William Neelands Chant (July 13, 1895 – September 25, 1976) was a farmer and political figure in Alberta and British Columbia. He represented Camrose in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1935 to 1940 as a Social Credit and then Independent member and Victoria City in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1953 to 1972 as a Social Credit member.[1][2]

William N. Chant
Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia for Victoria
Victoria City (1953-1966)
In office
June 9, 1953 – August 30, 1972
Serving with Lydia Arsens and
Walter Wright (1953-1956)
George Gregory (1956-1960)
John Donald Smith (1956-1966)
Waldo Skillings (1960-1972)
Preceded byDaniel John Proudfoot
Succeeded byDavid Anderson
Newell Morrison
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Camrose
In office
August 22, 1935 – March 21, 1940
Preceded byChester Ronning
Succeeded byDavid B. Mullen
Personal details
Born(1895-07-13)July 13, 1895
Brampton, Ontario
DiedSeptember 25, 1976(1976-09-25) (aged 81)
Chilliwack, British Columbia
Political partySocial Credit
Independent Progressive

He was born in Brampton, Ontario, the son of John Daniel Chant and Mary Abigail Neelands, and was educated there. In 1921, he married Ella Victoria Langbell. Chant was a member of the municipal council and a school trustee for Camrose, Alberta. He served during World War I.[1] Chant was Minister of Agriculture in the Alberta cabinet[3] but resigned from his cabinet post in the Social Credit backbenchers' revolt of 1937.[4] He was defeated when he ran for re-election to the Alberta assembly as an Independent Progressive Party candidate in 1944.[5] Chant ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the British Columbia assembly in 1952 before being elected in 1953;[6] he served as Minister of Public Works in the British Columbia cabinet.[3]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Normandin, P G (1965). Canadian Parliamentary Guide, 1965.
  2. ^ "Hansard". Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. January 13, 1977. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
  3. ^ a b "William Chant fonds". British Columbia Archival Information Network. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
  4. ^ Finkel, Alvin (1989). The Social Credit phenomenon in Alberta. University of Toronto Press. p. 61. ISBN 0-8020-5821-3. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
  5. ^ "Camrose results 1944". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
  6. ^ "Electoral History of British Columbia, 1871-1986" (PDF). Elections BC. Retrieved July 27, 2011.

External links edit