George S. Armstrong
| George S. Armstrong | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 11th Mayor of Edmonton | |
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In office December 12, 1910 – December 9, 1912 |
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| Preceded by | Robert Lee |
| Succeeded by | William Short |
| Alderman on the Edmonton City Council | |
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In office December 9, 1907 – December 12, 1910 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | May 16, 1867 Hopeville, Grey County, Canada West |
| Died | June 9, 1947 (aged 80) Edmonton, Alberta |
| Political party | Conservative Party of Canada |
| Spouse(s) | Jessie Mathieson |
| Profession | Druggist, businessman |
| Signature |  |
George Seale Armstrong (May 16, 1867 – June 9, 1947) was a Canadian businessman and politician. He served on the Edmonton City Council from 1907 to 1910 and as Mayor of Edmonton from 1910 to 1912.
Armstrong was born in what would soon become the province of Ontario in 1867. After briefly teaching school, he entered the business industry, as a druggist. After initially gaining experience in politics on the council of Eastnor Township, he relocated west to the city of Edmonton, Alberta. In Edmonton, he established his pharmaceutical business once again and worked briefly with his brother on real estate and construction projects. In 1907, he ran for election to the Edmonton City Council and was elected to a two-year term. In 1910, he decided to run for the mayoralty in the municipal election; uncontested as the only nominated candidate on election day, Armstrong was acclaimed to the mayor's chair for the upcoming year. During his term, several issues were brought up to attention, including the city's need of a new civic building and the possibility of two new gas plants for the city.
His first term as mayor also saw the issue of possible amalgamation of the "twin cities" of Edmonton and Strathcona, an issue that had been spoken of as a possibility in the previous few years. Approved by councils of both cities, a successful plebiscite was held, and bylaws permitting the merge were passed and Edmonton's annex of Strathcona came into effect in February 1912. Armstrong put his name up once again in the mayoral election mandated by the agreement and defeated his rival candidate, and thus became the first post-amalgamation mayor of the city of Edmonton. During his term, he introduced a new hospital, improvements to the street rail system, and commissioning a report on the expansion of the city. Another election was held later that December, and he did not stand for re-election.
Armstrong later gained employment with the Edmonton post office after leaving the office of mayor, in which he would later rise to the position of postmaster, which he served in for 14 years. Armstrong also operated his drug store once again. He remained at the post office until his retirement in 1937, and died ten years later in Edmonton at the age of 80.
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