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♂ William Neelands Chant
aliasWilliam Chant
Record
10316 · 8265

☆  
Type of record
Elected candidate ✓
Known but unelected candidate
Perennial candidate		 Deceased Performance: 78%
  ✓ ✗ ∑
British Columbia 6 1 7
Alberta 1 1 2
Total 7 2 9
Birth 13 July 1895 → 128 years + 9 months ago
Lived 81 years + 2 months
First mandate 22 August 1935 → 88 years + 8 months ago
↳ at age 40 years + 1 month
Death 25 September 1976 → 47 years + 7 months ago
Exit → Death 4 years + 27 days after 29 August 1972
Special notes
None
 
William Neelands Chant (1895–1976)
© Photo c.1935 — Public domain
Family tie with other documented individual
None
 
Well that's interesting!
Chant served only one term in the first Social Credit government in Alberta. He joined the dissidents from his party who were upset with the premier, William Aberhart, for failing to provide Albertans with a $25 monthly dividend through social credit as had been promised in the 1935 election campaign, and sat as an independent from 1937. He was more successful in SoCred politics after moving to British Columbia, serving six terms from 1953 to 1971 as an MLA for Victoria and choosing to retire from politics at the age of 77.
 

Length of service in elected office

Legislature Total Government Opposition
years months days years months days years months days
Alberta 4 6 28 Z
British Columbia 19 2 14 Z
TOTAL 23 9 12

Electoral history

Races 9  
Path points 11  
12 documented challengers
⊖ Lydia A. Arsens  f 
⊖ Melville B. Couvelier  m 
⊖ Ernest L. Knott  m  (3 runoffs)
⊖ Daniel J. Proudfoot  m 
⊖ Chester I. Sayers  m 
⊖ John D. Smith  m  (3 runoffs)
 		 ⊖ Colin Cameron  m 
⊖ George F.T. Gregory  m  (2 runoffs)
⊖ Franklin J.T. Mitchell  m 
⊖ Chester A. Ronning  m 
⊖ Waldo M. Skillings  m  (4 runoffs)
⊖ Montague L. Tyrwhitt-Drake  m  (2 runoffs)
 
Eligible: 7,966 Votes: 6,911 Participation: 86.76% Candidacies: 3
Provincial
8		 Alberta
22 August 1935
General
Instant runoff/Alt.
Gov't  SC  Majority
ID: 27784(F) — 25 Oct 2023 06:02 ET
✓
 → New to this legislature
Age
40
SC
 1/3 4,335 64.04% +2,940 Loser:
LIB
 1,395 20.61% J.T. Johnson
After his election:
24 Sep 1937 42
SC
 →
IND
 Changed allegiance (joined opposition)
Service: 4 years 6 months 27 days (Gov't & Oppo.)
Eligible: 7,343 Votes: 5,673 Participation: 77.26% Candidacies: 3
Provincial
9		 Alberta
21 March 1940
General
Instant runoff/Alt.
Gov't  SC  Majority
ID: 27844(F) — 6 Mar 2022 15:08 ET
—
 Incumbent did not run in this election →
Age
44		 Successor:
SC
 2,472 44.90% David B. Mullen
Eligible: 6,941 Votes: 5,002 Participation: 72.06% Candidacies: 3
Provincial
10		 Alberta
8 August 1944
General
Instant runoff/Alt.
Gov't  SC  Majority
ID: 27903(F) — 6 Mar 2022 16:52 ET
✗
 Failed comeback to this legislature
Age
49
INDM
 3/3 623 12.52% -2,140 Winner:
SC
 2,763 55.53% Chester I. Sayers
Eligible: 11,965 Votes: 9,423 Participation: 78.75% Candidacies: 4
Provincial
23		 British Columbia
12 June 1952
General
Instant runoff/Alt.
Gov't  SC  Minority
ID: 29737(F) — 30 Jul 2021 23:22 ET
✗
 Defeated but elected later to this legislature
Age
56
SC
 3/4 1,606 17.73% -2,001 Winner:
CFF
 3,607 39.83% Franklin J.T. Mitchell
Eligible: 34,101 Votes: 24,580 Participation: 72.08% Candidacies: 5
Provincial
24		 British Columbia
10 June 1953
General
Instant runoff/Alt.
Gov't  SC  Majority
ID: 29822(F) — 13 Aug 2022 12:38 ET
✓
 → New to this legislature
Age
57
SC
 1/5 9,131 40.73% +2,647 Loser:
LIB
 6,484 28.92% Daniel J. Proudfoot

