Thomas J. Walsh (Alberta politician)

Infobox Politician (general)
name= Thomas J. Walsh


imagesize=300
title= Alderman on the Edmonton City Council
term_start= February 16, 1912
term_end= December 8, 1913
death_date= July 15, 1945
profession= Teacher, hotelier, real estate developer

Thomas J. Walsh (died July 15, 1945) was a politician in Alberta, Canada. He served as alderman on the Edmonton City Council from 1912 until 1913.

Biography

Walsh came to Edmonton in approximately 1882, where he became the first principal of St. Anthony's, the city's separate (Roman Catholic) school. He later worked in the education department of the Government of Alberta before becoming a real estate developer in 1912 (he built the Commercial Hotel, which remains standing today).

He was elected to Edmonton City Council in the February 1912 municipal election, finishing eighth of eighteen candidates. As the top five finishers in the election were expected to be elected to two year terms with the next five being elected to one year terms, this would normally have resulted in Walsh being required to seek re-election in the next election. However, the terms of the amalgamation between Edmonton and Strathcona, which had been effected days before the election (with Walsh's support), required that two of the five councillors elected to two year terms come from the south side of the North Saskatchewan River, which Walsh, unlike six of the candidates to finish ahead of him, did; accordingly, he was elected to a two year term, while fifth place finisher James East received only one year. He served his term, but did not seek re-election at its conclusion.

Thomas J. Walsh died July 15, 1945, of a stroke. He was survived by a wife and two children.

References

* [http://www.edmonton.ca/CityGov/ElectionHistory/Members%20of%20Council%20Biographies.doc City of Edmonton biography of Thomas Walsh]