Ivor Dent
Encyclopedia
Ivor Graham Dent, was a politician from Alberta
, Canada
, a mayor of Edmonton
, and a former candidate for the Canadian House of Commons
and the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
.
on February 7, 1924. During World War II
, he attempted to enlist in the Royal Canadian Air Force
, but was rejected. He subsequently took work as an office boy for Canadian Pacific until he was accepted to the air force a year later; he worked as a bomb aimer for three years.
After the war, he married his wife, Aileen, in 1948 while he was studying science at the University of Saskatchewan
; the couple would have four children. Ivor Dent graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
in science in 1949.
Three years later, he and his wife moved to Edmonton and Dent enrolled at the University of Alberta
, from which he earned a Bachelor of Education
. After earning his second degree, he moved to Enchant, Alberta
, where he taught for a year before returning to Edmonton to teach. He earned his third university degree, a Master of Administration, from the University of Alberta in 1956 and continued to teach.
, when he ran in Edmonton
for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
. He placed twenty-fifth of thirty candidates in the first ballot (the riding used a single transferable vote
electoral system at the time) and was eliminated from contention on subsequent ballots.
Dent turned his attention to municipal politics; In the 1957 municipal election
, he ran for alderman on Edmonton City Council
. He finished seventh out of nineteen, falling short of the top five placing needed to be elected. Efforts during the 1959
and 1960
elections (in which he placed tenth of seventeen and eighth of fifteen, respectively) were similarly unsuccessful, and Dent took a two year hiatus from politics to earn his doctorate in educational administration from the University of Oregon
.
Upon his return to Edmonton, he ran in the 1963 federal election
in Edmonton East
for the New Democratic Party
. He finished fourth of five candidates, defeating only Communist
W A Tuomi as incumbent Progressive Conservative
William Skoreyko
was handily re-elected.
Dent was finally elected to office in the 1963 municipal election
, when he was one of six candidates elected to a one year aldermanic term (he placed fourth of sixteen). He was re-elected to a two year term in the 1964 municipal election
, in which he placed fifth of forty-six candidates, and in the 1966 election
, in which he placed second out of forty-four candidates.
, in which he defeated his fellow aldermen Reginald Easton and John Leslie Bodie in a close three-way race (he was the first mayor elected to a three year, rather than a two year, term). He was re-elected in 1971
, when he survived a challenge from alderman Julian Kinisky, but his second term didn't go as smoothly as the first. A damaging transit strike cost Dent support from all sides.
In the 1974 election
, Dent faced credible challenges from former mayor William Hawrelak
(who had returned to municipal politics after vowing never to do so) and alderman Cec Purves
. He wound up losing to both of them, as Hawrelak was elected and Dent relegated to third place in a seven candidate field.
Although he was long since out of office by the time they occurred, Dent is credited by some with bringing the 1978 Commonwealth Games
to Edmonton.
until 2001.
He attempted to reclaim his old office in the 1977 election
, but finished in fourth place after the victor Purves, alderman Laurence Decore
(himself a future mayor), and Terry Cavanagh
(the alderman Council had selected to complete the deceased Hawrelak's term). He would not return to municipal politics, but ran in a 1986 federal by-election in Pembina
for the New Democratic Party
. Although he entered the race as the favourite, he was narrowly defeated by Progressive Conservative
Walter van de Walle
.
He was admitted as a Member to the Order of Canada
in 1984, and was awarded the Alberta Centennial Medal in 2005. He was defeated in a 1990 bid for the chairmanship of the Commonwealth Games Federation.
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...
, a mayor of 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...
, and a former candidate for the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
and the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
.
Early life
Ivor Dent was born in Prince Albert, SaskatchewanPrince Albert, Saskatchewan
Prince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is situated in the centre of the province on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The city is known as the "Gateway to the North" because it is the last major centre along the route to the resources of northern Saskatchewan...
on February 7, 1924. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he attempted to enlist in the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
, but was rejected. He subsequently took work as an office boy for Canadian Pacific until he was accepted to the air force a year later; he worked as a bomb aimer for three years.
