Kenny Blatchford (2 July 1882 – 31 July 1938) was a Canadian businessman and politician who served as mayor of Edmonton, Alberta, from 1923 to 1926 and later as a Liberal Member of Parliament for Edmonton West from 1935 until his death in 1938.
Early life and education
Blatchford was born in Dufferin County, Ontario. He received his early education in the local school system and later relocated to Edmonton in 1905, where he entered the construction and contracting industry.
Municipal career
After establishing himself in business, Blatchford entered municipal politics, being elected to Edmonton City Council as an alderman. He was subsequently elected mayor in the 1923 municipal election and served three consecutive one‑year terms (1923‑1924, 1924‑1925, 1925‑1926). His mayoralty focused on infrastructure development, including road paving and water‑supply improvements, and he was noted for promoting civic pride during a period of rapid population growth.
Federal politics
Transitioning to federal politics, Blatchford ran as a Liberal candidate in the 1935 Canadian federal election and won the Edmonton West seat, defeating the incumbent. He sat in the House of Commons during the 18th Canadian Parliament, supporting the government's response to the Great Depression and advocating for western Canadian interests. He was re‑elected in the 1940 election campaign, but his term was cut short by his death.
Personal life and death
Blatchford married and had children; details of his family life remain sparsely documented in publicly available sources. He died on 31 July 1938 in Edmonton while still serving as an MP. The cause of death was reported as a sudden heart attack.
Legacy
Kenny Blatchford is remembered in Edmonton through several place names, most notably the neighbourhood of Blatchford, a redevelopment of the former City Centre Airport site, named in his honour to recognize his contributions to the city's development. His tenure as mayor and MP is regarded as part of Edmonton's early 20th‑century civic and political history.