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1940 Alberta general election
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57 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta ; 29 seats were needed for a majority
Premier before election; William Aberhart; Social Credit	Premier after election ; William Aberhart; Social Credit

The 1940 Alberta general election was held on March 21, 1940, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

Despite its failure to implement its key policy, providing prosperity certificates to all Albertans, the Social Credit Party of Premier William Aberhart won a second term in government. Nevertheless, it lost eleven seats that it had won in the 1935 landslide.

This provincial election, like the previous three, saw district-level proportional representation (Single transferable voting) used to elect the MLAs of Edmonton and Calgary. City-wide districts were used to elect multiple MLAs in the cities. All the other MLAs were elected in single-member districts through Instant-runoff voting.

Unity Movement

The Conservative and Liberal parties as well as the remains of the United Farmers, recognizing the widespread popularity of the Social Credit party, ran joint candidates as independents in what was called the "Independent Movement" or the "Unity Movement". Although independent candidates won almost as many votes as Social Credit, their support was dispersed across many areas so few of the movement's candidates took a majority of the votes (required under Instant-runoff voting to take the seat) so the movement's overall vote tally did not translate into its due share of seats overall. The Independent Movement lost a number of races by small margins. However, due to the Parliamentary system, which awards power solely on the basis of seats won, Social Credit was returned for a second term, albeit with a considerably reduced majority.

The Liberals under leader Edward Gray chose only to support Independent candidates that they played a hand in nominating, and nominated other candidates under its own banner. Gray felt that candidates should not be machined into the field and left it up to the individual Liberal constituency associations to decide if they would support a candidate or not.^[1]

This would be the most opposition that Social Credit would face until 1959.

Co-operative Commonwealth

The social democratic Cooperative Commonwealth Federation nominated candidates for the first time, but failed to win any seats in the legislature, despite winning over 10% of the popular vote under the leadership of former United Farmers of Alberta MLA Chester Ronning. Like Ronning, most of the CCF's candidates had run in the 1935 election for the UFA.

Reduction of electoral districts

An Act was passed in 1939 that provided for the reduction of the number of MLAs from 63 to 57, upon the next election.^[2] Calgary and Edmonton now returned five MLAs each instead of six, and the following other changes were made:

Abolished	New
New districts
	Bruce^{[a 1]}
	Spirit River^{[a 2]}
Renaming of districts
Innisfail	Rocky Mountain House^{[a 3]}
Abolition of districts
Nanton-Claresholm	divided among Macleod, Okotoks-High River and Little Bow
Ribstone	divided between Acadia-Coronation and Wainwright
Merger of districts
Acadia Coronation	Acadia-Coronation
Bow Valley Empress	Bow Valley-Empress
Reorganization of districts
Cochrane Pincher Creek Rocky Mountain	Banff-Cochrane Pincher Creek-Crowsnest
Sturgeon Victoria Whitford	Redwater Willingdon

^ from parts of Vegreville, Sedgewick and Camrose
^ from part of Grande Prairie
^ also drawing in parts of Edson, Red Deer and Lacombe

Results

Elections to the 9th Alberta Legislative Assembly (1940)
Party		Leader	Candidates	First-preference votes					Seats
Party		Leader	Candidates	Votes	±	% Fpv	Change (pp)		1935	1940	±
	Social Credit	William Aberhart	56	132,507	31,193	42.90	-11.35		56	36 / 57	20
	Independent Movement^{[a 1]}	Andrew Davison	57	130,603	11,178	42.28	2.51	2.51	6	19 / 57	13
	Liberal	Edward Gray	2	2,755	483	0.89	0.14	0.14	1	1 / 57
	Labour		2	3,258	1,828	1.05	-0.63		–	1 / 57	1
	Co-operative Commonwealth	Chester Ronning	36	34,316	34,316	11.11	11.11	11.11
	Independent Liberal		1	1,136	181	0.37	0.06	0.06
	Communist		1	1,067	4,704	0.35	-1.56
	Independent^{[a 2]}		2	569	2,171	0.18	-0.72
	Independent Labour		1	251	27	0.08	0.01	0.01
	Independent Progressive		4	1,726	1,726	0.56
	Independent Social Credit		1	362	362	0.12
	Independent Farmer		2	314	314	0.10
Total			165	308,864		100.00%
Rejected ballots				10,615	2,346
Turnout				319,479	9,458	74.8%	7.0
Registered voters				427,335	49,086