After the war, he married his wife, Aileen, in 1948 while he was studying science at the University of Saskatchewan
University of Saskatchewan
The University of Saskatchewan is a Canadian public research university, founded in 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An "Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan" was passed by the...
; the couple would have four children. Ivor Dent graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in science in 1949.
Three years later, he and his wife moved to Edmonton and Dent enrolled at the University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
, from which he earned a Bachelor of Education
Bachelor of Education
A Bachelor of Education is an undergraduate academic degree which qualifies the graduate as a teacher in schools.-North America:...
. After earning his second degree, he moved to Enchant, Alberta
Enchant, Alberta
Enchant is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within the Municipal District of Taber. It is located on Highway 526 and the Canadian Pacific Railway, between Vauxhall and Lomond. It has an elevation of .The hamlet is located in census division No...
, where he taught for a year before returning to Edmonton to teach. He earned his third university degree, a Master of Administration, from the University of Alberta in 1956 and continued to teach.
Early political career
Dent's first bid for office took place during the 1955 Alberta electionAlberta general election, 1955
The Alberta general election of 1955 was the thirteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on June 29, 1955 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
, when he ran in Edmonton
Edmonton (provincial electoral district)
Edmonton provincial electoral district existed in two incarnations from 1905 - 1909 and again from 1921 - 1955. The district was created when Alberta first became a province....
for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Alberta New Democratic Party
The Alberta New Democratic Party or Alberta NDP is a social-democratic political party in Alberta, Canada, which was originally founded as the Alberta section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...
. He placed twenty-fifth of thirty candidates in the first ballot (the riding used a single transferable vote
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
electoral system at the time) and was eliminated from contention on subsequent ballots.
Dent turned his attention to municipal politics; In the 1957 municipal election
Edmonton municipal election, 1957
The 1957 municipal election was held November 3, 1957 to elect a mayor and five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and four trustees to sit on the public school board...
, 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...
. He finished seventh out of nineteen, falling short of the top five placing needed to be elected. Efforts during the 1959
Edmonton municipal election, 1959
The 1959 municipal election was held October 14, 1959 to elect a mayor and five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and four trustees to sit on each of the public and separate school boards...
and 1960
Edmonton municipal election, 1960
The 1960 Edmonton, Alberta municipal election was held October 19, 1960 to elect five aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and three trustees to sit on each of the public and separate school boards...
elections (in which he placed tenth of seventeen and eighth of fifteen, respectively) were similarly unsuccessful, and Dent took a two year hiatus from politics to earn his doctorate in educational administration from the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
.
Upon his return to Edmonton, he ran in the 1963 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1963
The Canadian federal election of 1963 was held on April 8 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 26th Parliament of Canada. It resulted in the defeat of the minority Progressive Conservative government of Prime Minister John Diefenbaker.-Overview:During the Tories' last year in...
in Edmonton East
Edmonton East
Edmonton East is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1917.The district includes a portion of the city of Edmonton.-Geography:...
for the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
. He finished fourth of five candidates, defeating only Communist
Communist Party of Canada
The Communist Party of Canada is a communist political party in Canada. Although is it currently a minor or small political party without representation in the Federal Parliament or in provincial legislatures, historically the Party has elected representatives in Federal Parliament, Ontario...
W A Tuomi as incumbent Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
William Skoreyko
William Skoreyko
William Skoreyko was a businessman, service station owner, and a long serving Canadian federal politician from 1958 to 1979....
was handily re-elected.
Dent was finally elected to office in the 1963 municipal election
Edmonton municipal election, 1963
The 1963 municipal election was held October 16, 1963 to elect a mayor and six aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and four trustees to sit on each of the public and separate school boards...
, when he was one of six candidates elected to a one year aldermanic term (he placed fourth of sixteen). He was re-elected to a two year term in the 1964 municipal election
Edmonton municipal election, 1964
The 1964 Edmonton municipal election was held October 14, 1964 to elect a mayor and twelve aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and seven trustees to sit on each of the public and separate school boards....
, in which he placed fifth of forty-six candidates, and in the 1966 election
Edmonton municipal election, 1966
The 1966 municipal election was held October 19, 1966 to elect a mayor and twelve aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and seven trustees to sit on each of the public and separate school boards...
