Cec Purves facts for kids

Cecil John Harry "Cec" Purves (born October 18, 1933) is a Canadian politician. He is best known for serving as the Mayor of Edmonton, Alberta, a big city in Canada. He was the mayor from 1977 to 1983. Before becoming mayor, he was an Alderman (a city council member) for Edmonton.

Early Life and Family

Cec Purves was born in Edmonton on October 18, 1933. He grew up in different parts of the city, including Calder and Riverdale. He attended Victoria High School and Strathcona High School, graduating in 1950.

On December 29, 1956, Cec Purves married Clare Heller. They had four daughters together: Cindy, Corinne, Caroline, and Catherine.

Before his political career, Purves worked at the Dominion Bank from 1950 to 1959. After that, he worked for his family's business, Apex Auto Upholstering, until 1988. He also served as a bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was the first person born in Edmonton to hold this position in the city.

Political Career Highlights

Cec Purves first tried to enter politics in 1964. He ran to be a school trustee but was not elected that time.

Becoming an Alderman

In 1966, he ran for Edmonton City Council as an Alderman. He was successfully elected and served the city. He was re-elected in 1968. In 1971, Edmonton changed how aldermen were elected. The city was divided into wards, and Purves was elected from Ward 2.

Running for Mayor

In 1974, Purves ran for mayor but did not win. The winner, William Hawrelak, sadly passed away while in office. Terry Cavanagh, an alderman, became the new mayor.

In 1977, Cec Purves ran for mayor again, challenging Terry Cavanagh. This time, he won the election! He also easily won re-election in 1980, getting more than 70% of the votes.

Major Achievements as Mayor

During Cec Purves' time as mayor, Edmonton saw many exciting changes and big projects.

Hosting the Commonwealth Games

One of the biggest events was the 1978 Commonwealth Games. These were international sports competitions held in Edmonton. A new sports venue, Commonwealth Stadium, was built for the games. Even Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip attended the opening ceremony, making it a huge success worldwide.

Building the Convention Centre

In 1979, Edmontonians voted to build a new convention centre. Cec Purves strongly supported this idea. Despite some people being against it, he made sure the centre was completed in 1983.

The University Games

Purves also helped Edmonton bid for and host the 1983 University Games (also known as the Universiade). This was another major international sports event. Prince Charles and Princess Diana attended and opened these games, which was very exciting for the city.

Improving City Services

Under Purves' leadership, the city also made important improvements to its transportation and infrastructure.

• He opened the first part of Edmonton's LRT (Light Rail Transit) system. He also started the project to extend the LRT to the Government Centre, which was later finished.
• In 1981, he introduced a plan to reduce the city's debt. The city council approved this plan, and Edmonton later received praise for its smart financial decisions.
• He pushed for building more major roadways across the city to help with traffic.
• A modern downtown Police Station was built during his term.
• He appointed the first Auditor General for the City of Edmonton. This person helps make sure the city's money is spent wisely.

City Growth and Development

Purves was very focused on Edmonton's future growth.

• He worked to expand the city's boundaries through a process called annexation. This was the largest annexation in Edmonton's history.
• He appointed Fred Windwick to lead the celebrations for Edmonton's 75th anniversary, which were very successful.
• He worked with the provincial government to create a special gift for the province: a beautiful speaker's canopy at the legislature building.
• He supported the building of the Kinsmen Field House, a sports facility.
• He fought to protect the beautiful North Saskatchewan River Valley and helped the city acquire more land there.
• He worked with the Alberta Government on developing the Capital City Recreation Park.
• He also pushed the provincial government to help pay for building ring roads around the city.
• He successfully fought with the federal government to keep the municipal airport open, as it was important for the city's development.

End of Mayoral Term

In the 1983 election, Cec Purves was defeated by Laurence Decore. After this, he did not run for political office again.

Retirement and Community Involvement

After his time as mayor, Cec Purves remained active in the community. He served on the boards of many important organizations, including:

• St. Joseph's Hospital
• The Edmonton Police Commission
• The Edmonton Public Library
• The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce
• The Edmonton Symphony Society

He was also a member of the Edmonton Exhibition Association. In 1962, he was president of the Edmonton Jaycees, a group for young men. He received the Jaycees Senate Award and was chosen twice as one of the 10 outstanding young men in Alberta.

From 1974 to 1977, Purves served as a bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He held many other roles within the church over the years. He also served as president of the Edmonton chapter of The Canadian Mental Health Association.