Michael Clark (Canadian politician)

For other people named Michael Clark, see Michael Clark (disambiguation).

Michael Clark (born: 12 May 1861 Belford, Northumberland, England – died: July 29, 1926 Olds, Alberta) was a Canadian physician and politician from Alberta, Canada.

Early life

Born in Belford, Northumberland, England, he immigrated to Olds, Alberta, Canada in 1902. He was a physician in England prior to immigrating to Alberta, Canada. He became involved in politics after homesteading, because he was not able to practice medicine in Canada.

Political career

Clark first ran as a Liberal candidate in the Rosebud electoral district in the 1905 Alberta general election. He was defeated by provincial Conservative party candidate Cornelius Hiebert.

Clark ran for a seat to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1908 Canadian federal election in the Red Deer district as a candidate of the Liberal Party. He defeated Conservative candidate George Root to win the new district and his first term in office. Clark would run for his second term in office in the 1911 Canadian federal election; this time, he defeated Conservative challeneger and future Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Alexander McGillivray.

Clark would join the board of directors for the University of Alberta in 1911 and serve in that position for a year. He would run for his 3rd term in office as a supporter of the Unionist government defeating former Alberta MLA William Puffer. Clark would join the Progressive Party of Canada in 1920 and return to the Liberals just a year later due to his opposition of class based politics practiced by the United Farmers of Alberta. He ran for the Liberals in the Mackenzie electoral district in Saskatchewan in the 1921 Canadian federal election but was defeated by Progressive candidate Milton Neil Campbell and lost his seat.

External links

• "Michael Clark". Dictionary of Canadian Biography (online ed.). University of Toronto Press. 1979–2005. 
• Michael Clark - Parliament of Canada biography

Parliament of Canada
Preceded by New district	Member of Parliament Red Deer 1908-1921	Succeeded by Alfred Speakman