^ compared against combined 1935 totals for UFA, Conservatives and Liberals (other than Grouard)
^ 1 in Calgary; 1 in Edmonton

MLAs elected

Acadia-Coronation: Clarence Gerhart

Alexandra: Selmer Berg

Athabasca: Gordon Lee

Banff-Cochrane: Frank Laut

Beaver River: Lucien Maynard

Bow Valley-Empress: Wilson Cain

Bruce: James L. McPherson

Calgary: William Aberhart

Calgary: Fred Anderson

Calgary: John J. Bowlen

Calgary: Andrew Davison

Calgary: James Mahaffy

Camrose: David B. Mullen

Cardston: Nathan Eldon Tanner

Clover Bar: Floyd Baker

Cypress: Fay Jackson

Didsbury: Ernest M. Brown

Drumheller: Gordon Taylor

Edmonton: David Milwyn Duggan

Edmonton: Norman James

Edmonton: Hugh John Macdonald

Edmonton: Ernest Manning

Edmonton: John P. Page

Edson: Angus James Morrison

Gleichen: Donald McKinnon

Grande Prairie: Lewis O'Brien

Grouard: Joseph Tremblay

Hand Hills: Wallace Warren Cross

Lac Ste. Anne: Albert Bourcier

Lacombe: Duncan MacMillan

Leduc: Ronald Ansley

Lethbridge: Peter M. Campbell

Little Bow: Peter Dawson

Macleod: James Hartley

Medicine Hat: John Lyle Robinson

Okotoks-High River: John Broomfield

Olds: Norman E. Cook

Peace River: Eld J. Martin

Pembina: George MacLachlan

Pincher Creek-Crowsnest: Ernest Duke

Ponoka: Percy McKelvey

Red Deer: Alfred Speakman

Redwater: James Popil

Rocky Mountain House: Alfred Hooke

St. Albert: Lionel Tellier

St. Paul: Joseph Beaudry

Sedgewick: Albert Fee

Spirit River: Henry DeBolt

Stettler: Chester Reynolds

Stony Plain: Cornelia Wood

Taber: Roy S. Lee

Vegreville: George Woytkiw

Vermilion: William Fallow

Wainwright: William Masson

Warner: James H. Walker

Wetaskiwin: John Wingblade

Willingdon: William Tomyn

Synopsis of results

Results by riding – 1940 Alberta general election (all except Calgary and Edmonton)^[3]
Riding	First-preference votes							Turnout ^{[a 1]}	Final counts					Winning party
Name	SC	IndM	CCF	Lib	Lab	Oth	Total		SC	IndM	CCF	Lib	Lab	1935		1940
Name							Total							1935		1940

