Veterans' and Active Force

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The Veterans' and Active Force was a one-man political party that was represented in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada, from 1944 to 1948. It was led by William J. Williams.

Legislative Assembly of Alberta Single house of Legislature of Alberta

The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is the deliberative assembly of the Alberta Legislature in Alberta, Canada. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton. The Legislative Assembly consists of 87 members, elected first past the post from single-member electoral districts. Bills passed by the legislature are given royal assent by Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta.

Alberta Province of Canada

Alberta is a province of Canada. With an estimated population of 4,067,175 as of 2016 census, it is Canada's fourth most populous province and the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces. Its area is about 660,000 square kilometres (250,000 sq mi). Alberta and its neighbour Saskatchewan were districts of the Northwest Territories until they were established as provinces on September 1, 1905. The premier is Jason Kenney as of April 30, 2019.

Canada Country in North America

Canada is a country in the northern part of North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering 9.98 million square kilometres, making it the world's second-largest country by total area. Its southern border with the United States, stretching some 8,891 kilometres (5,525 mi), is the world's longest bi-national land border. Canada's capital is Ottawa, and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

Williams, a World War II veteran, ran and managed his own campaign on a platform of promoting veterans' benefits for soldiers who were coming home from the war. He was elected on the 16th and final vote count in the 1944 election in the Edmonton district. His slim election victory resulted from the vote transfer of servicemen, who had voted Social Credit as their first preference.

World War II 1939–1945, between Axis and Allies

World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. A state of total war emerged, directly involving more than 100 million people from more than 30 countries. The major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 70 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease, and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.

1944 Alberta general election

The 1944 Alberta general election was the tenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. The Assembly was dissolved on July 8, 1944, and the vote was held on August 8, 1944, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

The Edmonton provincial electoral district existed in two incarnations from 1905 - 1909 and again from 1921 - 1955, with the city broken up into multiple constituencies in the other time-periods. The district was created when Alberta became a province, to encompass residents of the city of Edmonton on the northside of the North Saskatchewan River. For a time, it was one of three multi-member constituencies in the province's history, the others being Calgary and Medicine Hat.

The service vote was able to be tracked, because veterans and soldiers' were given special ballots.

Mr. Williams did not seek re-election in 1948, and the Veterans' and Active Force party disappeared with his retirement.

Source: Calgary Herald , August 10, 1944.

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