Joseph Clarke
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joseph "Fighting Joe" Andrew Clarke (born: September 20, 1869 died: July 26, 1941) was a politician and lawyer from Canada. He served twice as mayor of the City of Edmonton, and was a perennial candidate for federal and provincial elections. He served in the Yukon Legislative Assembly from 1903 to 1904.
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[edit] Early life
Joseph was born Osnabruck Center, Ontario. In 1892 he joined the North West Mounted Police shortly after he was charged with desertion. After leaving the force he graduated from law school at Osgood Hall in Toronto, Ontario. After law school he joined the Klondike Gold Rush and moved to the Yukon.
In 1903 he was appointed to the Yukon Legislative Assembly and served for two years as well as joining the Yukon bar association. He moved to Edmonton in 1908. Joseph was later implicated in prostitution and gambling rings.
[edit] Edmonton politics
He was elected to serve as an Alderman three times and served from 1912, 1914-1915, and 1925.
He also served as mayor of Edmonton twice.
A stadium was built in Clarke's honor, known as Clarke Stadium it was the former home of the Canadian Football League, Edmonton Eskimos.
[edit] Provincial and federal politics
Joseph Clarke was a perennial candidate for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. He ran provincially 5 time in total. The first time was in the 1913 Alberta general election as a parachute candidate in the controversial Clearwater electoral district. The riding was controversial due to the number of enumerated constituents totaling 74 at the time of the election. Joseph ran under the Socialist Party banner led by controversial MLA and leader Charles M. O'Brien.
Joseph would run again in the 1917 Alberta general election in Edmonton East, as an Independent finishing third.
Joseph ran federally in Edmonton East for the Liberal Party of Canada in the 1921 Federal Election finishing second.
The third time was in the 1926 Alberta general election. Clarke finished 4th in the first count as an Independent Liberal Candidate in Edmonton district, but was eliminated in later counts by ballot transfer under the new Single Transferable Vote system.
The fourth time Joseph Clarke ran again as an Independent candidate in Edmonton for the 1930 Alberta general election. This time he was badly defeated placing second last on the first ballot transfer and was quickly eliminated.
Joseph ran provincially for his fifth and final time in a 1937 by-election, that was dubbed the first test of strength for Social Credit government, which had just recently formed government in 1935.
He finished a strong second place running under the banner of People's Candidate. His campaign was backed by Social Credit. He was defeated by Alberta Liberal Party leader Edward Leslie Gray who was backed by the Conservatives under the Unity Movement.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Harry Marshall Erskine Evans |
Mayor of Edmonton 1919-1920 |
Succeeded by David Milwyn Duggan |
| Preceded by Daniel Kennedy Knott |
Mayor of Edmonton 1935-1937 |
Succeeded by John Wesley Fry |