Acadia-Coronation	2,163	1,665	559	–	–	–	4,387	76.3%	2,297	1,963	–	–	–	New			SC
Alexandra	2,215	1,255	1,273	–	–	–		73.1%	2,326	–	1,953	–	–		SC		SC
Athabasca	1,965	1,336	782	–	–	–	4,083	61.9%	2,078	1,497	–	–	–		SC		SC
Banff-Cochrane	1,869	2,931	–	–	–	–	4,800	80.4%	Elected on 1st count					New			IndM
Beaver River	2,555	–	669	–	–	1,254	4,478	70.4%	Elected on 1st count						SC		SC
Bow Valley-Empress	2,035	1,762	–	–	–	–	3,797	70.5%	Elected on 1st count					New			SC
Bruce	2,018	1,433	752	–	–	–	4,203	71.8%	2,203	1,781	–	–	–	New			SC
Camrose	2,472	1,484	1,550	–	–	–	5,506	77.2%	2,582	–	2,508	–	–		SC		SC
Cardston	2,160	1,808	–	–	–	–	3,968	81.9%	Elected on 1st count						SC		SC
Clover Bar	2,252	1,370	1,476	–	–	–	5,098	77.9%	2,418	–	2,261	–	–		SC		SC
Cypress	1,667	2,065	–	–	–	–	3,732	75.3%	Elected on 1st count						SC		IndM
Didsbury	2,312	2,379	–	–	–	–		74.5%	Elected on 1st count						SC		IndM
Drumheller	2,043	1,530	741	–	–	–	4,314	79.8%	2,330	1,720	–	–	–		SC		SC
Edson	1,949	–	798	–	2,211	–	4,958	72.7%	2,100	–	–	–	2,558		SC		Lab
Gleichen	1,457	2,255	670	–	–	–	4,382	75.2%	Elected on 1st count						SC		IndM
Grande Prairie	1,556	1,998	674	–	–	–	4,228	70.4%	1,784	2,233	–	–	–		SC		IndM
Grouard	1,703	–	1,024	1,747	–	–	4,474	62.0%	1,961	–	–	1,965	–		Lib		Lib
Hand Hills	2,547	1,970	–	–	–	–	4,517	75.5%	Elected on 1st count						SC		SC
Lac Ste. Anne	1,612	1,239	1,110	–	–	–	3,961	63.9%	1,839	1,704	–	–	–		SC		SC
Lacombe	2,321	2,061	626	–	–	–	5,008	75.6%	2,457	2,361	–	–	–		SC		SC
Leduc	2,141	1,106	732	–	–	–	3,979	65.9%	Elected on 1st count						SC		SC
Lethbridge	2,760	4,318	–	–	–	–	7,078	83.4%	Elected on 1st count						SC		IndM
Little Bow	2,162	2,034	–	–	–	–	4,196	86.0%	Elected on 1st count						SC		SC
Macleod	2,487	2,446	–	–	–	–	4,933	82.3%	Elected on 1st count						SC		SC
Medicine Hat	2,943	2,863	–	–	–	–	5,806	86.1%	Elected on 1st count						SC		SC
Okotoks-High River	3,178	4,352	–	–	–	–	7,530	80.5%	Elected on 1st count						SC		IndM
Olds	2,345	2,455	–	–	–	362	5,162	76.4%	2,549	2,483	–	–	–		SC		SC
Peace River	2,114	2,253	–	–	–	–	4,367	60.0%	Elected on 1st count						SC		IndM
Pembina	1,589	1,719	743	–	–	–	4,051	60.0%	1,818	1,980	–	–	–		SC		IndM
Pincher Creek-Crowsnest	2,356	2,129	–	–	1,047	–	5,532	86.1%	2,443	2,210	–	–	–	New			SC
Ponoka	1,907	1,920	575	–	–	–	4,402	74.7%	2,045	2,234	–	–	–		SC		IndM
Red Deer	2,083	2,760	–	–	–	971	5,814	77.7%	2,330	3,142	–	–	–		SC		IndM
Redwater	2,226	945	785	–	–	–	3,956	64.9%	Elected on 1st count					New			SC
Rocky Mountain House	2,477	1,496	767	–	–	–	4,740	69.4%	Elected on 1st count						SC		SC
St. Albert	1,692	1,383	552	1,008	–	–	4,635	70.9%	2,018	2,304	–	–	–		SC		IndM
St. Paul	2,270	1,609	813	–	–	–	4,692	70.2%	2,421	1,785	–	–	–		SC		SC
Sedgewick	2,605	1,426	794	–	–	–	4,825	75.7%	Elected on 1st count						SC		SC
Spirit River	1,409	1,087	772	–	–	–	3,268	63.3%	1,707	1,295	–	–	–	New			SC
Stettler	2,668	1,851	784	–	–	–	5,303	78.5%	Elected on 1st count						SC		SC
Stony Plain	1,914	1,228	942	–	–	196	4,280	72.6%	2,213	1,606	–	–	–		SC		SC
Taber	1,879	1,383	576	–	–	–	3,838	80.0%	1,998	1,618	–	–	–		SC		SC
Vegreville	2,223	1,920	523	–	–	–	4,666	75.6%	2,375	2,061	–	–	–		SC		SC
Vermilion	2,203	1,815	936	–	–	–	4,954	76.4%	2,506	2,148	–	–	–		SC		SC
Wainwright	2,296	1,611	1,039	–	–	365	5,311	76.4%	2,583	2,169	–	–	–		SC		SC
Warner	1,558	1,937	–	–	–	–	3,495	83.0%	Elected on 1st count						SC		IndM
Wetaskiwin	2,480	1,874	901	–	–	–	5,255	71.9%	2,761	2,179	–	–	–		SC		SC
Willingdon	2,329	514	968	–	–	–	3,811	64.4%	Elected on 1st count					New			SC

