Frank Gainer

Francis Leo Gainer
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
In office
June 29, 1955  May 23, 1967
Preceded by Lee Leavitt
Succeeded by Clarence Copithorne
Constituency Banff-Cochrane
Personal details
Born February 12, 1888
Arthur, Ontario[1]
Died March 10, 1975(1975-03-10) (aged 87)
Political party Coalition
Occupation politician

Francis "Frank" Leo 'Pop' Gainer (February 12, 1888 – March 10, 1975) was a provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1955 to 1967. During his time in office he sat as a Coalition member in the legislature as a supporter of both the Progressive Conservative and Liberal parties.

Political career

Gainer ran for a seat to the Alberta Legislature in the 1955 general election. He defeated Social Credit incumbent Lee Leavitt running as a Coalition candidate.[2]

He ran for a second term in office in the 1959 Alberta general election. The election was hotly contested with Gainer just barely hanging onto his seat. He won the straight fight against Social Credit candidate Robin Echlin by just 71 votes.[3]

Due to Gainer's Coalition label, it was thought that he would be chosen as leader of the official opposition after the 1959 general election. There were only four opposition candidates elected to the Legislature and those four were under all different banners with Ernest Watkins being Progressive Conservative and Michael Maccagno being Liberal it was predicted that Gainer would unite them to form a three man opposition.[4] No opposition leader was chosen during that legislature however.

Gainer ran for a third term in office in the 1963 Alberta general election. He was returned to office with a slightly smaller vote share then in 1959 defeating two other candidates.[5]

Gainer retired from the Legislature at dissolution in 1967.[6]

References

  1. "Banff-Cochrane Official Results 1955 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
  2. "Banff-Cochrane Official Results 1959 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
  3. "Official Opposition". Vol LII No. 168. The Lethbridge Daily Herald. June 29, 1959. p. 4.
  4. "Banff-Cochrane Official Results 1963 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
  5. "Parties Haul In Big Gains". Vol LX No. 123. The Lethbridge Daily Herald. May 6, 1967. p. 1.
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