| Database Type |
Record Groups |
| Record Number |
RG-11 |
| Title of Fonds |
City of Edmonton. Commissioners fonds |
| Acquisition Source |
Transferred from the City of Edmonton Commissioners between 1972 and 1985. |
| Dates of Creation |
1906-1983 |
| Physical Description |
225 m of textual records and other material
(73 m processed) |
| Bio Admin History |
From 1904 until 1983, the civic administration of the City of Edmonton was led by City Commissioners. Initially the Mayor served as the Head or Finance Commissioner, later assisted by one or more Commissioners, appointed for an indefinite period, who oversaw departments, signed contracts, hired and fired department heads and city employees and oversaw the spending of annual budgets as high as two hundred million dollars.
In 1904, when Edmonton was incorporated as a city, the newly formed city council adopted a commission system to oversee the running of the municipality. Prior to 1904, municipal administration was considered simple enough to be handled by the Town Councilors. However, due to the greater amount of time involved in the administration of the growing city and a desire for expertise in the management of public utilities, Mayor William Short advocated the creation of strong commissioners who, on good conduct, would be appointed for life. Thus, in 1904, Edmonton City Council invoked the Public Works Ordinance of 1900, which stipulated that the Commissioner would have "all the powers, rights, authorities and immunities that might have been exercised or enjoyed by council" and that the council "shall have no authority in respect of such works."
To offset the complete control of civic affairs by appointed administrators, council decided to make the mayor, by virtue of his office, ex officio, one of the commissioners. Initially, the City of Edmonton appointed three commissioners, Mayor K. W. MacKenzie, who by virtue of his position sat as Chairman of the Commission Board, J. H. Hargreave as the Commissioner for Public Works, and George J. Kinnaird as Commissioner of Finance. Over the years the number of commissioners would change (inclusive of the mayor) - ranging from a maximum of five in 1914 to a minimum of two from 1915-1919 and 1922-1934, but the responsibilities of the board remained the same, to oversee the administration of the rapidly growing city of Edmonton. From 1967 to 1983, the city also appointed a Chief Commissioner to oversee the actions of the board as the responsibilities of this position was deemed too time consuming for the Mayor.
In 1972, largely because of the newly created Chief Commissioner, the mayor ceased sitting as the Chairman of the Commissioners Board. In 1976, Mayor Terry Cavanagh stopped attending Board meetings and the role of the mayor in the commissioners system effectively ceased to exist. In 1983, newly elected Mayor Laurence Decore, supported by council, eliminated the commissioners system and instead hired a city manager to oversee the city's civic administration. |
| Scope and Content |
This fonds consists of materials which were collected and created by the City’s Commissioners through their function of overseeing all aspects of City administration. The fonds includes correspondence with City staff, provincial and federal representatives, other municipalities, corporations, community groups and the general public. It also contains reports and financial records relating to various departments, memoranda, committee minutes, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, photos, maps, plans, and artwork.
An order has been imposed on the material. The arrangement includes 9 series and multiple sub-series. The series are as follows:
Series 1 – City Clerks and Administrative Records
Series 2 – Financial
Series 3 – Development and Planning
Series 4 – Transportation
Series 5 – Engineering
Series 6 – Utilities
Series 7 – Community Services
Series 8 – Wartime
Series 9 – External Organizations |
| File List |
Catalogued material covers a variety of subjects and ranges from 1926-1969; Uncatalogued material includes Commissioners Reports 1906-1945, 1960- 1974; Commission Board minutes 1915-1917, 1968- 1982; Uniterm 1970-1977, 1979, 1981-1983. |
| Physical Descr Notes |
This fonds includes over 200 photos [EA-88], over 500 maps and plans, and 14 pieces of artwork [EAA-16]. |
| Language |
The material is in English. |
| Restrictions |
Restrictions have been placed on the reproduction of correspondence regarding City staff and police files. |
| Finding Aid |
A file level inventory is available for processed materials. See series level descriptions.
