Michael Clark (Canadian politician)

Michael Clark (born: 12 May 1861 Belford, Northumberland, England – died: July 29, 1926 Olds, Alberta) was a Canadian physician and politician from Alberta, Canada.

Early life

Born in Belford, Northumberland, England, he immigrated to Olds, Alberta, Canada in 1902. He was a physician in England prior to immigrating to Alberta, Canada. He became involved in politics after homesteading, because he was not able to practice medicine in Canada.

Political career

Clark ran as a Liberal candidate in the Rosebud electoral district in the 1905 Alberta general election. He was defeated by Conservative candidate Cornelius Hiebert.

Clark ran for a seat to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1908 Canadian federal election in the Red Deer district as a candidate of the Liberal Party. He defeated Conservative candidate George Root to win in the new riding, to start his first term in office. Clark ran for his second term in office in the 1911 Canadian federal election; this time, he defeated Conservative challenger and future Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Alexander McGillivray.

Clark joined the board of directors for the University of Alberta in 1911 and served in that position for a year.

In 1917, he ran for his 3rd term in office as a supporter of the Unionist government and was successful, defeating former Alberta MLA William Puffer. Clark joined the Progressive Party of Canada in 1920 but returned to the Liberals just a year later due to his opposition of class based politics practiced by the United Farmers of Alberta.

He ran for the Liberals in the Mackenzie electoral district in Saskatchewan in the 1921 Canadian federal election but was defeated by Progressive candidate Milton Neil Campbell and lost his seat.

External links

• "Michael Clark". Dictionary of Canadian Biography (online ed.). University of Toronto Press. 1979–2005. 
• Michael Clark – Parliament of Canada biography