William S. Edmiston | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 5th Mayor of Edmonton | |
| In office December 13, 1897 – December 11, 1899 | |
| Preceded by | John Alexander McDougall |
| Succeeded by | Kenneth W. MacKenzie |
| Alderman on the Edmonton Town Council | |
| In office January 14, 1895 – December 14, 1896 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 10, 1857 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Died | July 24, 1903 (aged 45) Edmonton, District of Alberta North-West Territory, Canada |
| Spouse | Georgina E. Edmiston |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Signature |  |
William Somerville Edmiston (November 10, 1857 – July 24, 1903) was an architect and politician in present-day Alberta, Canada. He was a member of the Edmonton Town Council and for two terms, the mayor of Edmonton.
Originally a native of Scotland, Edmiston came to Canada to settle in Clover Bar, Northwest Territories in the early 1880s. After living there for about ten years, he relocated to nearby Edmonton where he would employ himself as an architect, the first ever in the town. Engaging in a partnership with another fellow architect, his firm would design some of the first buildings in the newly developing town. He would also involve himself with the town's politics, sitting on the Edmonton Town Council, and later serving out two terms as Mayor of Edmonton, from 1897 to 1899. During his time as mayor, he involved himself in local affairs as well as run his architectural business. He would also lobby for a new bridge to be built over the North Saskatchewan River, connecting Edmonton with the town of Strathcona. He would voluntarily relinquish his position as mayor and not run in the 1899 election, opting to retire.
Edmiston was also very active in the sporting affairs of Edmonton, participating in and managing many sporting activities and clubs. He died after an accident which resulted in heart failure in 1903; an industrial park in Edmonton was subsequently named after him.