Gordon Balser Explained

Gordon Balser
Birth Date:24 February 1954
Birth Place:Digby, Nova Scotia, Canada
Death Place:Digby, Nova Scotia, Canada
Office:MLA for Digby-Annapolis
Term Start:March 24, 1998
Term End:August 5, 2003
Predecessor:Joseph H. Casey
Successor:Harold Theriault
Party:Progressive Conservative
Occupation:Teacher

Gordon Douglas Balser (February 24, 1954 – April 10, 2024) was a Canadian educator and politician in Nova Scotia. He represented Digby-Annapolis in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1998 to 2003 as a Progressive Conservative member.

Early life

Balser was born on February 24, 1954. He grew up on a farm in Digby, Nova Scotia. He had four brothers and a sister. He attended Acadia University, where he received a BBA, BEd and a Masters in Education.

Balser was a teacher, teaching principal and acting superintendent of schools for the Digby district. During his education career, he was a teacher and principal at both Barton Consolidated School and Digby Elementary School, as well as superintendent of schools for the Tri-County Area. In the summer, he worked as a carpenter for over 30 years.[1]

Political career

Balser entered provincial politics in the 1998 election, defeating Liberal John Drish by 233 votes in the Digby-Annapolis riding.[2] He was re-elected in the 1999 election by over 2,200 votes.[3] In August 1999, he was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia as Minister of Economic Development and Minister of Transportation and Public Works.[4] [5] In December 1999, the Transportation and Public Works portfolio was transferred to Ron Russell.[6] In June 2002, Balser was shuffled to Minister of Energy.[7] On December 19, 2002, premier John Hamm shuffled his cabinet, moving Balser to Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, and Minister of the Public Service Commission.[8] In the 2003 election, Balser was defeated by Liberal Harold Theriault.[9] [10] Balser's loss was attributed to his support for a local quarrying project that Theriault had opposed.[11]

Personal life and death

In 1981, he married Wendy Suzanne Moore. His daughter Jill Balser was elected to the legislature to represent Digby-Annapolis in the 2021 Nova Scotia general election.[12] In 2021, she became Nova Scotia's Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration, as well as Minister responsible for Apprenticeship.[13] He also had two other daughters, Erin and Anne. In 2002, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal.[14]

Balser died on April 10, 2024, at the age of 70.[15]

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tim . Houston . Statement on Death of Former Cabinet Minister Gordon Balser . Government of Nova Scotia . 2024-04-11 . 2024-04-12 . 11 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240411215640/https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2024/04/11/statement-death-former-cabinet-minister-gordon-balser . live .
  2. Web site: Election Returns, 1998 (Digby-Annapolis) . Elections Nova Scotia . 2014-11-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150716132309/http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/dist23.pdf . 2015-07-16 .
  3. Web site: Election Returns, 1999 (Digby-Annapolis). Elections Nova Scotia. 2014-11-24. 16 July 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150716132052/http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/99DIGANN.pdf. live.
  4. Web site: Hamm shrinks cabinet . The Chronicle Herald . August 14, 1999 . 2014-11-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20050124064704/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?1999%2F08%2F14+200.raw+PE99Aug14+2 . January 24, 2005 . dead .
  5. Web site: New Cabinet smaller than the last. CBC News. August 13, 1999. 2014-11-24. 21 September 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150921094224/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-cabinet-smaller-than-the-last-1.181850. live.
  6. Web site: Nova Scotia cabinet shuffled. CBC News. December 30, 1999. 2014-11-24. 20 September 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150920140424/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia-cabinet-shuffled-1.174676. live.
  7. Web site: Balser named Minister of Energy, Clark and Olive join cabinet. Government of Nova Scotia. June 17, 2002. 2014-11-24. 23 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170923171504/https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20000217018. live.
  8. Web site: Purves new health boss. The Chronicle Herald. December 20, 2002. 2014-11-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20030509010956/http://www.herald.ns.ca/stories/2002/12/20/f219.raw.html. May 9, 2003.
  9. Web site: Election Returns, 2003 (Digby-Annapolis). Elections Nova Scotia. 2014-11-24. 16 July 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150716132550/http://electionsnovascotia.ca/sites/default/files/03dist21.pdf. live.
  10. Web site: Several ministers lose seats . The Chronicle Herald . August 6, 2003 . 2014-11-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20050124042943/http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaypackstory?2003%2F08%2F06+198.raw+PE03Aug6+2 . January 24, 2005 . dead .
  11. Book: Williams, Zoe . The Political Economy of Investment Arbitration . 109 . Oxford University Press . 2022 . 9780192635457.
  12. Tina Comeau, "PC candidate Jill Balser follows in dad's footsteps with Digby-Annapolis election win" . SaltWire Network, August 18, 2021.
  13. Web site: Government of Nova Scotia . New Cabinet to Deliver Solutions for Nova Scotians . 11 May 2018.
  14. Web site: Former N.S. cabinet minister dies . CTV News . 2024-04-12 . 2024-04-12 . 11 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240411203532/https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/more/former-n-s-cabinet-minister-dies-premier-1.6843282 . live .
  15. Web site: OBITUARY - Honourable Gordon Douglas Balser. Jayne's Funeral Home. April 13, 2024.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Gordon Balser".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.