Gordon Balser | |
|---|---|
| MLA for Digby-Annapolis | |
| In office 24 March 1998 –5 August 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph H. Casey |
| Succeeded by | Harold Theriault |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 February 1954 Digby,Nova Scotia,Canada |
| Died | 10 April 2024 (aged 70) Digby,Nova Scotia,Canada |
| Political party | Progressive Conservative |
| Occupation | Teacher |
Gordon Douglas Balser (24 February 1954 –10 April 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.
Balser was born on 24 February 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. [1]
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] [2]
Balser entered provincial politics in the 1998 election,defeating Liberal John Drish by 233 votes in the Digby-Annapolis riding. [3] He was re-elected in the 1999 election by over 2,200 votes. [4] 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. [5] [6] In December 1999,the Transportation and Public Works portfolio was transferred to Ron Russell. [7] In June 2002,Balser was shuffled to Minister of Energy. [8] On 19 December 2002,premier John Hamm shuffled his cabinet,moving Balser to Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries,and Minister of the Public Service Commission. [9] In the 2003 election,Balser was defeated by Liberal Harold Theriault. [10] [11] Balser's loss was attributed to his support for a local quarrying project that Theriault had opposed. [12]
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. [13] In 2021,she became Nova Scotia's Minister of Labour,Skills and Immigration,as well as Minister responsible for Apprenticeship. [2] [14] He also had two other daughters,Erin and Anne. [2] In 2002,he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal. [15]