Julia Kiniski (born 1899 in

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- d. October 11, 1969 in

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), was a four-term aldermen on the

Edmonton City Council The Edmonton City Council is the governing body of the City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Edmonton currently has one mayor and twelve city councillors. Elections are held every four years. The most recent was held in 2021, and the next is in 20 ...

from 1963 until her death in 1969. Kiniski had previously been an unsuccessful candidate in 14 of the city's annual elections, between 1945 and 1962, running as an independent or as a candidate for far-left parties.

Biography

Kiniski's family emigrated to

Chipman, Alberta Chipman is a village in central Alberta, Canada within Lamont County and Census Division No. 10. It is located on Highway 15, approximately 11 km (7 mi) southeast of Lamont, 22 km (14 mi) northwest of Mundare, 70 km (44& ...

in 1912.Merrily K. Aubrey, "Kiniski Gardens", ''Naming Edmonton: From Ada to Zoie'' (2004), p. 182. At the age of sixteen she married her husband, Nicholas, with whom she raised six children, including wrestler

Gene Kiniski Eugene Nicholas Kiniski (November 23, 1928 – April 14, 2010) was a Canadian athlete who played football for the Edmonton Eskimos and then became a three-time professional wrestling world heavyweight champion. "Canada's Greatest Athlete", as he ...

. In 1936, Kiniski and her husband moved to Edmonton.Edmonton Public Library
Election biographies
. He worked as a barber, making $5 ($ today) a week, while she sold cosmetics and managed a café. Having dropped out of school after Grade 7, in later life Kiniski " rolled in

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Extension courses, studying psychology, philosophy and world affairs". During her numerous unsuccessful campaigns for local office, Kiniski "became an accomplished, albeit unconventional, speaker". As a politician, she was " own and loved as supporter of the common people", whose success spurred renewed civic involvement: As a member of the city council, " e of her pet projects... was her fight to support tenants in basement suites".Edmonton Journal, October 14, 1969, p. 1,3,10 She died of a heart attack at the age of 70, and was succeeded in office by her son, Julian Kinisky, who won his mother's vacated seat in a

1970 by-election Year 197 ( CXCVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Magius and Rufinus (or, less frequently, year 950 ''Ab urbe cond ...

. An elementary school in Edmonton is named for her, as is the neighbourhood of Kiniski Gardens.

Table of election results

Elections won are in bold. From 1899 to 1963, Edmonton held annual municipal elections, replacing half of the alderman each year. Kiniski stood for election in 14 of 18 elections from 1945 to 1962, winning in her 15th attempt in 1963. Beginning in 1964, all seats were up for election every two years.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kiniski, Julia 1899 births 1969 deaths Women municipal councillors in Canada Edmonton city councillors Women in Alberta politics 20th-century Canadian women politicians Emigrants from the Russian Empire to Canada