^ including spoilt ballots

= Open seat

= turnout is above provincial average

= Candidate was in previous Legislature

= Incumbent had switched allegiance

= Previously incumbent in another riding

= Not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature

= Incumbency arose from by-election gain

= previously an MP in the House of Commons of Canada

= Multiple candidates

Multi-member districts

District	Seats won (in order declared)
Calgary
Calgary
Edmonton
Edmonton

	Social Credit
	Independent Movement

= Candidate was in previous Legislature

= First-time MLA

= Previously incumbent in another district.

STV analysis

Exhausted votes

Twenty-eight districts went beyond first-preference counts in order to determine winning candidates:

Exhausted votes (1935)
District	Counts		Exhausted
District	1st preference	Final	Votes	% of 1st pref
Calgary	45,914	44,830	1,084	2.36	2.36
Edmonton	43,743	41,130	2,613	5.97	5.97
Acadia-Coronation	4,387	4,260	127	2.89	2.89
Alexandra	4,743	4,279	464	9.78	9.78
Athabasca	4,083	3,575	508	12.44	12.44
Bruce	4,203	3,984	219	5.21	5.21
Camrose	5,506	5,090	416	7.56	7.56
Clover Bar	5,098	4,679	419	8.22	8.22
Drumheller	4,314	4,050	264	6.12	6.12
Edson	4,958	4,658	300	6.05	6.05
Grande Prairie	4,228	4,017	211	4.99	4.99
Grouard	4,474	3,926	548	12.25	12.25
Lac Ste. Anne	3,961	3,543	418	10.55	10.55
Lacombe	5,008	4,818	190	3.79	3.79
Olds	5,162	5,032	130	2.52	2.52
Pembina	4,051	3,798	253	6.25	6.25
Pincher Creek-Crowsnest	5,532	4,653	879	15.89	15.89
Ponoka	4,402	4,279	123	2.79	2.79
Red Deer	5,814	5,472	342	5.88	5.88
St. Albert	4,635	4,322	313	6.75	6.75
St. Paul	4,692	4,206	486	10.35	10.35
Spirit River	3,268	3,002	266	8.14	8.14
Stony Plain	4,280	3,819	461	10.77	10.77
Taber	3,838	3,616	222	5.78	5.78
Vegreville	4,666	4,436	230	4.93	4.93
Vermilion	4,954	4,654	300	6.06	6.06
Wainwright	5,311	4,752	559	10.53	10.53
Wetaskiwin	5,255	4,940	315	5.99	5.99

Calgary

The Independent Movement (also called the "Citizens' Slate) fielded six candidates for the five seats. The other parties nominated fewer candidates than the maximum seats sought.

Party		Candidates			MLAs elected
Party		1940	1935	±	1940	1935	±
	Independent Movement	6	–	6	3	–	3
	Social Credit	4	6	2	2	4	2
	Co-operative Commonwealth	2	–	2	–	–	–
	Independent Labour	1	1		–	–	–
	Independent	1	1		–	–	–
	Conservative	–	4	4	–	1	1
	Liberal	–	4	4	–	1	1
	Labour	–	3	3	–	–	–
	Communist	–	1	1	–	–	–
Total		14	20	6	5	6	1

