Cornelius Gallagher (Canadian politician)

Cornelius Gallagher
3rd Mayor of Edmonton
In office October 1896 – December 14, 1896
Preceded by	Herbert Charles Wilson
Succeeded by	John Alexander McDougall
Alderman on the Edmonton Town Council
In office January 13, 1893 – January 14, 1895
In office December 14, 1896 – December 13, 1897
In office December 9, 1901 – December 14, 1903
Personal details
Born	December 31, 1854 Saint John, New Brunswick
Died	October 27, 1932(1932-10-27) (aged 77) Edmonton, Alberta
Spouse(s)	Exilda Bourre
Children	2 adopted children
Profession	Butcher
Religion	Roman Catholic
Signature

Cornelius Gallagher (December 31, 1854 – October 27, 1932) was a politician in Alberta, Canada and a municipal councillor and the third mayor of Edmonton.

Biography

Gallagher was born December 31, 1854 in Saint John, New Brunswick and, as a young adult, joined his father's butchery. He and his father moved to Winnipeg in 1877, where they established wholesale and retail meat distributor P. Gallagher and Son. In 1888, Cornelius moved to Battleford, Saskatchewan, from which he supplied meat to troops suppressing the North-West Rebellion; he later supplied the North-West Mounted Police. The same year, he married Exilda Bourre; the couple would adopt two children. From 1889 to 1891 he was in Regina.

He came to Edmonton in 1891 and founded the Gallagher-Hull meat company, which he operated until his 1911 retirement. He first sought public office in 1893, when he was elected to Edmonton Town Council, placing sixth of nine candidates in an aldermanic race in which the top six candidates were elected. He was re-elected in 1894, once again placing sixth of nine candidates. Once this term expired in 1896, Gallagher stayed out of politics for several months until mayor Herbert Charles Wilson resigned over a dispute involving town funds. The council selected Gallagher as his replacement, making him the first mayor of Edmonton never to be elected to that position (Frederick John Mitchell and Terry Cavanagh would later join him in that distinction).

In the ensuing election, Gallagher elected to run for alderman rather than seeking re-election, which remains the only time in the city's history that a sitting mayor has run for alderman. He was elected, placing fifth of nine candidates, but did not seek re-election in 1897. In 1898 Gallagher ran for mayor, but was defeated by William S. Edmiston. He stayed out of politics until 1901, when he was elected to a two year term as alderman. He was defeated in his re-election bid in 1903, placing fifth of nine candidates (the staggered two year aldermanic terms meant that only three of the council's six aldermen were elected each election). His last bid for office took place during the 1907 election, when he placed eleventh of twelve candidates in the aldermanic race.

Gallagher in his younger years.

Cornelius Gallagher was a member of the Edmonton Board of Trade and was the first President of the Edmonton Exhibition Association. He was a member of the Conservative Party of Alberta and the Roman Catholic Church. He died in 1932.

Gallagher Park in Edmonton is named in his honour.

References

• Edmonton Public Library biography of Cornelius Gallagher
• City of Edmonton biography of Cornelius Gallagher
• Excerpt from the Edmonton Daily, December 7 1907
• Report to the Edmonton City Council Executive Committee including a list of aldermen who have been honoured in the names of Edmonton's features

Persondata
Name	Gallagher, Cornelius
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	December 31, 1854
Place of birth	Saint John, New Brunswick
Date of death	October 27, 1932
Place of death	Edmonton, Alberta