, in which he placed second out of forty-four candidates.
Mayor
After five years as an alderman, Dent ran for mayor in the 1968 electionEdmonton municipal election, 1968
The 1968 municipal election was held October 16, 1968 to elect a mayor and twelve aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and seven trustees to sit on each of the public and separate school boards. The electorate also decided three plebiscite questions....
, in which he defeated his fellow aldermen Reginald Easton and John Leslie Bodie in a close three-way race (he was the first mayor elected to a three year, rather than a two year, term). He was re-elected in 1971
Edmonton municipal election, 1971
The 1971 municipal election was held October 13, 1971 to elect a mayor and twelve aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and seven trustees to sit on each of the public and separate school boards.This was the first election in which a ward system was used...
, when he survived a challenge from alderman Julian Kinisky, but his second term didn't go as smoothly as the first. A damaging transit strike cost Dent support from all sides.
In the 1974 election
Edmonton municipal election, 1974
The 1974 municipal election was held October 16, 1974 to elect a mayor and twelve aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and seven trustees to sit on each of the public and separate school boards.-Voter turnout:...
, Dent faced credible challenges from former mayor William Hawrelak
William Hawrelak
William Hawrelak was a politician in Alberta, Canada, the longest-serving mayor in Edmonton's history, and a candidate for election to the Canadian House of Commons.-Early life:...
(who had returned to municipal politics after vowing never to do so) and alderman Cec Purves
Cec Purves
Cecil John Harry Purves is a politician in Alberta, Canada, who served as mayor of Edmonton.-Early life:Purves was born in Edmonton on October 18, 1933. He grew up in the city's Riverdale district and graduated high school in the city...
. He wound up losing to both of them, as Hawrelak was elected and Dent relegated to third place in a seven candidate field.
Although he was long since out of office by the time they occurred, Dent is credited by some with bringing the 1978 Commonwealth Games
1978 Commonwealth Games
The 1978 Commonwealth Games were held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, from 3 to 12 August 1978, two years after the 1976 Summer Olympics were held in Montreal, Quebec...
to Edmonton.
Further elections, awards, and retirement
After his defeat, Dent went to Oxford University to study public administration. Upon his return to Canada, he became the principal of Rundle Elementary School, where he stayed until his retirement in 1980. In 1995 he joined the Board of Directors of SOS Children's Villages CanadaSOS Children's Villages Canada
SOS Children's Villages Canada is a registered charity in Canada. It is a member of the world's largest charity for orphaned and abandoned children....
until 2001.
He attempted to reclaim his old office in the 1977 election
Edmonton municipal election, 1977
The 1977 municipal election was held October 19, 1977 to elect a mayor and twelve aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council, nine trustees to sit on the public school board, and seven trustees to sit on the separate school board....
, but finished in fourth place after the victor Purves, alderman Laurence Decore
Laurence Decore
Laurence G. Decore, CM was a Ukrainian-Canadian lawyer and politician from Alberta. He was mayor of Edmonton, a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, and leader of the Alberta Liberal Party.- Early life :...
(himself a future mayor), and Terry Cavanagh
Terry Cavanagh
Terence James Cavanagh is a Canadian politician, municipal councillor in Edmonton, Alberta, who served as mayor. He was Edmonton's first native-born mayor.-Early life:...
(the alderman Council had selected to complete the deceased Hawrelak's term). He would not return to municipal politics, but ran in a 1986 federal by-election in Pembina
Pembina (Alberta electoral district)
Pembina was a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1988.This riding was created in 1966 from parts of Athabaska, Edmonton West, Jasper—Edson and Vegreville ridings....
for the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
. Although he entered the race as the favourite, he was narrowly defeated by Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
Walter van de Walle
Walter van de Walle
Walter van de Walle was a Canadian politician from Alberta and former member of the Canadian House of Commons....
.
He was admitted as a Member to the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
in 1984, and was awarded the Alberta Centennial Medal in 2005. He was defeated in a 1990 bid for the chairmanship of the Commonwealth Games Federation.