Calgary (1940 Alberta general election) (five members elected, candidates ranked in order of 1st preference)^[4]
Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
Party		Candidate	FPv%	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	Independent Movement	Andrew Davison	27.15%	12,465
	Social Credit	William Aberhart	26.40%	12,122	12,122
	Independent Movement	James Mahaffy	7.94%	3,645	5,538	5,615	5,672	5,704	5,966	6,041	6,043	6,971	7,040	7,162	9,449
	Independent Movement	John J. Bowlen	7.51%	3,447	4,380	4,417	4,431	4,453	4,545	4,586	4,590	5,212	5,254	5,320	7,247
	Co-operative Commonwealth	Fred J. White	6.20%	2,846	2,903	3,025	3,037	3,097	3,128	4,179	4,229	4,319	4,461	4,965	5,175
	Independent Movement	Joseph Tweed Shaw	5.85%	2,685	3,726	3,746	3,777	3,804	3,994	4,039	4,043	4,592	4,602	4,654
	Social Credit	Fred Anderson	4.22%	1,939	1,959	4,203	4,213	4,229	4,236	4,369	5,227	5,282	8,744
	Social Credit	Edith Gostick	3.50%	1,605	1,613	2,886	2,905	2,922	2,928	2,985	3,691	3,731
	Independent Movement	Norman Dingle	3.22%	1,480	2,084	2,121	2,133	2,158	2,322	2,358	2,363
	Social Credit	H.D. Tarves	3.02%	1,386	1,390	1,914	1,918	1,938	1,947	1,979
	Co-operative Commonwealth	Robert Alderman	2.83%	1,298	1,333	1,438	1,448	1,487	1,499
	Independent Movement	Harry Pryde	1.25%	576	758	766	778	790
	Independent Labour	D. V. Mitchell	0.55%	251	266	280	290
	Independent	Frank Moodie	0.37%	169	169	186	194
Exhausted ballots			—	—	3	3	6	26	43	72	422	501	507	854	1,084
Electorate: 59,338 Valid: 45,914 Spoilt: 777 Quota: 7,653 Turnout: 46,691 (78.7%)

Calgary (1940 Alberta general election)
(analysis of transferred votes, candidates ranked in order of 1st preference)
Party		Candidate	Maximum round	Maximum votes	Share in maximum round
	Independent Movement	Andrew Davison	1	12,465	27.15%
	Social Credit	William Aberhart	1	12,122	26.40%
	Independent Movement	James Mahaffy	12	9,449	21.08%
	Independent Movement	John J. Bowlen	12	7,247	16.17%
	CCF	Fred J. White	12	5,175	11.54%
	Independent Movement	Joseph Tweed Shaw	11	4,654	10.33%
	Social Credit	Fred Anderson	10	8,744	19.26%
	Social Credit	Edith Gostick	9	3,731	8.22%
	Independent Movement	Norman Dingle	8	2,363	5.19%
	Social Credit	H.D. Tarves	7	1,979	4.32%
	CCF	Robert Alderman	6	1,499	3.27%
	Independent Movement	Harry Pryde	5	790	1.72%
	Independent Labour	D. V. Mitchell	4	290	0.63%
	Independent	Frank Moodie	3	194	0.42%
Exhausted votes				1,084	2.36%

Edmonton

The Independent Movement presented seven candidates for the five seats being contested.

Party		Candidates			MLAs elected
Party		1940	1935	±	1940	1935	±
	Independent Movement	7	–	7	3	–	3
	Social Credit	5	6	1	2	2
	Co-operative Commonwealth	3	–	3	–	–	–
	Independent Progressive	2	–	2	–	–	–
	Independent	1	–	1	–	–	–
	Communist	1	1		–	–	–
	Conservative	–	6	6	–	1	1
	Liberal	–	6	6	–	3	3
	United Farmers	–	1	1	–	–	–
	Labour	–	6	6	–	–	–
	Reconstruction	–	1	1	–	–	–
Total		19	27	8	5	6	1

