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104-704: In 1928, the Legislative Assembly of Alberta , Canada , enacted the Sexual Sterilization Act . The Act, drafted to protect the gene pool, allowed for sterilization of mentally disabled people in order to prevent the transmission of traits to offspring deemed undesirable. At that time, eugenicists argued that mental illness , mental retardation , epilepsy , alcoholism , pauperism , certain criminal behaviours, and social defects, such as prostitution and sexual perversion , were genetically determined and inherited . Further, it

208-603: A 40-day tour that brought him to each constituency to "meet and greet" with potential voters. On August 30, Albertans went to the polls and elected Peter Lougheed's Progressive Conservative Association. The Progressive Conservatives captured 49 of 75 seats in the 17th Alberta Legislature with 46.4 per cent of the popular vote. The victory included a complete sweep of 16 electoral districts in Edmonton and 9 of 13 in Calgary. Lougheed himself won his district with 55.2 per cent of

312-583: A candidate for election to the assembly, a person must be a Canadian citizen older than 18 who has lived in Alberta for at least six months before the election and has registered with Elections Alberta under the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act . Senators , senators-in-waiting , members of the House of Commons , and criminal inmates are ineligible. The 30th Alberta Legislature

416-573: A crowded session and unclear bill format, it was pulled from the schedule. On February 23, 1928, George Hoadley , Minister of Health, reintroduced the bill with a comment regarding the growing burden of taxpayers in caring for immigrants and mentally disabled persons. Much controversy surrounded the bill and eventually, in March 1928, the People's League to Act was formed. The League, with membership numbers of several hundred, retained counsel and contested

520-607: A leadership contest, Harry Strom succeeded him as Premier on December 12, 1968. In an ominous sign of the rise of Lougheed's Progressive Conservatives, the Social Credit party was defeated in the February 1969 by-election in Manning's former constituency by Progressive Conservative candidate William Yurko . Yurko received 45.7 per cent of the vote compared to the Social Credit candidate's 40.3 per cent. As Premier, Strom

624-556: A longtime member of the Lougheed cabinet Don Getty defeated MLA Julian Koziak to become Premier of Alberta. Getty was officially sworn in on November 1, 1985, ending Lougheed's term as premier. After his election in 1971, Lougheed sought to increase contact between Albertans and legislators by addressing accessibility, visibility and accountability of the Legislative Assembly. In his government's first Speech from

728-469: A maximum royalty rate at 16.66 per cent, and Lougheed was willing to permit existing leases to continue until they expired and all new leases would be issued at a new higher rate. However, in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau implemented an expanded National Oil Policy which included an export tax on oil. This resulted in domestic oil prices below international levels, all of which disproportionally affected Alberta. Lougheed used

832-468: A mental defect or mental disorder are rightly regarded as social liability and recommends careful screening of immigrants and the use of sexual sterilization to control the abnormal population. Dr. Hincks's committee describes a causal link between mental abnormality and immorality ( illegitimacy , criminality , prostitution, dependency). The suggestion that bad behaviour and sexual immorality were directly related to mental deficiency gave rise to concern by

936-461: A mere 13 per cent of the vote and no seats in the previous 1963 election . The party lacked a network of constituency associations capable of organizing a cohesive campaign. Lougheed sought to differentiate the provincial party from the federal Progressive Conservatives and felt voters should be well aware that he was the dominant figure for the party, and not the leader of the federal party. Lougheed's opposition and Alberta's incumbent government,

1040-580: A much-needed saving in dollars. The Act was amended as follows: In addition, the exemption from civil action was extended to include any individual taking part in the surgical operations as well as persons in charge of mental institutions who had caused an inmate to be examined by the Eugenics Board. The Act underwent another amendment in 1942, this time to specifically broaden the category of mental patients who could be directed to undergo sterilization. Despite knowledge of Nazi eugenic atrocities,

1144-470: A national leader. He resolved to win the leadership of the provincial Progressive Conservative party and to navigate it into government. Before the leadership convention, Lougheed travelled around the province eagerly meeting supporters and constituency members to build his support base. Lougheed also started to build a team of supporters who followed him throughout his career including Roy Deyell, Merv Leitch , and Rod McDaniel, who took prominent positions in

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1248-566: A position as a legal assistant with the Canadian construction firm, Mannix Corporation in June 1956, where he was eventually promoted to a corporate law and management position. Later in 1962, Lougheed left Mannix to establish an independent law practice, partnering with John Ballem who brought oil and gas experience and later adding Marvin McDill. Lougheed also served on several boards including

1352-522: A preferable alternative to aggregation in institutions, but concluded that public support would need to be developed. The United Farm Women of Alberta, a group affiliated with the United Farmers of Alberta, answered Reid by launching a campaign for public support in 1924. The group's president, Ms. Margaret Gunn, stated that “democracy was never intended for degenerates.” In addition, group member, Ms. J.W. Field, would go on to serve as Secretary on

