William Switzer
Encyclopedia
William Alexander Switzer ( - June 30, 1969) was a provincial politician from Alberta
, Canada
. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
from 1965 to 1969 sitting with the Liberal caucus in opposition.
as a candidate for the provincial Liberal
party in the electoral district of Edson. He was defeated in a closely two way race by Norman Willmore
.
Switzer faced Willmore and another candidate for the second time in the 1955 Alberta general election
. He would again finish a close second but was not able to win the seat.
Switzer ran for a seat to the Canadian House of Commons
in the 1963 Canadian federal election
as the Liberal
candidate in the Jasper–Edson electoral district. He finished a distant third place losing to incumbent Hugh Horner
.
Two years late Switzer attempted another run at the provincial level. He ran as a candidate in a by-election held on March 29, 1965 and the electoral district of Edson to pick the seat up for his party. The race was hotly contested by all four candidates. Switzer edged out Alberta NDP
leader Neil Reimer
by just over 100 votes to take the seat.
Switzer would run for a second term in office in the 1967 Alberta general election
. He would face Reimer for the second election as well as Social Credit candidate Arthur Jorgensen. The three way race was hotly contested. Switzer hung on defeating Jorgensen by over 800 votes while Reimer finished a close third place.
Switzer died while still holding office on June 30, 1969. The provincial government named William A. Switzer Provincial Park
in his honor.
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
from 1965 to 1969 sitting with the Liberal caucus in opposition.
Political career
Switzer attempted to run for office to the Alberta Legislature in the 1952 Alberta general electionAlberta general election, 1952
The Alberta general election of 1952 was the twelfth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on August 5, 1952 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.Ernest C...
as a candidate for the provincial Liberal
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
party in the electoral district of Edson. He was defeated in a closely two way race by Norman Willmore
Norman Willmore
Norman Alfred Willmore was a provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1944 until his death in 1965 sitting with the Social Credit caucus in government...
.
Switzer faced Willmore and another candidate for the second time in the 1955 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1955
The Alberta general election of 1955 was the thirteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on June 29, 1955 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. He would again finish a close second but was not able to win the seat.
Switzer ran for a seat to the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
in the 1963 Canadian federal election
Canadian federal election, 1963
The Canadian federal election of 1963 was held on April 8 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 26th Parliament of Canada. It resulted in the defeat of the minority Progressive Conservative government of Prime Minister John Diefenbaker.-Overview:During the Tories' last year in...
as the Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
candidate in the Jasper–Edson electoral district. He finished a distant third place losing to incumbent Hugh Horner
Hugh Horner
Hugh Macarthur Horner was a physician and surgeon. He served as a Canadian federal and provincial politician. Horner was born in Blaine Lake, Saskatchewan...
.
Two years late Switzer attempted another run at the provincial level. He ran as a candidate in a by-election held on March 29, 1965 and the electoral district of Edson to pick the seat up for his party. The race was hotly contested by all four candidates. Switzer edged out Alberta NDP
Alberta New Democratic Party
The Alberta New Democratic Party or Alberta NDP is a social-democratic political party in Alberta, Canada, which was originally founded as the Alberta section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...
leader Neil Reimer
Neil Reimer
Neil Reimer , was an activist, trade unionist and former political figure in Canada.After leaving the University of Saskatchewan in 1942 at the age of 19, Reimer went to work at the Consumers Co-operative Refinery, in Regina, Saskatchewan. He immediately joined a Congress of Industrial...
by just over 100 votes to take the seat.
Switzer would run for a second term in office in the 1967 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1967
The Alberta general election of 1967 was the sixteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on May 23, 1967 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. He would face Reimer for the second election as well as Social Credit candidate Arthur Jorgensen. The three way race was hotly contested. Switzer hung on defeating Jorgensen by over 800 votes while Reimer finished a close third place.
Switzer died while still holding office on June 30, 1969. The provincial government named William A. Switzer Provincial Park
William A. Switzer Provincial Park
William A. Switzer Provincial Park is a provincial park in Alberta, Canada.It is located on both sides of the Bighorn Highway, between Grande Cache and Hinton. Various campgrounds are maintained on the shores of Gregg Lake, Cache Lake, Blue Lake and Jarvis Lake.The park is situated in the Canadian...
in his honor.