Francis A. Walker (politician)

Francis Austin Walker
Walker in military uniform in 1918
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
In office November 9, 1905 – July 18, 1921
Preceded by	New district
Succeeded by	William Fedun
Constituency	Victoria
Personal details
Born	November 17, 1871 Lucan, Ontario
Died	May 29, 1956 (aged 84) Vancouver, British Columbia
Political party	Liberal
Religion	Church of England

Francis Austin Walker (November 17, 1871–May 29, 1956) was a Canadian politician who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1905 until 1921. Born in Lucan, Ontario on November 17, 1871,^[1] he moved west to Alberta, becoming a pioneer in the area east of Edmonton.^[2]

In the 1905 provincial election, Alberta's first as a province, Walker ran as the Liberal candidate in the district of Victoria. He was elected by a wide margin, and became a member of the 1st Alberta Legislature. He was re-elected by acclamation in the 1909 election, and was easily re-elected in the 1913 election. Prior to the 1917 election, the Legislature passed an act re-electing all of its members serving in the First World War;^[3] as Walker was at this time a lieutenant in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, he was thus "re-elected" without need of an election.

In 1921 William Fedun of United Farmers of Alberta defeated him. In that election the Liberal party swept out of power. He tried to regain his seat in 1926 but came a close second.

Walker would eventually move to British Columbia and he attempted a come back in politics running for the British Columbia Liberal Party in the 1941 British Columbia general election in North Vancouver.

References

1. "Lieutenant Francis Austin Walker". Canadian Great War Project. Retrieved 2014-12-01.
2. Thomas 34
3. Thomas 169