Frank Gainer

Francis Leo "Frank" "Pop" Gainer (February 12, 1888 – March 10, 1975) was a politician from Alberta, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1955 to 1967 as a member of a coalition of the Progressive Conservative and Liberal parties.

Francis Leo Gainer
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
In office
June 29, 1955 – May 23, 1967
Preceded byLee Leavitt
Succeeded byClarence Copithorne
ConstituencyBanff-Cochrane
Personal details
BornFebruary 12, 1888
Arthur, Ontario[1]
DiedMarch 10, 1975(1975-03-10) (aged 87)
Political partyCoalition
Occupationpolitician

Political career

Gainer first ran for a seat to the Alberta Legislature in the 1955 general election. He defeated Social Credit incumbent Lee Leavitt in the riding of Banff-Cochrane.[2]

In the 1959 general election he defeated Social Credit candidate Robin Echlin in a straight fight by just 71 votes.[3]

Due to Gainer's Coalition label, it was thought that he would be chosen leader of the official opposition after the 1959 election. There were only four members of the opposition elected to the Legislature, each elected under a different banner. It was predicted that Gainer would join Progressive Conservative MLA Ernest Watkins and Liberal MLA Michael Maccagno to form a three-man opposition.[4] No opposition leader was chosen during that legislature however.

In the 1963 general election he was returned to office with a slightly smaller share of the vote than in 1959 over two other candidates.[5]

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

References
  1. "Guide Parlementaire Canadien". 1966.
  2. "Banff-Cochrane Official Results 1955 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
  3. "Banff-Cochrane Official Results 1959 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
  4. "Official Opposition". Vol LII No. 168. The Lethbridge Daily Herald. June 29, 1959. p. 4.
  5. "Banff-Cochrane Official Results 1963 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
  6. "Parties Haul In Big Gains". Vol LX No. 123. The Lethbridge Daily Herald. May 6, 1967. p. 1.
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