1456-471: A public debate amongst the four party leaders, however as a long-time incumbent Manning was not willing to risk a debate which could not benefit him. Manning's position on the debate changed when a group of Edmonton church leaders decided to host a leaders debate, Manning a devout Christian and host of "Back to the Bible Hour" radio broadcasts was forced to accepted the debate. Lougheed's performance in

1560-480: A small community of 6,847 in 1971 that grew to 31,000 by 1981. Future developments in the Athabasca oil sands were not as successful for Lougheed, with the $ 13.5 billion Alsands project falling apart in 1982. Lougheed sought greater provincial control over oil and gas resources and to reduce federal government incursions in natural resource development. Lougheed was successful in leveraged government investment in

1664-424: The 16th Legislature was prorogued, and was dissolved three months later on July 22 with an election day set on August 30, 1971. Prior to the 1971 election, a number of changes to Alberta's electoral process occurred. Electoral district boundaries were redrawn and the number of members to be elected was increased from 65 to 75. The Age of Majority Act lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 years. Since mid-1970,

1768-595: The 1970s energy crisis . Lougheed was the centre of the campaign evidenced by the Progressive Conservative slogans "Lougheed Leadership", "43 Months of Progress", and "Vote Today for Alberta". While opposition criticism focused on Lougheed's interference with the free market, which was exemplified by the 1974 purchase of Pacific Western Airlines for $ 37.5-million (equivalent to $ 224.9-million in 2023) and significant government spending authorized through Order-in-Council instead of appropriations through

1872-546: The 1988 Winter Olympics was developed during Lougheed's terms. Alberta also experienced economic success and went through significant social reform under the Lougheed administration. From 1996 to 2002, Lougheed served as Chancellor of Queen's University . He sat on the boards of a variety of organizations and corporations. In a 2012 edition of Policy Options , the Institute for Research on Public Policy named Lougheed

1976-642: The Alberta Heritage Fund to ensure that the exploitation of non-renewable resources would be of long-term benefit to Alberta. He introduced the Alberta Bill of Rights. He quarrelled with Pierre Trudeau 's federal Liberal government over its 1980 introduction of the National Energy Program . After hard bargaining, Lougheed and Trudeau eventually reached an agreement for energy revenue sharing in 1981. Calgary 's bid to host

2080-628: The Calgary Stampeders football club, and the Calgary Stampede and Exhibition board in 1963. However, in the early 1960s, Lougheed began to turn his attention toward politics. Lougheed's family history through his grandfather was rooted in the Conservative Party , and that motivated him to pursue a political career. However, during that time, Alberta was represented almost entirely by Progressive Conservatives in

2184-474: The House of Commons of Canada . Although this made federal politics an option, Lougheed saw it as a drawback; he considered the field of federal Progressive Conservatives politicians from Alberta to be crowded, and the life of a backbencher held little appeal for him. Instead, he turned his attention to the provincial Progressive Conservatives . The party had not formed government since Alberta's founding in 1905, and under leader Milt Harradence had captured

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2288-547: The New Democratic Party won a majority government; at 43 years and 7 months it was the longest unbroken run in government for a political party in Canadian history. Lougheed led the Tories again to victory in 1975 , 1979 and 1982 , winning landslide majorities each time, with vote tallies of 57 to 63 percent of votes cast. As premier, Lougheed furthered the development of the oil and gas resources, and started

2392-654: The Robert Borden and Arthur Meighen governments, and pioneer lawyer in Calgary. Lougheed's paternal grandmother, Belle Hardisty, was Metis by both her paternal and maternal lines. She was niece of Richard Hardisty (1831–1889), Canada's first Métis Senator. He served in that chamber from 1888 to his death in 1889, when the seat was filled by Belle's husband, James Lougheed. James Lougheed, Peter's grandfather, accumulated significant wealth in real estate and oil firms before his death in 1925. Much of James Lougheed's oil securities were sold following his death to pay

2496-613: The Social Credit had won every election since 1935. The party was led by Premier Ernest Manning , who had held that role for several decades since he assumed the position in 1943. Manning was popular, and his party had received 55 per cent of the vote in the 1963 election to capture 60 of 63 seats in the legislature. Albertans however, were reluctant to support the Social Credit party at the federal level, instead electing Progressive Conservative candidates consistently. The provincial Social Credit constituency associations often shared

2600-783: The University of Alberta where he attained his Bachelor of Laws while playing football at the University of Alberta before joining the Edmonton Eskimos of the Western Interprovincial Football Union for two seasons in 1949 and 1950. After graduating, he entered business and practised law in Calgary. In 1965, he was elected leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party, which held no seats in

2704-468: The University of Alberta where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1951 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1952. Lougheed was elected as the president of the Students' Union in 1951, defeating Ivan Head and two other candidates. In an interview for Wood's biography of Lougheed, Head complemented Lougheed's university campaign, recognizing Lougheed's first-rate organizational abilities. Lougheed also served as

