Charles May (Canadian politician)
Charles May | |
---|---|
Mayor of Edmonton | |
In office December 11, 1905 – December 10, 1906 | |
Preceded by | Kenneth W. MacKenzie |
Succeeded by | William Antrobus Griesbach |
Alderman on the Edmonton City Council[n] | |
In office December 14, 1903 – December 11, 1905 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Canada West | June 30, 1858
Died | March 1, 1932 Vancouver, British Columbia | (aged 73)
Spouses | Ann Galbraith
(m. 1882; died 1897)Margaret Henderson (m. 1901) |
Profession | Carpenter, contractor |
Signature | ![]() |
^[n] Known as the Edmonton Town Council from 1903 to 1904 | |
Charles May (June 30, 1858 – March 1, 1932) was Canadian contractor and politician. He served on the
A native of what later became the province of Ontario, May moved to Manitoba soon after completing education in his hometown. In Manitoba, he briefly took to farming, before entering into the construction industry, which he established prominence in. After doing work for the railway, he moved to Winnipeg where he joined a contracting firm and become involved in the construction of many buildings. After moving west and living briefly in Carberry, Manitoba, May came to Edmonton in 1902.
In Edmonton he rose to become one of the city's most prominent contractors, constructing many of the city's landmark buildings, as well as houses for its prominent residents. Long interested in municipal affairs, he entered civic politics with his election to the
Early life and career
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/Manitoba_Hotel%2C_pre_1899.jpg/180px-Manitoba_Hotel%2C_pre_1899.jpg)
May was born in
In 1880, after the closing of his father's estate and sale his father's property, he moved west to homestead and farm at
Career in Edmonton
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/97/Lemarchand_Mansion.jpg/220px-Lemarchand_Mansion.jpg)
Later in 1902, May once again moved, this time further west to the town of
Civic politics
Keenly interested in the well-being of citizens and affairs related to the development of the growing town, he was nominated for and eventually elected to
As the popular choice leading into the election,[15] he handily defeated fellow councillor Arthur Cushing by a count of 627 votes to 355, and thus became mayor of Edmonton.[12] He served in this capacity for one term of one year, but did not seek re-election in 1906 and retired from political life thereafter. It was during May's term as mayor in which the municipal foundations of Edmonton were set; he oversaw the purchase of the road maintenance equipment, the city's first telephone system as well as the upgrade of the street car system to steel rails and posts, purchase of land for municipal use,[16] paving of roads,[17] and negotiations for the establishment of a manufacturing plant in the city.[2][6] He also travelled to Toronto to lobby for a new union railway station in Edmonton to be constructed for use by the Grand Trunk, Canadian Northern and Canadian Pacific Railways.[18] It was also during May's term which the Alberta Legislature Building first opened its doors, and he participated in its opening ceremonies.[19] In 1911, he was named a returning officer for Edmonton, in charge of overseeing the 1911 Canadian federal election.[20]
Personal life
May was active with the
Charles May was also the uncle of famed aviator and flying ace Wop May, the latter being a son of his brother, Alexander Esson May. Alexander May was a former mayor of Carberry, Manitoba, postmaster of Edmonton, as well as an unsuccessful Liberal Candidate in the 1917 Canadian federal election, in the riding of Edmonton East.[26]
Death and legacy
He moved to Vancouver, British Columbia in 1922, and following a long period of illness, he died of stomach cancer there on March 1, 1932, aged 73. He was survived by his wife, a daughter and four sons.[27] Margeret May later died in 1949.[28] Regarded as a progressive and energetic mayor, upon his death, the Edmonton Bulletin noted regarding his mayoral term that "his progressive and constructive policies did much to advance the progress of Edmonton".[27] The 1912 publication, History of the province of Alberta, praised May's stern and ambitious personality, stating that "in the most adverse circumstances [he] endured with fortitude".[1]
References
- ^ a b MacRae 1912, p. 874
- ^ a b c d e f g MacRae 1912, p. 875
- ^ "LeMarchand Mansion". Edmonton Maps Heritage. Archived from the original on 2014-02-25. Retrieved 2014-02-12.
- ^ "Secord Manor". Edmonton Maps Heritage. Archived from the original on 2014-02-25. Retrieved 2014-02-12.
- ^ Saskatchewan Department of Public Works (1908), Annual Report, retrieved February 11, 2014
- ^ a b c d MacRae 1912, p. 876
- ^ Herzog, Lawrence (September 26, 2011). "McDougall United Church". Herzog on Heritage. Edmonton Heritage Council. Archived from the original on February 23, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
- ^ Herzog, Lawrence (December 9, 2004). "The Mansion Lemarchand Built". Real Estate Weekly. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
- ^ "May, Charles". Edmonton Public Libraries. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
- ^ Herzog, Lawrence (June 18, 2009). "Edmonton's first mayors of the 20th century". Real Estate Weekly. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
- ^ "Charlie May is Going North For Summer Work". Edmonton Bulletin. Edmonton, Alberta. May 14, 1921. p. 28. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
- ^ a b City of Edmonton, Election Results 1892–1944, Edmonton, Alberta, archived from the original on September 4, 2013, retrieved February 5, 2014
- ISBN 9780888643926, retrieved February 10, 2014
- ^ Horton, Marc (August 27, 2002). "A storyteller samples the city's 'DNA': Individual lives contain the seeds of the city's history, says Tony Cashman, author of the third in a series of books chronicling colourful Edmontonians". Edmonton Journal. Edmonton, Alberta. p. C2.
- ^ "His Worship Mayor Charles May". Edmonton Bulletin. Edmonton, Alberta. March 3, 1906. p. 3. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
- ^ "Bylaw No. 63, Bylaw No. 64". Edmonton Bulletin. Edmonton, Alberta. August 11, 1906. p. 8. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
- ^ "Bylaw No. 89". Edmonton Bulletin. Edmonton, Alberta. December 6, 1906. p. 8. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
- ^ "Edmonton's Union Station". The Globe and Mail. Toronto, Ontario. October 27, 1906. p. 28.
- ^ "Alberts'a First Legislature was Opened Yesterday". Edmonton Bulletin. Edmonton, Alberta. March 16, 1906. p. 1. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
- ^ "Returning Officers Have Been Announced". Edmonton Bulletin. Edmonton, Alberta. August 11, 1911. p. 3. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
- ^ Sasano, Mari (April 14, 2006). "Dogs and fanciers do it all just for show". Edmonton Journal. Edmonton, Alberta. p. G4.
- ^ The Edmonton Kennel Club. "Our History". Retrieved February 11, 2014.
- ^ "Contractors Association". Edmonton Bulletin. Edmonton, Alberta. November 4, 1903. p. 4. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
- ^ "Alberta's First Provincial Fair". Edmonton Bulletin. Edmonton, Alberta. August 9, 1906. p. 7. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
- ^ Family Search, Ontario Marriages, 1869-1927, entry for Charles May, accessed February 11, 2014.
- ^ Carberry Plains Archives (1989). "ALEXANDER MAY fonds". Archives Canada. Canadian Council of Archives. Archived from the original on 2014-02-23.
- ^ a b "Charles May of Edmonton Dies at Coast". The Edmonton Bulletin. Edmonton, Alberta. March 2, 1932. p. 9. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
- ^ Province of British Columbia Death Registration Archived 2014-02-22 at the Wayback Machine, British Columbia Vital Statistics, Royal British Columbia Museum, accessed February 22, 2014.
Bibliography
- MacRae, Archibald Oswald (1912), History of the province of Alberta, vol. 2, Calgary, Alberta: Western Canada History Co