Edmonton (1940 Alberta general election) (five members elected, candidates ranked in order of 1st preference)^[5]
Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
Party		Candidate	FPv%	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
	Social Credit	Ernest Manning	23.01%	10,066
	Independent Movement	John Percy Page	12.82%	5,607	5,657	5,698	5,774	5,801	6,077	6,118	6,140	6,421	6,466	6,648	6,731	7,935
	Independent Movement	Hugh John Macdonald	9.44%	4,128	4,167	4,189	4,249	4,256	4,318	4,342	4,356	5,029	5,061	5,127	5,184	5,828	6,056	6,649
	Independent Movement	Gerald O'Connor	9.08%	3,972	3,988	4,006	4,030	4,047	4,145	4,180	4,187	4,578	4,590	4,627	4,650	5,081	5,263	6,035
	Independent Movement	David Milwyn Duggan	8.87%	3,878	3,890	3,926	3,953	3,957	4,085	4,092	4,103	4,229	4,240	4,294	4,318	5,713	5,925	6,731
	Independent Movement	L. Y. Cairns	7.58%	3,316	3,326	3,356	3,393	3,395	3,584	3,589	3,599	3,697	3,706	3,781	3,801
	Co-operative Commonwealth	Elmer Roper	4.54%	1,984	2,013	2,033	2,047	2,245	2,280	2,399	2,421	2,455	2,477
	Co-operative Commonwealth	Harry Dean Ainlay	4.21%	1,840	1,866	1,901	1,943	2,105	2,117	2,485	2,552	2,580	2,654	4,539	4,652	4,706	4,724
	Independent Movement	E. C. Fisher	3.67%	1,607	1,620	1,655	1,671	1,681	1,712	1,729	1,738
	Social Credit	Charles Gould	2.73%	1,192	1,771	1,790	1,820	1,826	1,831	1,965	2,342	2,378
	Social Credit	Elisha East	2.55%	1,117	1,593	1,607	1,623	1,631	1,636	1,724	2,375	2,395	3,376	3,422
	Communist	James A. MacPherson	2.44%	1,067	1,088	1,108	1,120	1,135	1,136
	Social Credit	Norman B. James	2.21%	967	1,923	1,932	1,964	1,970	1,972	2,072	2,428	2,440	3,537	3,568	6,355	6,378	6,382	7,133
	Social Credit	Charles B. Wills	2.17%	948	1,442	1,450	1,473	1,483	1,493	1,564
	Independent Movement	Marjorie Pardee	1.88%	822	828	843	857	862
	Co-operative Commonwealth	William H. Miller	1.01%	442	457	482	493
	Independent	G. F. Hustler	0.91%	400	412	452
	Independent Progressive	Samuel Barnes	0.64%	282	299
	Independent Progressive	J. H. Green	0.25%	108	112
Exhausted ballots			—	—	0	24	42	58	66	193	211	250	345	446	761	811	811	2,613
Electorate: 59,685 Valid: 43,743 Spoilt: 1,204 Quota: 7,291 Turnout: 44,947 (75.3%)

Edmonton (1940 Alberta general election)
(analysis of transferred votes, candidates ranked in order of 1st preference)
Party		Candidate	Maximum round	Maximum votes	Share in maximum round
	Social Credit	Ernest Manning	1	10,066	23.01%
	Independent Movement	John Percy Page	13	7,935	18.48%
	Independent Movement	Hugh John Macdonald	15	6,649	17.34%
	Independent Movement	Gerald O'Connor	15	6,035	14.67%
	Independent Movement	David Milwyn Duggan	15	6,731	16.37%
	Independent Movement	L. Y. Cairns	12	3,801	8.84%
	CCF	Elmer Roper	10	2,477	5.71%
	CCF	Harry Dean Ainlay	14	4,724	11.00%
	Independent Movement	E. C. Fisher	8	1,738	3.99%
	Social Credit	Charles Gould	9	2,378	5.47%
	Social Credit	Elisha East	11	3,422	7.90%
	Communist	James A. MacPherson	6	1,136	2.60%
	Social Credit	Norman B. James	15	7,133	17.34%
	Social Credit	Charles B. Wills	7	1,564	3.59%
	Independent Movement	Marjorie Pardee	5	862	1.97%
	CCF	William H. Miller	4	493	1.13%
	Independent	G. F. Hustler	3	452	1.03%
	Independent Progressive	Samuel Barnes	2	299	0.68%
	Independent Progressive	J. H. Green	2	112	0.26%
Exhausted votes				2,613	5.97%

References

^ "Liberals Against Independents If "Machined into Field" - Gray". Vol. XXXIII No 36. The Lethbridge Herald. January 23, 1940. p. 7.
^ The Legislative Assembly Act Amendment Act, 1939, S.A. 1939, c. 94
^ A Century of Democracy: Elections of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, 1905-2005. Edmonton: Legislative Assembly of Alberta. pp. 134–146. ISBN 0-9689217-9-5.
^ "Take 12 Counts In Calgary Vote". Calgary Albertan. March 23, 1940. pp. 1–2.
^ "General Statement By Returning Officer: Electoral Division of Edmonton". Edmonton Bulletin. March 25, 1940. p. 1.