2808-493: The University of Toronto and specialist on mental diseases, conducted a survey of the province. His goal was to formulate a treatment and training plan for the mentally deficient that would best serve society. The survey involved a review of facilities for the mentally abnormal. The results were published in the 1921 report entitled Mental Hygiene Survey of the Province of Alberta . The report notes that those who suffer from

2912-568: The Western Interprovincial Football Union for two years, in 1949 and 1950. Lougheed's position with the Eskimos was as a punt return specialist . On June 21, 1952, Lougheed married Jeanne "Jeannie" Estelle Rogers (1928–2020), whom he met while attending the University of Alberta. Jeanne was born in Forestburg, Alberta to Lawrence Rogers, a physician and Estelle Christena Gunston. After finishing law school, Lougheed started working at

3016-678: The estate tax . Although James Lougheed's home Beaulieu went into tax recovery proceedings after his death, the City of Calgary permitted James' widow to continue to reside in the home until her death. The onset of the Great Depression resulted in lower demand for the family's office real estate leading to financial difficulties for Edgar Lougheed and his family who continued to manage several properties. Many of Peter Lougheed's early years were spent moving between rented homes and apartments in Calgary. The Lougheed family fortune recovered in

3120-473: The general election on May 29, 2023 . The United Conservative Party , led by incumbent Premier Danielle Smith , formed the government with a reduced majority. The New Democrats , led by former Premier Rachel Notley , won the second most seats and formed the official opposition. Peter Lougheed Edgar Peter Lougheed PC CC AOE QC ( / ˈ l ɔː h iː d / LAW -heed ; July 26, 1928 – September 13, 2012)

3224-822: The "Original Six" with the election of Robert Dowling in the October 1969 Edson by-election, Bill Dickie a long-time friend of Lougheed crossing the floor from the Liberals to join his caucus in November 1969, and Banff-Cochrane independent representative Clarence Copithorne joining the party in April 1971. This growth saw the Lougheed-led Progressive Conservatives enter the August 1971 election with 10 incumbents. On April 27, 1971,

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3328-616: The 1940s with growing demand for accommodation in the family's real estate holdings. Lougheed attended several schools in Calgary, including Strathcona School for Boys , Earl Grey School, Rideau Park School, and the Central Collegiate Institute . At the Central Collegiate Institute, Lougheed founded the students' union and became its first president. After graduating from the Central Collegiate Institute in 1947, Lougheed enrolled at

3432-477: The Act was disproportionately applied to those in socially vulnerable positions, including females, children, unemployed persons, domestic servants, rural citizens, unmarried, institutionalized persons, Roman and Greek Catholics , and persons of Ukrainian , Native and Métis ethnicity. The Act was repealed in 1972. The Sexual Sterilization Act was first introduced into the legislature on March 5, 1927, but due to

3536-522: The Alberta Eugenics Board intended to increase the pace of sterilization. Persons with neurosyphilis, epilepsies with psychosis, mental deterioration, and Huntington's disease could, with consent of the patient, be sterilized. An exception to consent was made for patients presenting with Huntington's chorea who were also psychotic. It was not until 1969, under the direction of Peter Lougheed , Progressive Conservative and Leader of

3640-803: The Alberta Eugenics Board. This group would also recommend compulsory medical examination before marriage for all Albertans. With significant post-war activity In Western Canada, many influential citizens and interest groups campaigned for segregation and sterilization of the feebleminded. Emily Murphy , the first female magistrate for the British Empire , was a prolific and influential writer who organized meetings and addressed many women's groups in support of negative eugenics. J. S. Woodsworth , preacher and Superintendent of All People's Mission in Winnipeg , conducted and published studies on immigration and social response. Woodsworth's reports concerning

3744-605: The Alberta contingent led by Lougheed, Getty, Leitch and Dickie. The Winnipeg Agreement resulted in Ontario purchasing 5 per cent of the project, Alberta 10 per cent, and the federal government 15 per cent. Alberta also took full cost and ownership of the pipeline and powerplant through the Alberta Energy Company and provided a $ 200 million loan. A legacy of the Syncrude deal was the growth of Fort McMurray ,

3848-489: The Eugenics Board. If in unanimous agreement, the Board was empowered to appoint a physician and direct sterilization. Such operations were not to be performed unless consent was obtained from the inmate, if competent, or consent from a spouse, parent, guardian or Minister of Health if considered incompetent. Further, the Act provided that no surgeon performing an operation could be held liable to any civil action by reason of

3952-751: The Eugenics Society of Canada, acceptance of sterilization laws in many of the United States , and numerous newspapers, magazines and books touting sterilization as a remedy for rapidly increasing social problems. In 1995, Leilani Muir sued Alberta for stigmatization as a moron, wrongful confinement, and sterilization. At the age of 10, Muir, an unwanted and abused child, was admitted to the Provincial Training School for Mental Defectives (PTS) in Red Deer , Alberta. She

