kids encyclopedia robot

Alvin Hamilton facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Alvin Hamilton
Alvin Hamilton.jpg
Minister of Agriculture
In office
October 11, 1960 – April 22, 1963
Prime Minister John Diefenbaker
Preceded by Douglas Harkness
Succeeded by Harry Hays
Member of Parliament
for Qu'Appelle—Moose Mountain
In office
October 30, 1972 – November 20, 1988
Preceded by Richard Southam
Succeeded by Riding abolished
Member of Parliament
for Qu'Appelle
In office
June 10, 1957 – June 24, 1968
Preceded by Henry Mang
Succeeded by Riding dissolved
Personal details
Born
Francis Alvin George Hamilton

(1912-03-30)March 30, 1912
Kenora, Ontario, Canada
Died June 29, 2004(2004-06-29) (aged 92)
Manotick, Ontario, Canada
Political party Progressive Conservative
Education University of Saskatchewan
Occupation Soldier, politician

Francis Alvin George Hamilton PC (March 30, 1912 – June 29, 2004) was a Canadian politician. Hamilton led the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan from 1949 until he was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 1957 general election. That election brought the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada to power under John Diefenbaker. He served as Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources, 1957 to 1960. He promoted a new vision of northern development. He was Minister of Agriculture, 1960 to 1963, where he promoted wheat sales to China.

Life and career

Born in Kenora, Ontario, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1938 from the University of Saskatchewan. During World War II, he served with the Royal Canadian Air Force as a navigator and flight lieutenant. He was awarded the Burma Star Decoration.

After the war, he ran three times unsuccessfully as the Progressive Conservative candidate for the Canadian House of Commons in the 1945, 1949, and 1953 elections. He was elected in 1957 in the riding of Qu'Appelle and re-elected 4 more times in 1958, 1962, 1963, and 1965. He ran in the riding of Regina East in the 1968 federal election, and lost by 192 votes to the New Democrat candidate. He was elected again in the 1972 federal election in the riding of Qu'Appelle—Moose Mountain and was re-elected 4 more times in 1974, 1979, 1980, and 1984. He retired in 1988.

Hamilton served as Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources in the Diefenbaker cabinet from 1957 to 1960, supporting a new vision of northern development. From 1960 to the 1963 election, when the Diefenbaker government was defeated, Hamilton served as Minister of Agriculture, pioneering wheat sales to the People's Republic of China. He was a candidate at the 1967 PC leadership convention, making it to the fourth ballot before dropping out.

In 1992, Hamilton was granted the honorific style of "The Right Honourable" by Elizabeth II in honour of his service to Canada. This is a rare honour for someone who did not serve as Prime Minister of Canada, Chief Justice of Canada or Governor General of Canada.

After Hamilton retired from politics in 1988, he lived a relatively secluded life in the Ottawa-area town of Manotick, where he lived until his death in 2004. On June 28, 2007, the newly refurbished Government of Canada Building in downtown Regina, Saskatchewan, was officially named the Francis Alvin George Hamilton Building. Also, one of the reception rooms at the Embassy of Canada to China in Beijing is called the Alvin Hamilton Room.

Electoral record

Canadian federal election, 1965: Qu'Appelle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Alvin Hamilton 9,579 57.5 -2.6
Liberal Charlie Lenz 4,033 24.2 -0.1
New Democratic Clif Argue 2,658 16.0 +4.5
Social Credit Wilfred Totten 375 2.3 -1.9
Total valid votes 16,645 100.0
Canadian federal election, 1963: Qu'Appelle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Alvin Hamilton 10,690 60.2 +1.7
Liberal L.L. Prefontaine 4,312 24.3 +0.8
New Democratic Norman Kennedy 2,028 11.4 -0.6
Social Credit Edwin Fredlund 729 4.1 -2.0
Total valid votes 17,759 100.0
Canadian federal election, 1962: Qu'Appelle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Alvin Hamilton 10,680 58.5 -0.6
Liberal L.L. Prefontaine 4,291 23.5 -1.0
New Democratic Harry E. Richardson 2,188 12.0 -4.5
Social Credit Herman A. Hauser 1,113 6.1  
Total valid votes 18,272 100.0

Note: NDP vote is compared to CCF vote in 1958 election.

Canadian federal election, 1958: Qu'Appelle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Alvin Hamilton 10,514 59.0 +24.8
Liberal Thomas Kearns 4,357 24.5 -5.9
Co-operative Commonwealth Norman Kennedy 2,941 16.5 -7.1
Total valid votes 17,812 100.0
Canadian federal election, 1957: Qu'Appelle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Alvin Hamilton 6,217 34.2 +7.1
Liberal Henry Philip Mang 5,512 30.4 -8.1
Co-operative Commonwealth Norman Kennedy 4,279 23.6 -7.3
Social Credit David Isman 2,150 11.8 +8.3
Total valid votes 18,158 100.0
Canadian federal election, 1953: Qu'Appelle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Henry Philip Mang 6,988 38.5 -6.3
Co-operative Commonwealth Lawrence Irwin Hockley 5,612 30.9 -7.0
Progressive Conservative Alvin Hamilton 4,930 27.1 +9.7
Social Credit Anton Edward Kovatch 644 3.5
Total valid votes 18,174 100.0
kids search engine
Alvin Hamilton Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.