Career
During his time in office he sat with the governing Social Cr caucus. Gilliland was a farmer in the Peace River district, he had farmed for 30 years before running for public office. Gilliland ran for a seat to the Albert Legislature for the first time in the 1944 Alberta general election.
He was nominated as the Social Cr candidate in a hotly contested three way race on the second count at a convention held in Grimshaw, Alberta on March 2, 1944.
He ran against three other candidates in the 1944 Alberta general election. Gilliland ran for a second term in the 1948 Alberta general election.
Of the 11 Modern Language Association"s that represented Peace River until 1948 He became the first incumbent to hold Peace River for a second term in office. Gilliland ran for a third term in the 1952 Alberta general election.
Despite losing some of his popular vote from the 1948 election he rolled up a very large majority defeating two other candidates.
He ran for a fourth term in the 1955 general election. Foreign the second election in a row, he lost popularity. Gilliland ran for his final term in the 1959 general election.
He reclaimed his vote share from the previous elections defeating two other candidates and taking over 60% of the popular vote.
Gilliland suffered a heart attack at the 1961 Social Cr national convention in Ottawa. He died later that year on September 5, 1961 while hospitalized in Edmonton.