4056-401: The Lougheed opposition prepared questions for only one government Minister, ignoring all other Ministers, with the target Minister changing each day. The strategy combined with Lougheed's legal training and sophistication was effective at creating suspense and concern in the government caucus. Lougheed's success in Alberta was noticed by other conservatives across Canada, he was invited to be

4160-483: The Opposition , the Act was reviewed. Mr. Lougheed's party intended to introduce a provincial Bill of Rights and a review of existing legislation was directed in an effort to identify potentially conflicting legislation. Mr. Lougheed attacked the Act on legal and moral grounds and the Progressive Conservative party adopted repeal of the Act as part of their platform. In 1972 David King , MLA Edmonton-Highlands ,

4264-653: The Premier to a debate. Lougheed also pushed the same strategy for his candidates as previous years, requiring them to canvass door-to-door as if they were behind in the polls. Lougheed announced his retirement from politics in on June 26, 1985. A number of candidates campaigned to succeed Lougheed as the leader of the Progressive Conservatives and Premier of Alberta. In the 1985 Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta leadership election original Progressive Conservative caucus from 1967 and later

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4368-886: The Progressive Conservative Association, Lougheed took on the role of vice-president of the Calgary Olympic Development Association (CODA) for the Banff bid for the 1972 Winter Olympics , which was the eventual runner up bid in the International Olympic Committee vote behind Sapporo, Japan . Lougheed focused on building momentum for the next general election. In the May 1967 election , Lougheed and his supporters worked tirelessly to convince candidates to run in all 65 constituencies, however,

4472-535: The Progressive Conservative Party had been preparing for an election to be called. They established slogans and branding which was centrally controlled, unlike previous instances in Alberta where individual constituencies were free to develop their own materials. This centralization aimed to reinforce the party's key messages and ensure repetition in the eyes of voters. An advertising budget of $ 120,000 (equivalent to CA$ 601,340 in 2023)

4576-495: The Progressive Conservative Party. In March 1965, Lougheed emerged victorious in the Progressive Conservative Party's leadership convention by defeating Duncan McKillop, a lawyer, who had previously run as the party's candidate for Calgary Queens Park in the 1963 election. The only other candidate, John Scott, a town councillor from Edson who had also entered the race, withdrew on the first day of

4680-415: The Progressive Conservative party gained popularity, with Lougheed campaigning on the informal slogan "79 in '79" in reference to winning all 79 seats in the legislature. Although they received a slightly lower percentage of the popular vote than in 1975, at 57.4 per cent, they gained five additional seats for a total of 74 out of 79 seats in the legislature. The public was strongly supportive of Lougheed and

4784-615: The Progressive Conservatives were only able to nominate 47 candidates, two more than the Liberal Party , but less than a full slate put forward by the Social Credit Party and the New Democratic Party. Lougheed sought candidates who were already public figures, often meeting with editors of local weekly newspapers, mayors and presidents of boards of trade to determine who the community's leaders were. As

4888-490: The Progressive Conservatives, and headlines predicted that they would win with a comfortable majority. Meanwhile, the opposition leaders, including Grant Notley of the New Democratic Party , Nick Taylor of the Liberal Party , and Bob Clark of the Social Credit Party , did not publicly discuss the possibility of winning a majority out of concern that it would harm their credibility. Lougheed's main concern

4992-527: The Social Credit government was predominantly composed of older members, with the average MLA age in 1969 of 54 years of age, and 16 of the 54 members being above the age of 60. In contrast, the Progressive Conservative caucus had an average age under 40. Strom pressed for "a new and more positive relationship with the federal government". In the Legislature Lougheed oversaw daily caucus strategy meetings to plan and rehearse questions. Each day

5096-540: The Throne , Lieutenant Governor Grant MacEwan spoke extensively of the principles of open government . One of Lougheed's initial actions was installing cameras to record and broadcast meetings of the legislature beginning on March 15, 1972, and the beginning of the Hansard series to produce a written record of debates on March 8, 1972. Lougheed's government made significant transformations to policy and finance through

5200-413: The University of Alberta in 1934, was an outspoken supporter of eugenic sterilization. The highest form of provincial government would show support - Premier John Edward Brownlee stated that “the argument of freedom or right of the individual can no longer hold good where the welfare of the state and of society is concerned.” Many other factors influenced public opinion including the creation in 1930 of

5304-567: The aftermath of an oil boom town after the resource had been depleted. According to political scientist and biographer Allan Tupper suggested Lougheed drew parallels between Tulsa and a possible future for Alberta. After completing his Master of Business Administration at Harvard, Lougheed faced a career crossroads. Lougheed was a staunch believer that people should avoid excessive specialization in favour of maximizing their diversity of experience, and he anticipated spending time in business, law, and politics. In pursuit of business, Lougheed accepted