There is a finding aid for oversize documents attached. |
| Associated Related |
.Because of the City-wide scope of RG-11, all RG collections until the dissolution of the Commissioner system in 1983 are associated with RG-11. |
| Names |
City of Edmonton. Commissioners
City Commissioners 1905-1983 (all Mayors were also Commissioners – part of the Corporation)
1905-1906
George J. Kinnaird – Finance Commissioner
J. H. Hargreaves (resigned) – Public Works Commissioner
1906 -1908
George J. Kinnaird – Finance Commissioner
William J. Pace – Public Works Commissioner
1909-1910
Alex Butchart – Finance Commissioner
W.H. Clark (resigned in Dec 1909) – Public Works Commissioner
Peter McNaughton (resigned in Feb 1910)
Alfred Bouillon
1911
S.W. Candy – Finance Commissioner
A.B. Agar – Public Works Commissioner
(Replaced by Chalmers and Harrison in Nov)
1912-1913
John Chalmers – Finance Commissioner
Arthur G. Harrison – Utilities Commissioner
Alexander J. McLean (resigned before year end 1913) – Markets Commissioner
1914
John Chalmers – Utilities Commissioner
Arthur G. Harrison – Parks and Markets Commissioner
B. J. Saunders – Construction Commissioner
M. S. Booth – Health and Safety Commissioner
The mayor was responsible for Finance
1915
C. L. Richardson – Utilities Commissioner
1916-1917
Arthur G. Harrison – Utilities Commissioner
1918
A. W. Ormsby – Utilities Commissioner
1919-1920
A.W. Ormsby – Utilities Commissioner
A.W. Haddow – Public Works Commissioner
1921
A.W. Ormsby – Utilities Commissioner
A.W. Haddow – Public Works Commissioner
Christopher J. Yorath – Commissioner
1922-1925
Christopher J. Yorath – Commissioner
1926-1934
David Mitchell – Commissioner
1935-1936
David Mitchell – Commissioner
Robert James Gibb – Commissioner
1937-1946
Robert James Gibb – Commissioner
John Hodgson – Commissioner
1947-1952
John Hodgson – Commissioner
Dudley B. Menzies – Commissioner
1953-1960
Dudley B. Menzies – Commissioner
John Malcolm Tweddle – Commissioner
1961-1966
Dudley B. Menzies – Commissioner
John Malcolm Tweddle – Commissioner
G. C. Hamilton – Commissioner
1967-1970
Dr. P. Bargen – Chief Commissioner
Dudley B. Menzies – Commissioner
John Malcolm Tweddle – Commissioner
S. J. Hampton – Commissioner
1971-1971
Dr. P. Bargen – Chief Commissioner
Thomas E. Adams – Commissioner
G. S. Hughes – Commissioner
S. J. Hampton – Commissioner
1972-1973
S. J. Hampton – Chief Commissioner
Thomas E. Adams – Commissioner
G. S. Hughes – Commissioner
Douglas F. Burrows – Commissioner
1974-1975
G. S. Hughes – Chief Commissioner
Thomas E. Adams – Commissioner
A. H. Savage – Commissioner
Douglas F. Burrows – Commissioner
S. J. Hampton – Commissioner of Special Projects
1976-1981
Douglas F. Burrows – Chief Commissioner
Thomas E. Adams – Commissioner
A. H. Savage – Commissioner
Phil H. Walker – Commissioner
1982
Douglas F. Burrows – Chief Commissioner
Phil H. Walker – Commissioner
Thomas E. Adams – Commissioner
Sid Dietz – Commissioner
1983
Sid Dietz – Chief Commissioner
P. H. Walker – Commissioner
Thomas E. Adams – Commissioner
Doug Lychak – Commissioner
Commissioners transitioned: Dietz - City Manager, Lychak - Assistant City Manager and Walker - Acting Assistant City Manager until appointment as Special Projects Manager at the end of 1983. Tom Adams retired. |
| Creator |
City of Edmonton. Commissioners |
| Topics |
Government |
| Repository |
City of Edmonton Archives |
| Online Finding Aid Document File |
|
