James Weir (politician)

James Weir
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
In office
7 June 1917 (1917-06-07) – 18 July 1921 (1921-07-18)
Preceded byJohn M. Glendenning
Succeeded byDaniel Harcourt Galbraith
ConstituencyNanton
Personal details
Born(1863-08-05)5 August 1863
Died8 April 1949(1949-04-08) (aged 85)
PartyNon-Partisan League

James Weir (August 5, 1863 – April 8, 1949) was a provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada. He was one of he first elected in Alberta of the new wave of politicians, standing up for farmers and workers as a third-party representative, neither Liberal nor Conservative.

Early life

He was born in Elginfield, Canada West.[1]

A journalist by trade, he edited newspapers in Hamilton, Windsor, Saskatoon and Strathcona (now part of Edmonton).[2]

Becoming a farmer in the Nanton area, he was active in the United Farmers of Alberta.[3]

Political history

Weir was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in the 1917 Alberta general election. In the district of Nanton, he defeated incumbent MLA John Glendenning in a hotly contested three-way race that separated first from third place by 31 votes. Weir was elected as an Independent and affiliated with the leftist Non-Partisan League.

Weir only served a single term in the assembly. He did not run again after dissolution of the Legislature in 1921.[4]

References

  1. ^ Normandin, Pierre G.; Normandin, A. Léopold (1922). The Canadian Parliamentary Guide 1920. Gale Canada. p. 499. Retrieved 2016-02-02.
  2. ^ Gloria M. Strathearn, Alberta Newspapers, 1880-1982, p. 450
  3. ^ Gloria M. Strathearn, Alberta Newspapers, 1880-1982, p. 450
  4. ^ "Nanton electoral district history". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Archived from the original on 2011-06-12. Retrieved 2008-02-17.