Service: 3 years 3 months 8 days (Gov't)
Eligible: 31,502 Votes: 60,771 Participation: 64.30% Candidacies: 13
Provincial
25		 British Columbia
19 September 1956
General
Plurality-at-large (3)
Gov't  SC  Majority
ID: 29867(F) — 20 Sep 2021 17:24 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent
Age
61
SC
 1/13 9,199 45.60% +1,372 Loser:
SC
 7,827 38.80% Lydia A. Arsens

Service: 3 years 11 months 23 days (Gov't)
Eligible: 32,109 Votes: 65,717 Participation: 68.22% Candidacies: 12
Provincial
26		 British Columbia
12 September 1960
General
Plurality-at-large (3)
Gov't  SC  Majority
ID: 29915(F) — 20 Sep 2021 17:24 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent
Age
65
SC
 1/12 9,864 45.30% +2,586 Loser:
LIB
 7,278 33.42% George F.T. Gregory

Service: 3 years 17 days (Gov't)
Eligible: 32,780 Votes: 58,845 Participation: 59.84% Candidacies: 13
Provincial
27		 British Columbia
30 September 1963
General
Plurality-at-large (3)
Gov't  SC  Majority
ID: 29960(F) — 20 Sep 2021 17:24 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent
Age
68
SC
 1/13 9,736 49.78% +5,296 Loser:
LIB
 4,440 22.70% Michael Griffin

Service: 2 years 11 months 12 days (Gov't)
Eligible: 35,598 Votes: 45,579 Participation: 64.02% Candidacies: 7
Provincial
28		 British Columbia
12 September 1966
General
Plurality-at-large (2)
Gov't  SC  Majority
ID: 30002(F) — 20 Sep 2021 17:24 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent
Age
71
SC
 1/7 13,068 57.67% +7,764 Loser:
NDP
 5,304 23.41% Harold T. Allen

Service: 2 years 11 months 14 days (Gov't)
Eligible: 41,955 Votes: 58,451 Participation: 69.66% Candidacies: 7
Provincial
29		 British Columbia
27 August 1969
General
Plurality-at-large (2)
Gov't  SC  Majority
ID: 30062(F) — 20 Sep 2021 17:24 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent
Age
74
SC
 1/7 15,899 54.87% +7,382 Loser:
NDP
 8,517 29.39% Peter G. Bunn

Service: 3 years 2 days (Gov't)
Eligible: 48,598 Votes: 67,679 Participation: 69.63% Candidacies: 8
Provincial
30		 British Columbia
30 August 1972
General
Plurality-at-large (2)
Gov't  NDP  Majority
ID: 30110(F) — 20 Sep 2021 17:24 ET
—
 Incumbent did not run in this election →
Age
77		 Successor:
LIB
 10,750 32.00% David A. Anderson

Online biographical references (2)

 Retrieved on
EN Legislative Assembly of Alberta
William N. Chant		 18 Apr 2024
EN Wikipedia
William Chant		 18 Apr 2024

© 2019, 2024 :: PoliCan.ca (Maurice Y. Michaud)
Pub.: 22 Jun 2019 17:01
Rev.: 18 Apr 2024 22:00 (but data presented dynamically)

© 2019-2024 :: PoliCan.ca
Given that electoral results are by their very nature public information, such data that can be found in PoliCan are considered to be in the public domain. However, unless indicated otherwise, all other elements — the concept of consolidating these data into a single format, the detailed research on each election, legislature and candidate, the organization and searchability of the data, the programming allowing the entry and maintenance of the data, as well as the analyses and explanatory articles found in this website — are the intellectual property of Maurice Y. Michaud.