Herbert Baker was a politician in Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 and a municipal councillor in Edmonton

Edmonton

Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...

.

Early life

Herbert Baker was born at Hull

Kingston upon Hull

Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...

, Yorkshire

Yorkshire

Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. In 1882, after being educated as public school, he emigrated to Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, where he joined the Massey Manufacturing Co. in Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

. There, he married Grace T. Willis on June 3, 1889; the couple would have two sons and a daughter. He was promoted to manage the company's office in Winnipeg

Winnipeg

Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...

 in 1904, and was promoted again in 1910 to manage all of the company's activities in northern Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

. During this time, he was based in Edmonton

Edmonton

Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...

, where he retired in 1926.

Political career

Baker first sought election in the 1926 municipal election

Edmonton municipal election, 1926

The 1926 municipal election was held December 13, 1926 to elect a mayor and six aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and three trustees to sit on the public school board...

, when he ran for alderman on Edmonton City Council

Edmonton City Council

The Edmonton City Council is the governing body of the City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors. Until 2010, Edmonton was divided in six wards with two councillors representing citizens in each ward...

 as a member of the pro-business Civic Government Association slate. He finished fourth of twelve candidates - first among the C.G.A.'s six candidates - and was elected to a two year term. He sought re-election at the conclusion of this term, in the 1928 election

Edmonton municipal election, 1928

The 1928 municipal election was held December 10, 1928 to elect a mayor and six aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and three trustees to sit on the public school board...

, but finished eighth of fourteen candidates and was defeated.

He returned to office the following year, winning another two year term after finishing third of fifteen candidates in the 1929 election

Edmonton municipal election, 1929

The 1929 municipal election was held December 9, 1929 to elect a mayor and five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and four trustees to sit on the public school board...

. This time, he was successful in his re-election bid, as he finished fourth of fifteen candidates in the 1931 election

Edmonton municipal election, 1931

The 1931 municipal election was held November 11, 1931 to elect a mayor and five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and four trustees to sit on the public school board .There were ten aldermen on city council, but five of the positions were already filled: James Collisson, Charles Gibbs,...

. He did not seek re-election at the conclusion of this two year term.