From Vancouver Sun, Feb. 12, 2021 review of Allan Bartley's book The Ku Klux Klan in Canada: A Century of Promoting Racism and Hate in the Peaceable Kingdom, (Formac Publishing, 2020)
"Through the 1920s and early 1930s, Klan crosses inflamed the Canadian night and inspired acts of violence against Blacks, Indigenous people, Jews and Catholics.
The Klan even had a luxurious headquarters in Vancouver’s exclusive Shaughnessy neighbourhood in the 1920s, and Klan intervention, some historians say, determined the outcome of at least one Saskatchewan election for the Conservatives." ("Book review: Squalid hate of racism, can and did happen here in Canada" by Tom Sandborn [actually a better headline would have been "Sordid racist hate can, and did, happen here in Canada")
The review goes on to say that Bartley's book also looks at recent racism in Canada.
Sandborn: "More recently, a new generation of Canadian white supremacists with Klan links or aspirations have emerged, and Bartley does a good job telling some of their stories, too."
Evidence points to the Ku Klux Klan working with the Orange Order to secure victories for the Conservative Party candidates. Such was seen with the career of A.U.G. Bury, who off and on served as Conservative MP and Edmonton mayor in the 1920s. Many suspected Bury of being a Klan member.
Recent coverage of the KKK in 1930s much emphasizes that the KKK aided Knott's first election as Edmonton's mayor in 1931. Such for example is the March 2021 Alberta Views excerpt from Bartley's book. (Many sources, even it seems Bartley's own book, have that critical election occurring in 1932.)
I have seen no evidence that Knott supported KKK activities. In fact it might well be Joe Clarke in the photo on Wikipedia article "Dan Knott," and not Knott as surmised. He had a large (white) head like Knott and in some photos is pictured wearing glasses, like Knott.
By late 1932, KKK organizers had turned to Joe Clarke as their preferred candidate. But Knott was re-elected anyway. A third candidate was in the election as well - Kenny Blatchford, who as mayor years before had helped found the Blatchford airfield (Edmonton's old municipal airport). Attacked by the KKK, he committed suicide a few months later.
The 1932 election with its wild plunges from candidate to candidate, was the KKK's end. A month later Klan king-pin J.J. Maloney went on a manic night of car crash, break and enter, and document-burning. A couple weeks after that, he was arrested and sentenced to a term in prison. He soon left the city.
Maloney returned in 1938 to assure federal Liberal candidate James MacKinnon that Conservatives would back him to keep out the SC and CCF candidates. Despite this, SC candidate Orville Kennedy was elected in the federal by-election.
Historical Outline of KKK in Edmonton politics
1925 Klan placed ads in Edmonton newspapers. (I have not seen them but read about them somewhere.)
1927-1929 A.U.G. Bury (former Conservative MP 1925-1926) served as Edmonton mayor 1927 to 1929. Many suspected Bury of being a Klan member.
1930 Bury elected MP, defeating Kenneth Blatchford. Many suspected Bury of being a Klan member.
Dec. 1929 James Douglas, who had been an MP both under the Liberal and Unionist (Conservative) label, was elected mayor
1930-1931 James Douglas served as mayor.
He (and likely other city councillors as well) prevented the Klan from renting the large city-owned auditoriums. and thus aroused on their anger.
Dec. 1931 Dan Knott, trade unionist, was elected mayor, defeating Douglas. It is said the Klan backed Knott.
August 1932 Klan burned 15-metre-tall cross at the Edmonton racetracks.
Knott is said by some to be supportive of the Klan, or at least to have been overly lenient with the Klan. But likely the same pressures were put on him at that time as politicians experience today with COVID -- whether to take safe and (correct) action or give in to public clamour. (The Klan was filling the largest halls in Edmonton at this time.)
1932 September Alberta Legislature passed incorporation bill of the local branch of the KKK.
(Branch officially dissolved in 1952.
Geoff McMaster/Mohamed Bashir: "incorporation lapsed in the 1950s when events in the U.S made the group universally reviled. But the certificate was renewed in 1980, remaining in effect until 2003." (I believe Conservative Lougheed was Alberta premier in 1980!) (https://www.ualberta.ca/arts/faculty-news/2019/february/citizen-historian-determined-to-expose-edmontons-racist-past-to-reconcile-and-move-forward.html)
Nov. 1932 Knott ran for re-election. Klan by then had moved to back a different candidate, former mayor Joe Clarke. A third candidate in the election, former mayor Kenneth Blatchford, was bullied by the Klan and a few months later committed suicide.
1932 Dec KKK king-pin J.J. Maloney went on a manic night of car crash, break and enter, and document-burning.
1933 Jan Maloney sentenced to term in prison.
1933 Fire chief (and police chief?) came out in opposition to Klan's request to burn cross again on city property.
1938 federal by-election Maloney returned to assure federal Liberal candidate James MacKinnon that Conservatives would back him to keep out the SC and CCF candidates. Despite this, SC candidate Orville Kennedy was elected anyway.
Information from
Monto. Old Strathcona Edmonton's Southside Roots, p. 425, 443, 444-445
Baergen, The KKK in Central Alberta
Rek. Municipal Elections in Edmonton.
Seeing how Klan-backed candidates often were not successful, perhaps the phenomena is like Trump in the U.S. Sensational in a bad way. Exaggerated by the media. Its popularity not a majority but weaknesses of our electoral system benefiting them on occasion.
A bad thing but an inherently-weak movement that proper democratic safeguards and balanced media coverage, proper public education and an adequate economic safety net, should have delegated to the dust bin of history sooner.
Thanks for reading.
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