Richard The Lionheart

Rory J. Koopmans, B. Admin., #6, 14504-108 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T5N 1G8

June XIth, MMXIV

Hon. Jeff Johnson, B. Ed., MLA, Minister of Education, Progressive Conservative, Athabasca-Sturgeon-RedH2O

Dear Jeff:

VIth (6th) Premier of Alberta, Richard G. Reid was quite a fascinating fellow. He served in the capacity of Premier for the second shortest period of time, taking over from Premier John Brownlee who was in poor health & often absent from the Legislature & accused of sexually deviant acts with a minor girl (which were never physically proven,) Richard served as Premier from July Xth, MCMXXXIV (10th, 1934)-September IIIrd, MCMXXXV (3rd, 1935.) Only current Premier Dave Hancock, Progressive Conservative, Edmonton-Whitemud (who is serving in an "interim" capacity) will wind up serving less days in office when he finishes as the Progressive Conservative Association Of Alberta chooses a new leader in September or October.

- Richard was the last of III (3) Premiers under the United Farmers Of Alberta party banner. He faced a similar situation as Social Credit Premier Harry Strom, & whomever succeeds Dave Hancock as Premier & Progressive Conservative leader, the chance that he might be the last leader of a party dynasty & like Strom, he was. This factor & the fact that UFA couldn't get a handle on things during The Great Depression caused voters to turf out the UFA caucus entirely in the MCMXXXV election in favour of Social Credit.

- Richard, a Scottish immigrant born near Glasgow served valiantly in the Royal Army Medical Corps during the IInd Boer War. A fascinating tidbit IV students interested in history to know.

- Richard & his wife Marion immigrated here in MCMIII (1903) & served in varying careers. First as a farmhand in Manitoba, then as a lumberjack in Ontario, & finally as dentist in Alberta, using his practical knowledge from his time as a soldier.

- Richard sure put us through a low point as a province when he rammed through the Sexual Sterilization Act Of Alberta or forced "eugenics", a direct assault on the mentally handicapped. A bill that would haunt Premier Ralph Klein into making a settlement financially decades later. Plus, as Health Minister, he also laid off many school inspection nurses & public health nurses all in the name of government surpluses. Not really wise when people need nurses today. It seems very similar to today & your government's constant laying off & hiring back of nurses & other public civil servants on a whim Jeff.

- Richard helped farmers and their young family's by having the government buy their cattle when they needed ready cash & helped them with government assistance for moving expenses so that they could move to alternate farms &/or employment & get back to an economically viable position.

Lived Till The Blessed Age Of CI (101),

Rory

Source: "Alberta Premiers Of The Twentieth Century", C. MMIV, Bradford J. Rennie, Author.