James Gray Turgeon

Lieutenant James Gray Turgeon (born: October 7, 1879 Bathurst, New Brunswick - died: February 14, 1964) was a broker, soldier and a provincial and federal level politician from Canada.

Alberta politics

Turgeon was elected to the Alberta Legislature for the first time in the 1913 Alberta general election. He defeated Conservative candidate William Blair to win the new Ribstone district and earn his first term in the Legislature.

World War I

Turgeon enlisted in the Canadian Forces while he was still a member of the Alberta Legislature in 1914. He served as a Lieutenant in the Army until 1918. While he was fighting overseas he was acclaimed to his district in the 1917 Alberta general election under Section 38 of the "Elections Act" that stipulates an Incumbent involved in active duty in the World War I would not have to face a contested race in his district.

Turgeon would run for re-election in the 1921 Alberta general election. He was defeated by Charles Wright a candidate from the United Farmers of Alberta in a lanslide.

British Columbia

After his electoral defeat in 1921 Turgeon moved to British Columbia, he ran for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 1933 British Columbia general election as a candidate for the British Columbia Liberal Party in the riding of Vancouver East he was defeated only obtaining 16% of the vote.

He would run for a seat in the Canadian House of Commons in the 1935 Canadian federal election defeating Incumbent John Anderson Fraser. He would be re-elected to the House for his second term in the 1940 Canadian federal election. Turgeon would go down to defeat by William Irvine running as a candidate for the Co-operative Commonwealth. in the 1945 Canadian federal election.

Turgeon would be appointed to the Canadian Senate on the advice of Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King on January 27, 1947. He would serve in the Senate until his death on February 14, 1964.

Onésiphore Turgeon, James father served as a Member of the Canadian House of Commons and the Canadian Senate for many years.

External links

* [http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Files/Parliamentarian.aspx?Item=3436186b-16b9-44e2-be31-5d210d0a1477&Language=E&MenuID=lists.senators.aspx&MenuQuery=http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.parl.gc.ca%2FParlinfo%2Flists%2Fsenators.aspx%3FLanguage%3DE%26Parliament%3D%26Name%3Dt%26Party%3D%26Province%3D%26Gender%3D%26Current%3DFalse%26PrimeMinister%3D%26TermEnd%3D%26Ministry%3D%26Picture%3DFalse&Section=ALL James Gray Turgeon Federal Political Experience]
* [http://www.assembly.ab.ca/legislaturecentennial/pdf/membersBooklet.pdf Legislative Assembly of Alberta Members Listing]