Lorne Proudfoot

Background

Lorne Proudfoot was born in 1880 on a farm outside of Vankleek Hill, Ontario.

Education

He came out west in 1903, and attended normal school in Regina, Saskatchewan. He finished a distant third place losing to incumbent John McColl.

Career

He later moved to Alberta and began his teaching career at a rural school near the towns of Carstairs and Didsbury. He moved to Chinook, Alberta in 1909 and began farming. Proudfoot ran for a seat to the Alberta Legislature as an Independent candidate in the 1917 Alberta general election in the electoral district of Acadia.

Proudfoot ran for his second time in the 1921 Alberta general election as a candidate for the United Farmers of Alberta.

Proudfoot ran for a second term in office in the 1926 Alberta general election. He faced two other candidates.

Proudfoot ran for his third term in office in the 1930 Alberta general election. Proudfoot ran for his fourth term in office in the 1935 Alberta general election.

He was defeated in the three way race finishing a distant second losing to Social Cr candidate Norman James.

After his defeat from office Proudfoot continued to farm, specializing in raising sheep. Like many of his neighbors in the arid southeastern Alberta region, he came close to bankruptcy during the 1930s. He eventually expanded his farming operation to 18,000 acres by the time of his retirement in 1962.

He also continued to have active political involvement.

He continued to work in organizations to elect independent candidates in 1940, 1944, and 1963. Though no candidates were successful, the Independent Electors of the Acadia-Coronation Constituency almost managed to get former Speaker of the Legislature George Johnston re-elected in the 1940 general election.

Proudfoot served on numerous local municipal boards, usually related to education and agriculture. He was always an advocate of the "principles of cooperation" and worked hard to maintain the economic viability of the small village of Chinook.

His experiences in politics gave him greater knowledge of legal and financial matters than most of his neighbors.

He served as secretary-treasurer of the Chinook Consolidated School District during the entire period of its existence, 1916-1961. He was secretary-treasurer of the Village of Chinook from 1943 to 1968. He died in 1977.

Achievements

• He won the two-person race with a landslide majority to pick up the district for his party. Despite losing a large portion of his popular vote from 1921 he still won the district with a solid majority. He won the two way race easily over an Independent candidate.

Politics

The group Proudfoot was a part of known formally as the Independent Political Association, Constituency of Acadia was affiliated with the Alberta Non-Partisan League.

Membership

He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1921 to 1935 sitting with the United Farmers caucus in government.