1998 Calgary municipal election explained
| Election Name: | 1998 Calgary municipal election |
| Country: | Calgary |
| Type: | legislative |
| Previous Election: | 1995 Calgary municipal election |
| Previous Year: | 1995 |
| Next Election: | 2001 Calgary municipal election |
| Next Year: | 2001 |
| Seats For Election: | Mayor and 14 aldermen to Calgary City Council |
| Election Date: | October 19, 1998 |
| Image1: | A. D. |
| Leader1: | Al Duerr |
| Popular Vote1: | 182,780 |
| Leader2: | Ray Clark |
| Popular Vote2: | 43,242 |
| Image4: | R. B. |
| Leader4: | Rick Bell |
| Popular Vote4: | 20,812 |
| Image5: | R. W. |
| Leader5: | Ron Wise |
| Popular Vote5: | 1,097 |
| Map Size: | 200px |
| Mayor |
| Before Election: | Al Duerr |
| After Election: | Al Duerr |
The 1998 Calgary municipal election was held on October 19, 1998, to elect a Mayor and 14 Aldermen to Calgary City Council.
In addition to the city council election, trustees to the Calgary Board of Education, Calgary Catholic School District, two plebiscites and the Alberta Senate nominee election.
Incumbent Mayor Al Duerr was re-elected defeating Alderman Ray Clark, and each incumbent Alderman was re-elected.[1]
Background
Calgary City Council approved a vote on a question on whether Calgarians continued to support water fluoridation following the 1989 plebiscite which saw fluoride first introduced. Plebiscites had previously failed to garner sufficient support in 1957, 1961 1966, and 1971.[2] The Calgary Regional Health Authority promoted the fluoridation campaign, spending $250,000 on advertising and other measures. Opponents proposed to take legal action when pro-fluoride posters were on display at a voting station on election day which anti-fluoride groups charged was illegal.[3]
The second vote on a question put to Calgary voters was whether video lottery terminals (VLTs) should be removed by the provincial government, or whether the decision to remove VLTs from Calgary should remain with City Council.[4] The plebiscite was held in 28 municipalities across Alberta after the provincial government increased access to VLTs, increasing the number present in the province from 500 in 1997 to 2,200 in 1998.[5] Prominent Calgary oilman Jim Gray was an advocate for the removal of the VLTs, while casinos and restaurant groups advocated for VLTs to remain.[5] Incumbent Mayor Duerr supported the provincial government removing the VLTs while the main challenger Clark supported keeping VLTs in the city and leaving the decision to council.[6]
A police investigation followed a bomb threat to incumbent Ward 13 alderman Sue Higgins written on a ballot cast during the election.[7]
Results
Mayor
| Votes | % |
|---|
| Al Duerr | 182,780 | % |
| Ray Clark | 43,242 | % |
| Rick Bell | 20,812 | % |
| Ron Wise | 1,097 | % |
| Doug Service | 755 | % |
| Jerzyk Jamroziak | 728 | % |
| Floyd D. Allen | 690 | % |
| Total | | | |
Ward 1
| Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|
| Dale Hodges | 16,636 | |
| Robin Elford | 4,187 | |
| Barb Taylor-Daigarno | 1,780 | |
| Jason Seitanidis | 725 | |
| Peter Manousos | 489 | |
|
Ward 3
| Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|
| John Schmal | 13,065 | |
| Carrie Donahue | 2,740 | |
| Derrik Thomas Meyer | 1,291 | |
|
Ward 4
Ward 5
| Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|
| Ray Jones | 11,061 | |
| Francis A. Byron | 2,704 | |
|
Ward 6
| Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|
| Dave Bronconnier | 10,691 | |
| Craig Burrows | 4,322 | |
| James Donald Istvanffy | 3,491 | |
| Janyce Konkin | 1,921 | |
|
Ward 7
| Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|
| Bev Longstaff | 10,638 | |
| Augustine Joseph Barron | 5,161 | |
|
Ward 8
| Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|
| Jon Lord | 6,397 | |
| Robert Victor Lang | 3,650 | |
| Luba Arko | 671 | |
|
Ward 9
Ward 10
| Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|
| Diane Lynn Danielson | 6,318 | |
| Andre R. Chabot | 2,455 | |
| Kevin John Montgomery | 1,443 | |
| Amir Hernani | 1,083 | |
| Bastiaan Quist | 483 | |
|
Ward 12
| Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|
| Suzanne Higgins | 14,360 | |
| Richard William McIver | 2,711 | |
| Tim Rollans | 2,375 | |
| Albert Ludwig | 908 | |
| Gareth Evans | 371 | |
|
Ward 13
Ward 14
| Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|
| Linda J. Fox-Mellway | 12,294 | |
| Diana Fitzpatrick | 3,271 | |
| Andrew Neufeld | 2,936 | |
| Blaine Chornawka | 2,380 | |
| Randy Reynolds | 461 | |
|
Plebiscites
Fluoridation
Calgarians were asked "Are you in favour of continuing the fluoridation of the municipal water supply? YES or NO."[9]
| Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|
| Yes | 136,393 | |
| No | 113,730 | |
|
VLTs
Calgarians were asked "Should The City of Calgary request that the Provincial Government take appropriate action to remove all video lottery terminals from our city? YES or No."[9]
| Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|
| Yes | 104,999 | |
| No | 144,281 | |
|
See also
Further reading
Notes and References
- News: Collins . Ron . Pommer . Dave . 'I will not let you down'; Duerr back for fourth term; Calgarians keep VLTs, fluoride . . October 20, 1998 . A1 . .
- News: Smith . Madeline . A brief history of Calgary's long relationship with fluoride votes . March 9, 2021 . . February 3, 2021.
- News: Lowey . Mark . Calgary's fluoride levels will drop . . October 20, 1998 . AA1 . .
- News: Cunningham . Jim . Henton . Darcy . VLT backers triumph at polls . . October 20, 1998 . AA1 . .
- News: Cunningham . Jim . Henton . Darcy . All eyes on VLT plebiscite . . October 19, 1998 . A1 . .
- News: Collins . Ron . Clark favours keeping VLTs . . October 11, 1998 . A9 . .
- News: Bomb threat targeting Sue Higgins probed . . October 20, 1998 . A2 . .
- News: Civic election results . . October 21, 1998 . B2 . .
- News: Election Primer . . October 18, 1998 . C1 . .