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5408-419: The aisle from Premier Manning. Ernest Manning, who had been Alberta's Premier since 1943, was aware of the declining support for Social Credit. In the 1967 election, the party received a disappointing 44.6 per cent of the popular vote, the first time under his leadership that they had failed to secure at least 50 per cent. On September 27, 1968, Manning announced his intention to retire from public office. After

5512-512: The appointment "window-dressing" as the committee consists of a majority of government caucus members, and prior to changes under Premier Don Getty in 1990, the chair was not permitted to present a report of the committee to the legislature. Lougheed, while serving as the leader of the opposition, accused the Social Credit government of not ensuring Albertans received fair value from the exploitation of public non-renewable natural resources. As Premier, Lougheed implemented several policies to increase

5616-464: The best Canadian premier of the last forty years. Edgar Peter Lougheed was born on July 26, 1928, in Calgary , Alberta, as the second biological son to Edgar Donald Lougheed (1893–1951) a lawyer from Calgary, and Edna Alexandria Lougheed ( née  Bauld ) (1901–1972) of Halifax. Lougheed's paternal grandfather was Sir James Alexander Lougheed (1854–1925) a Senator , federal cabinet minister in

5720-426: The committee, the tests revealed that such troublesome children were more prone to possess low I.Q. Further, the children were interviewed and a conclusion was reached that these same troublesome children also possessed less sound moral values. It wasn't until much later that the I.Q. tests would be recognized as culturally biased. The United Farmers of Alberta , an agricultural lobbying group, responded quickly to

5824-595: The constitutionality of the Sexual Sterilization Act. Despite their efforts, the Act was given Royal Assent on March 21, 1928. For the purposes of the Act, the Alberta Eugenics Board was formed. The Board was to be composed of four members: Under the terms of the Act, mental hospital inmates could only be discharged with the approval of the medical superintendent, and it was within the superintendent's power to force examination by

5928-525: The convention. Lougheed was nominated from the floor by Lou Hyndman and Charles Arthur Clark, father of future prime minister Joe Clark . Although the Progressive Conservative Association did not release the vote totals, biographer David G. Wood claimed that Lougheed received 91 per cent of the delegates' votes. After becoming the party leader, Lougheed's first challenge was the 1966 by-election in Pincher Creek-Crowsnest following

6032-468: The date of election and usually selects a date in the fourth or fifth year after the preceding election. Amendments to Alberta's Elections Act introduced in 2021 fixed the date of election to between the last Monday in May in the fourth calendar year following the preceding election. Alberta has never had a minority government and an election as a result of a vote of no confidence has never occurred. To be

6136-424: The death of the eighteen-year Social Credit representative William Kovach . Lougheed and his team campaigned vigorously for candidate Alexander Wells, but the Progressive Conservative finished third with 18.6 per cent of the vote, trailing both the successful New Democratic candidate Garth Turcott and the Social Credit candidate. Despite the defeat, Lougheed saw it as a minor setback. During his time as leader of

6240-650: The debate was lauded by the Edmonton Journal and was credited by biographer George Wood with the growth in the Conservative movement in the Edmonton area, including Don Getty 's improbable victory over Social Credit Education Minister Randolph McKinnon in Strathcona West . Other media began to take notice, including Maclean's which stated Lougheed was the only politician capable of having "an outside chance of challenging Manning". Lougheed

6344-508: The decision to spend was approved. Critics argued that the use of special warrants removed the ability of the opposition, members of caucus or the public to hold the government to account. Lougheed's popularity during his premiership resulted in progressive conservative majority governments with only a limited number of opposition members. Lougheed became creative to provide additional responsibility to members of his caucus, including mandatory caucus meetings which he chaired. In 1975 he removed

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6448-549: The doors for other individuals seeking reparation for suffering under the Sexual Sterilization Act . Legislative Assembly of Alberta The maximum period between general elections of the assembly, as set by Section 4 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is five years, which is further reinforced in Alberta's Legislative Assembly Act . Convention dictates the premier controls

6552-532: The editor for the sports section for The Gateway , the University of Alberta student newspaper. While studying at the University of Alberta he joined the Delta Upsilon fraternity, served as president and in Rutherford House for four years. Despite his small stature, Lougheed took a strong interest in football in his youth. Prior to attending the University of Alberta, Lougheed played for

6656-423: The export tax to claim force majeure and cancel all existing oil and gas leases, and reissued them under the new higher royalty rate. These higher royalty rates became contentious later in 1974 when the federal government revised the corporate tax code to no longer permit petroleum companies to deduct provincial royalties from taxable income. Lougheed and Trudeau came to a compromise in early 1975 which allowed

6760-596: The federal and Ontario governments and oil companies for the development of oil sands in the Winnipeg Agreement only 11 days before the legislature was dissolved. Other promises included the creation of the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund , reduction of personal income taxes by at least 28 per cent, and increased social program spending, all of which were built on growing non-renewable natural resource revenue resulting from

