fuga 5,744
IndependentPaul Fuog 3,943

Separate (Catholic) school trustees

Party Candidate Votes Elected
IndependentGeorges Brosseau 11,893 Green tickY
IndependentJean Forest 9,681 Green tickY
IndependentRobert Sabourin 9,175 Green tickY
IndependentBob Neville 8,853 Green tickY
IndependentBill Diachuk 8,520 Green tickY
IndependentLarry Messier 8,310 Green tickY
IndependentJean McDonald 8,225 Green tickY
IndependentPaul Norris 7,864
IndependentB. J. Gagnon 7,041
IndependentMorris Bahry 7,023
IndependentD. A. McKay 6,657
IndependentCece Primeau 6,645

Plebiscites

Ward System

Are you in favour of the City being divided into areas known as wards, of not less than three (3) and not more than ten (10) in number for the holding of elections of Alderman to City Council at future elections?

Convention and Sports Complex

Do you favour the construction of a Trade Convention and Sports Complex containing facilities such as a covered Football stadium and Ice Arena, and a Trade & Convention Centre, at an estimated capital cost of Twenty-three Million Dollars ($23,000,000.00) and to be operated at an estimated annual deficit of not more than two million?

Council Control of Store Hours

Do you want shop hours in the City of Edmonton to be controlled by City Council?

If shop hours are controlled, which do you favour: (a.) six days and two evenings – 58533 (b.) five days and two evenings – 8539 (c.) five and one-half days and one evening – 11776

References

  1. Dr. Russell Cobb (2015-01-26). "Retrofutures: Edmonton's Omniplex". Edmonton Heritage Council. Retrieved 2015-08-25.

City of Edmonton: Edmonton Elections

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