Elmer Ernest Roper | |
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26th Mayor of Edmonton | |
In office October 14, 1959 – October 16, 1963 |
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Preceded by | Frederick John Mitchell |
Succeeded by | William Hawrelak |
Leader of the Alberta Co-operative Commonwealth Federation | |
In office 1942–1955 |
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Preceded by | Chester Ronning |
Succeeded by | Floyd Albin Johnson |
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Edmonton | |
In office September 22, 1942 – June 29, 1955 |
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Personal details | |
Born | June 4, 1893 Ingonish, Nova Scotia |
Died |
November 12, 1994 (aged 101) Victoria, British Columbia |
Political party | Alberta Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, Labour, Citizens Committee, Civic Reform Association |
Other political affiliations |
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation |
Spouse(s) | Goldie C. Bell |
Children | Three daughters and one son (G. Lyall Roper) |
Profession | Printer |
Signature |
Elmer Ernest Roper (June 4, 1893 – November 12, 1994) was a politician in Alberta, Canada. He served as leader of the Alberta Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, the mayor of Edmonton, and a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. He was also a candidate for the Canadian House of Commons.
Roper was born in Ingonish, Nova Scotia, the son of a sea captain. He was educated in Sydney, and moved west to Calgary, Alberta in 1907. There he apprenticed as a printer and found work in the Calgary Herald's press room. On June 15, 1914, he married Goldie C. Bell, with whom he would have three daughters and one son and who would predecease him by weeks.
He became involved in the labour movement as a young man, and was president of the Calgary Trades & Labour Council by 1916. His tenure in this position was short-lived, as he moved to Edmonton the following year to become the head of the Edmonton Bulletin's press room. There he took a position of leadership in running the Edmonton District Labour Council (later the Edmonton Trades & Labour Council), and was involved in the 1919 strike (a sympathy strike with the Winnipeg General Strike).
In 1921 he left the Bulletin to found his own printing business, which he would operate until his retirement. The same year, he made his first bid for elected office.
In the 1921 provincial election, Roper ran as a Labour candidate in Edmonton. He finished thirteenth of twenty-six candidates.
In 1922, Roper became secretary-treasurer of the Alberta Federation of Labour. He would hold the position for a decade. Roper edited the AF of L's official organ Alberta Labour News from 1921 to 1935when he changed the newspaper's name to People's Weekly and made it the de facto house organ of the new Alberta Co-operative Commonwealth Federation with William Irvine as co-editor.