6864-469: The first women elected to the assembly, in the 1917 election . They were also the first women in any legislature of the British Empire. The members-elect of the 31st Alberta Legislature were elected in the 31st Alberta general election held on May 29, 2023. Bold indicates cabinet members , and party leaders are italicized . The 31st Alberta Legislative Assembly was constituted after

6968-658: The future site for the Alberta Legislature Building: the bank of the North Saskatchewan River . Allan Merrick Jeffers , a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design was the architect who was chosen to build the assembly building. In September 1912 Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn , Governor General of Canada , declared the building officially open. Louise McKinney and Roberta MacAdams were

7072-475: The gradual increase in domestic oil prices to near world prices, while creating a buffer to protect manufacturing centers and consumers. The early 1970s brought the possibility of large-scale oil and gas exploration in the Athabasca oil sands through the Syncrude project. The major negotiations between the Government of Alberta and the consortium of Imperial Oil , Gulf Canada , Atlantic Richfield Canada , and Canada-Cities Service occurred in August 1973 and

7176-412: The junior Calgary Tornadoes as a halfback . A sports writer of the Calgary Herald described Lougheed as a "speedy and elusive back", and the Edmonton Journal described him as "gifted with the fine turn of speed" and "an elusive handful". During his time as a student, Lougheed was also involved in football. He played for the University of Alberta Golden Bears and later for the Edmonton Eskimos of

7280-429: The keynote speaker by federal Progressive Conservatives at the 1968 convention in Toronto. During the 1970 spring session, Lougheed moved to position the Progressive Conservatives as a credible alternative to the Social Credit party. His party introduced 21 bills, an unusually large number for an opposition party in a Westminster system . Through by-elections, Lougheed's Progressive Conservative caucus further grew from

7384-442: The law firm of Fenerty, McGillivray and Robertson in Calgary. However, he had his sights set on Harvard University to pursue a Master of Business Administration , which he completed in 1954. While still a student at Harvard, Lougheed had a number of jobs including a brief time at Chase Manhattan Bank in New York City, and a summer with Gulf Oil in Tulsa , Oklahoma . It was during this time in Tulsa that Lougheed saw firsthand

7488-404: The legislature, neither was effective for swaying voters. To no one's surprise, the Progressive Conservative Party won a lopsided victory in 1975, capturing 62.7 per cent of the vote and 69 of 75 seats in the legislature. The Edmonton Report cover featured a caricature of Peter Lougheed following the victory accompanied by the title "Peter The Greatest". During the 1979 election , Lougheed and

7592-476: The legislature. He led the party back into the legislature in the 1967 provincial election as the leader of the Official Opposition , then elected as Premier with 49 of 75 seats in the 1971 election , defeating the Social Credit Party and ending the dynasty which had governed Alberta since 1935 . Lougheed established a progressive conservative dynasty in the province that lasted until 2015, when

7696-498: The legislature. Several legislative policy committees were created in 1975 consisting of members of the Progressive Conservative caucus, and did not include members of the opposition. Lougheed also consistently funded programs using special warrants authorized by cabinet and issued by the Lieutenant Governor, these warrants were not included in any budgets provided to the legislature and were not made public until after

7800-472: The old-fashioned image of the social credit government. Other scholars share similar views that include Lougheed as the saviour of the urban middle class that was seeking a revigorated government aligned with the province's new resource age. Edward Bell counters this argument stating that Lougheed's victory in 1971 was in no way guaranteed before the writ was dropped. Bell argues the Social Credit's poor relationships with unions and Strom's weak campaign led to

7904-431: The operation. In 1937, an amendment to the Act was proposed by Dr. W.W. Cross , Social Credit Minister of Health, as the Act was considered too restrictive. It was accepted that sterilization was permitted for the benefit of the human race, not the individual, and as such consent was no longer deemed a requirement. At that time, Albertans, seriously affected by the Great Depression , believed sterilization would effect

8008-410: The party's only rural candidate and former federal Member of Parliament Hugh Horner . Following the 1967 election, the Edmonton Journal positively remarked on Lougheed's success, stating that Albertans now had a responsible and credible alternative in opposition. On February 15, 1968, the 16th Alberta Legislature gathered and Lougheed assumed his position as Leader of the Opposition, seated across

8112-566: The popular vote and 75 of the 79 seats in the legislature, a landslide victory and the second-largest majority government in Alberta's history. During the election Lougheed noted it would be his last election. Lougheed focused his campaign primarily on provincial issues and refused to use the name of opposition parties, instead referring to them as "knockers", and his Progressive Conservatives as "doers". He declined any television or public debates, which led to Western Canada Concept leader Gordon Kesler to crash one of Lougheed's events to challenge

