Jump to content

Leonard Halmrast

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Leonard Christian Halmrast
Halmrast in 1962
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
In office
August 6, 1945 – June 17, 1963
Preceded bySolon Low
ConstituencyWarner
In office
June 17, 1963 – May 23, 1967
Succeeded byDouglas Miller
ConstituencyTaber-Warner
Minister of Public Welfare
In office
1953 – January 5, 1954
PremierErnest Manning
Preceded byWallace Cross
Succeeded byRobin Jorgenson
In office
October 15, 1962 – June 29, 1967
PremierErnest Manning
Preceded byRobin Jorgenson
Succeeded byAlfred Hooke
Minister of Agriculture
In office
January 5, 1954 – October 15, 1962
PremierErnest Manning
Preceded byDavid Ure
Succeeded byHarry Strom
Personal details
Born(1899-10-10)October 10, 1899
La Crosse, Wisconsin
DiedFebruary 7, 1979(1979-02-07) (aged 79)
Political partySocial Credit

Leonard Christian Halmrast (October 10, 1899 – February 7, 1979) was a politician from Alberta, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1945 to 1967 as a member of the Social Credit caucus in government. He held various portfolios in the cabinet of Premier Ernest Manning from 1953 to 1967.

Political career

[edit]

Halmrast first ran for a seat to the Alberta Legislature as a Social Credit candidate in a by-election held in the electoral district of Warner on August 6, 1945. He defeated H.J. Hierath, who ran as a Single Tax candidate, in a landslide to hold the seat for his party.[1]

In the 1948 general election Halmrast defeated Liberal candidate William Colliton in a two-way race.[2]

In the 1952 general election Halmrast defeated Liberal candidate George Snow by a landslide in his third two-way race in a row.[3]

Premier Ernest Manning appointed Halmrast to his cabinet in 1953. Halmrast served as Minister of Public Welfare until January 5, 1954; he was then appointed Minister of Agriculture.

In the 1955 general election Halmrast defeated Liberal candidate J.L. Evans by a smaller margin than in earlier elections.[4]

In the 1959 general election Halmrast defeated Liberal candidate Mark Stringam in his fifth consecutive straight fight.[5]

On October 15, 1962, Premier Manning shuffled Halmrast back to the Public Welfare portfolio.

Redistribution in 1963 saw the electoral district of Warner merged with Taber to become Taber-Warner. In the election held that year Halmrast was returned to office by acclamation.[6] This was the last time that a candidate was elected unopposed to the Alberta legislature.

Halmrast retired from the assembly at dissolution in 1967.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "By-elections 1905-1973". Elections Alberta. Archived from the original on June 7, 2009. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  2. ^ "Warner results 1948". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  3. ^ "Warner results 1952". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  4. ^ "Warner results 1955". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  5. ^ "Warner results 1959". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  6. ^ "Warner results 1963". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Archived from the original on June 12, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
[edit]