Kenny Blatchford

Kenneth Alexander Blatchford (March 5, 1882 – April 20, 1933) was a Canadian politician who served as both mayor of Edmonton, Alberta and a member of the Canadian House of Commons.

Early life

Kenny Blatchford was born in Minnedosa, Manitoba. He was educated at a commercial college, and was an excellent wrestler and all-around athlete as a youth.

He moved to Edmonton with his parents by ox-cart during the 1890s, and began selling newspapers. During the Klondike Gold Rush, he took over operation of the grist mill operated by Daniel Fraser, and later worked in the Edmonton Power Plant. He married Grace Lauder Walker on 19 December 1904, with whom he would have two sons and a daughter.

Kenny Blatchford was a member of the Presbyterian Church in Canada.

Municipal Politics

Blatchford first sought public office in the 1921 municipal election, when he was elected to Edmonton City Council for a one year term as an alderman, finishing fifth out of seventeen candidates. While the top five candidates were to have been elected to two year terms, with the sixth and seventh place finishers winning one year terms, Bickerton Pratt, who finished seventh, won a two year term by virtue of being from the south side of the North Saskatchewan River; resultingly, Blatchford won only a one year term.