8216-611: The progressive conservatives narrow victory of 5.3 percentage points. The media heralded Lougheed's victory as an upset, with the Calgary Albertan claiming "PC's Pull Off Socred Upset", and the Calgary Herald headline "It Is 'Now' for Lougheed; Stunning Alberta Upset Puts PC's in Power". On September 10, 1971, Peter Lougheed was sworn in as Alberta's tenth premier by Lieutenant Governor Grant MacEwan . Lougheed

8320-506: The project when cost estimates doubled. The project was not feasible without a federal government commitment for petroleum price assurances and financial backing. Lougheed and Getty met with other firms to fill Atlantic Richfield's place, and in February 1975 the consortium met with the governments of Alberta, Ontario, and Canada in the neutral site of Winnipeg with negotiations including federal ministers Jean Chrétien and Donald Macdonald , Ontario contingent led by Premier Bill Davis , and

8424-540: The province, and an option to acquire a 20 per cent ownership stake in the Syncrude project at a later date. The Syncrude negotiations between the government and the consortium were tense, with Don Getty staging a walk-out following an ultimatum letter sent to the Province from the consortium. While an agreement was reached in late-August 1973 which met Lougheed's intended goals, the project began to unravel one year later when in December 1974 Atlantic Richfield backed out of

8528-469: The public and politicians that these individuals posed a threat to society. In addition, the committee assumed that mental abnormality could be detected early in life with various test instruments. In the course of their examination, they also reviewed student behaviour at the elementary level by administering intelligence quotient tests to children who had been described by their teachers as “troublesome, mischief-makers or general disturbers.” According to

8632-483: The quality of immigrants aided in creating a public crisis. Together, these individuals published numerous articles in popular magazines and spoke at public meetings in support of sterilization. There are also ties to the University of Alberta. Dr. John M. MacEachran , founder of the Department of Philosophy and Psychology, was also long time chairman of the Eugenics Board, and Robert Charles Wallace , President of

8736-498: The requirement for caucus to operate by consensus, owing to the large number of members, instead a vote was called on all issues, and Lougheed often required a two-thirds majority for important issues. Furthermore, Cabinet members were required to attend caucus meetings, and all members were seated in alphabetical order. Lougheed refused to use the term backbencher instead referring to caucus members as either "ministers" or "private members". Non-political attendance in caucus meetings

8840-492: The same members with the federal Progressive Conservatives. Lougheed believed that the time was right for a change in Alberta's political landscape. He thought that the Social Credit party was too rural and lacked assertiveness in intergovernmental relations. According to Lougheed, Alberta needed to be a senior partner in Confederation, but the Social Credit Party was not in touch with the province's true potential to be

8944-484: The same portfolio. This changed after the 1982 election when he reappointed several ministers to the same portfolios. Lougheed also oversaw an expansion of the size of Cabinet, which assisted in providing regional representation. Based on his experience in opposition, Lougheed named an opposition member as the chair of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. However, political scientist Engelmann called

9048-435: The survey and called on the government to draft legislation for life segregation or sterilization of the feebleminded. The weight of the survey's results, combined with the growing fear that new immigrants were inferior, had generated fears over the protection of land and jobs. In 1923, under growing pressure from the United Farmers of Alberta, Minister of Health, Hon. R.G. Reid , proposed sterilization of mental defectives as

9152-427: The use of preventative measures. The group was active in working for the testing of students and construction of training schools for mental defectives. In addition, they advocated tougher inspection and restriction of immigrants. Perhaps the most influential resource for rationalizing sterilization in the Province of Alberta came in the form of a mental health survey. In 1919, Dr. Hincks, professor of Psychiatry at

9256-412: The value of Alberta's resources, counter federal programs he viewed as threats and expand development in the oil sands. Shortly after he was elected in 1972, Lougheed announced major changes to the province's oil and gas royalty structures to increase Alberta's share of resource revenue and entrench the provincial government's control over those resources. The previous Social Credit government established

9360-537: The vote in Calgary-West. Many observers argue that the Progressive Conservative victory in 1971 was primarily a result of Lougheed's charisma, combined with growing urbanization and an out-of-touch Social Credit government. Lewis G. Thomas argues that Lougheed evoked an image of the traditional elite with his business background which appealed to the province which was undergoing economic growth and prosperity brought on by non-renewable resources, which contrasted

9464-493: The writ came closer Lougheed and the Progressive Conservatives realized they could not form government and instead focused on a strategy of capturing Lougheed's seat in Calgary-West and forming the opposition. The campaign created red, white and blue promotional materials with the slogan "Alberta Needs an Alternative", while Lougheed's own material added his personal slogan "Let's Start It in Calgary West". Lougheed sought

9568-405: Was a Canadian lawyer and Progressive Conservative politician who served as the tenth premier of Alberta from 1971 to 1985, presiding over a period of reform and economic growth. Born in Calgary, Alberta , Peter was the son of Edgar Donald Lougheed and Edna Alexandria Bauld and grandson of Canadian Senator Sir James Alexander Lougheed , a prominent Alberta businessman. Peter Lougheed attended

