Grant Notley
| Grant Notley | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta | |
| In office August 30, 1971 – October 19, 1984 | |
| Preceded by | New district |
| Succeeded by | Jim Gurnett |
| Constituency | Spirit River-Fairview |
| Leader of the Alberta New Democratic Party | |
| In office 1969 – October 19, 1984 | |
| Preceded by | Neil Reimer |
| Succeeded by | Ray Martin |
| Leader of the Official Opposition in Alberta | |
| In office 1982 – October 19, 1984 | |
| Preceded by | Raymond Speaker |
| Succeeded by | Ray Martin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 19, 1939 Didsbury, Alberta |
| Died | October 19, 1984 (aged 45) near High Prairie, Alberta |
| Political party | Alberta NDP |
| Children | Rachel, Paul and Stephen |
| Occupation | politician |
Walter Grant Notley (January 19, 1939 – October 19, 1984) was a provincial politician in Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1971 to 1984 and also served as leader of the Alberta NDP from 1968 to 1984.
Early life
Notley graduated from the University of Alberta in 1960 with a history degree. After having been involved with the Alberta New Democratic Party in campus politics, he became the party's provincial secretary in 1962.
Political career
Notley ran for a seat to the Alberta Legislature for the first time in the 1963 as a candidate for the Alberta NDP. He was easily defeated finishing last in the four way race losing to incumbent Edgar Gerhart.[1]
He also ran 1967 provincial elections, and in a 1969 by-election. Notley was elected leader of the Alberta NDP in 1968.
Notley ran in the 1971 provincial election, he won a seat in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in the electoral district of Spirit River-Fairview defeating incumbent Adolph Fimrite.[2] He served as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Spirit River-Fairview, and was, for eleven years, the sole NDP MLA in the provincial legislature.
As a result of the 1982 provincial election, he was joined by a second NDP MLA, Ray Martin, and became leader of the opposition. Notley spent his political career patiently building the social democratic NDP in one of Canada's most conservative provinces.
In October 1984, Notley and five other passengers were killed in a plane crash among whose survivors was Larry Shaben. His death came shortly before the party's breakthrough in the 1986 provincial election in which the NDP won 16 seats with 29% of the vote.
Notley's daughter, Rachel Notley, ran for the NDP and was elected in the provincial riding of Edmonton Strathcona in the 2008 provincial election. His son, Stephen Notley, writes the popular newspaper and web comic strip Bob the Angry Flower.[3]
References
- ↑ "Edmonton North West Official Results 1963 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
- ↑ "Spirit River-Fairview results 1971". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
- ↑ "EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Bob the Angry Flower reflects on 20 years". GigCity, September 1, 2012.
External links
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