Cam Kirby

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

QC
Leader of the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta
In office
1958–1960
Preceded byJohn Percy Page
Succeeded byErnest Watkins
MLA for Red Deer
In office
1954–1959
Preceded byDavid A. Ure
Succeeded byWilliam Ure
Personal details
BornJanuary 12, 1909
Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta

William J. Cameron "Cam" Kirby

QC (January 12, 1909 – June 27, 2003) was an Alberta
politician, leader of the Conservative Party, barrister, Queen's Counsel, and a Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench.

Born in

high school in Hanna, Alberta and then attended the University of British Columbia graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1930 before attending graduate school at the University of Alberta.[1]

He taught Latin, English and mathematics to the children of ranching families and became highschool principal at Okotoks, Alberta in 1935. After three years, he left to study law in Vancouver.[1]

During

called to the bar in uniform in 1943, he concluded his military service as a legal officer at Pacific Command Headquarters.[1]

Following the war he moved to

Social Credit since the party swept to power in 1935 and was Minister of Agriculture. Kirby contested the seat for the Conservatives and defeated Social Credit candidate William Ure, the deceased MLA's younger brother, by 234 votes in the by-election.[1]

Kirby was returned to the

Alberta legislature in the 1955 provincial election and became leader of the three man Conservative caucus in 1958 with hopes of mirroring the victory of John Diefenbaker's federal Progressive Conservatives who had won a crushing victory in the 1958 federal election wiping out the federal Social Credit Party in the process.[1]

Despite having the backing of Diefenbaker and the

seat to William Ure by almost 3,000 votes.[1]

Kirby resigned as party leader in January 1960 and was appointed to the Supreme Court of Alberta (Trial Division), later the

Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta.[1]

In 1967, Justice Kirby was named by Premier Manning to conduct a one-man inquiry into allegations of

Edgar Hinman. Kirby's report, following an eight-month investigation, cleared the two men of wrongdoing, but scolded them for an "imprudent" mixing of public affairs and private business.[1]

He retired from the bench on his 75th birthday in 1984.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Hawthorn, Tom, "W.J.C. KIRBY: 1909-2003: Tory leader quit politics for bench; He failed to crack Socred grip on Alberta and instead became a fiery, no-nonsense judge," Globe and Mail, August 21, 2003
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