9672-557: Was confined to the facility until 1965 when she left against medical direction. Years later, during struggles with infertility, failed marriages and depression, Muir would learn that she had been sterilized during an appendectomy while detained at the PTS. Further, IQ testing would reveal that Muir did not suffer from mental deficiency. The court ruled in favour of the plaintiff and awarded Muir $ 740,780 CAD and an additional sum of $ 230,000 CAD for legal costs. This precedent-setting case opened

9776-448: Was described by Lougheed biographer Allan Tupper as an "easier opponent" than Manning, although both Tupper and Wood considered Strom as an earnest individual of high integrity, but lacked dynamism, experience and shrewdness. One of the challenges Strom faced was the need to modernize the rural-focused Social Credit Party to better reflect the growing urbanization in Alberta, something he was not able to effectively accomplish. Furthermore,

9880-546: Was dissolved on May 1, 2023. The members-elect of the 31st Alberta Legislature were elected on May 29 . The first session of the first Legislature of Alberta opened on March 15, 1906, in the Thistle Rink , Edmonton, north of Jasper Avenue . After the speech from the throne, the assembly held its sessions in the McKay Avenue School . In this school Alberta MLAs chose the provincial capital, Edmonton, and

9984-538: Was expelled from caucus and the Progressive Conservative Party. When selecting members for his cabinet, Lougheed took the approach that first-hand knowledge may be a detriment to the success of the minister. Lougheed wanted ministers to take on the role without any preconceived notions. For instance Hugh Horner , a doctor, was appointed minister of agriculture and Lou Hyndman , a lawyer, was appointed minister of education. Lougheed completely shuffled his Cabinet upon re-election in 1975 and 1979, with no minister retaining

10088-421: Was led by Lougheed and Energy Minister Don Getty . Lougheed's goals with Syncrude were to get the project off the ground with the province receiving a fair royalty, and Albertans having the opportunity to invest in the project. Lougheed negotiated the royalty to take a similar form to profit sharing and insisted the connecting pipeline be 80 per cent owned by the province, the site powerplant 50 per cent owned by

10192-530: Was limited to only four staff members from the Premier's Office. Lougheed required legislators to seek caucus approval to miss caucus meetings or publicly dissent with a position of caucus, which required either a reason of conscience or a constituency issue. When Progressive Conservative member Tom Sindlinger publicly disagreed with matters related to the Heritage Savings Trust Fund, Constitutional patriation, and freedom of information, he

10296-444: Was preventing complacency among candidates and volunteers, and he personally campaigned throughout the province to address these concerns. The 1982 election marked Lougheed's final as Premier. Lougheed utilized the constitutional debates and focus on Alberta's complete control over natural resources to gain increased support from the electorates. The Progressive Conservatives improved their popular support to capture 62.3 per cent of

10400-420: Was set to provide $ 80,000 for television advertisements and the rest of other materials for constituencies across the province. Unlike Social Credit's use of radio for the less outgoing Strom, Lougheed's focus was on television. Lougheed's team was careful with messaging, stressing the idea of the Progressive Conservative providing an "alternative" rather than "opposition". Prior to the election, Lougheed went on

10504-533: Was set with a majority government in the legislature and a Social Credit opposition of 25 members, which would be the largest opposition Lougheed would face in his 14-year career as Premier. In the leadup to the 1975 election , Lougheed enjoyed strong support in his constituency which allowed him to focus his campaign efforts across the province. The Progressive Conservatives campaigned a platform on administrative competence and promises outlined in an unpassed 1975–1976 budget. Leaning on successful negotiations with

10608-517: Was subsequently elected to the legislature in Calgary-West garnering 62 per cent of the vote, and the Progressive Conservatives captured 26 per cent of the vote province-wide with five other successful candidates. With six elected MLAs, Lougheed became Leader of the Opposition . The group of elected Conservatives known as the "original six" included Calgary MLAs Len Werry , and David Russell ; Edmonton area MLAs Lou Hyndman and Don Getty , and

10712-507: Was successful in introducing a Bill to repeal the Sexual Sterilization Act. In 1918, psychiatrists C.K. Clarke and C. Hincks established the Canadian National Committee for Mental Hygiene (CNCMH). The CNCMH was a self-appointed body of experts available for consultation regarding mental health issues. The Committee claimed that institutionalization of mental degenerates was both expensive and ineffective and promoted

10816-494: Was widely believed that persons with these disorders had a higher reproduction rate than the normal population. As a result, it was feared the gene pool in the general population was weakening. During the time the Sexual Sterilization Act was in effect, 4,800 cases were proposed for sterilization in the Province of Alberta, of which 99% received approval. Examination of sterilization records demonstrates that legislation did not apply equally to all members of society. Specifically,

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