John Clifford Leslie (June 15, 1920 – December 27, 2010) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

politician and businessman and the first native-born Calgarian elected as mayor of the city. Born in

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...

, Jack Leslie received his primary and secondary school education in Calgary and attended the University of Alberta. With the outbreak of war, he left his studies in Edmonton and joined the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

. He saw four years service as a pilot. Following the war, he obtained his A.A.C.I. degree from the Appraisal Institute of Canada and began to pursue a career in real estate. In 1962, he ran for City Council and was elected as the representative for Ward 4. Jack Leslie served four years as an Alderman. He was instrumental in establishing the School Board Liaison Committee; led a successful fight to keep the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

tracks off the banks of the

Bow River The Bow River is a river in Alberta, Canada. It begins within the Canadian Rocky Mountains and winds through the Alberta foothills onto the prairies, where it meets the Oldman River, the two then forming the South Saskatchewan River. These w ...

; developed Nose Hill and

Confederation A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

parks; helped achieve "International" Airport status for Calgary; established the Airport Authority. Leslie was elected mayor in 1965; he was the first native-born Calgarian to be elected mayor. During his tenure, major low-cost housing schemes were undertaken in several areas of the city, including Urban Renewal efforts; the Palliser Square project was completed and the transformation of Prince's Island into one of the city's beauty spots was begun. He also assisted in making

Deerfoot Trail Deerfoot Trail is a freeway segment of Highway 2 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It stretches the entire length of the city from south to north and links suburbs to downtown via Memorial Drive and 17 Avenue SE. The freewa ...

a safer road by implementing plans for proper intersections and cloverleafs. He served as mayor until 1969, being re-elected in 1967. Since returning to private life, Leslie has resumed his

real estate appraisal Real estate appraisal, property valuation or land valuation is the process of developing an opinion of value for real property (usually market value). Real estate transactions often require appraisals because they occur infrequently and every pro ...

business and lived in Calgary with his wife, the former Jean Logan, whom he married in 1942.Profile of Jack Leslie

References

Sources

* ''Three Rivers Beckoned: Life & Times with Calgary Mayor Jack Leslie'', by Jean Leslie {{DEFAULTSORT:Leslie, Jack 1920 births 2010 deaths Mayors of Calgary Canadian military personnel of World War II Calgary city councillors 20th-century Canadian politicians