Bud Olson

The Honourable
Bud Olson
PC, AOE
14th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
In office
April 17, 1996 – February 10, 2000
Monarch Elizabeth II
Governor General Roméo LeBlanc
Adrienne Clarkson
Premier Ralph Klein
Preceded by Gordon Towers
Succeeded by Lois Hole
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Medicine Hat
In office
June 10, 1957 – March 31, 1958
Preceded by William Duncan Wylie
Succeeded by Edwin William Brunsden
In office
June 18, 1962 – October 30, 1972
Preceded by Edwin William Brunsden
Succeeded by Bert Hargrave
Minister of Agriculture
In office
6 July 1968 – 26 November 1972
Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
Preceded by John James Greene
Succeeded by Eugene Whelan
Senator for Alberta South, Alberta
In office
April 5, 1977 – March 7, 1996
Appointed by Pierre Trudeau
Personal details
Born October 6, 1925
Iddesleigh, Alberta
Died February 14, 2002(2002-02-14) (aged 76)
Medicine Hat, Alberta
Political party Liberal (1967 onwards)
Social Credit (until 1967)
Spouse(s)
Marion Lucille McLachlan (m. 1947)
Children 4
Occupation farmer, rancher and businessman

Horace Andrew (Bud) Olson, PC AOE (October 6, 1925 – February 14, 2002) was a Canadian businessman, politician, and the 14th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta. He also served as a Member of Parliament, Senator, Minister of Agriculture, and Minister of Economic and Regional Development. He was also a farmer and rancher, and president and operating officer of Farmer's Stockmen's Supplies in Medicine Hat and Lethbridge, Alberta.

Early life

Born in Iddesleigh, Alberta on October 6, 1925. On January 27, 1947, he married Marion Lucille McLachlan. They had four children: Sharon Lee, Andrea Lucille, Juanita Carol and Horace Andrew Jr.

Federal politics

Bud Olson was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 1957 election as a Social Credit Member of Parliament (MP) from Medicine Hat. He was defeated in the Diefenbaker sweep of 1958, but re-elected in 1962, 1963 and 1965.

With the Social Credit Party's English Canadian wing rapidly disintegrating, Olson crossed the floor in 1967 to join the Liberal Party. Olson supported Pierre Trudeau's successful candidacy for the Liberal leadership in 1968, narrowly won re-election as an MP in 1968 and became minister of agriculture in the first Trudeau government. Olson served in that position until he lost his seat in the 1972 general election. He was one of only four Liberal MPs elected from Alberta in 1968 – all of whom were defeated in 1972 due to Trudeau's increasing unpopularity in Western Canada, particularly Alberta.

Olson was unsuccessful in his attempt to return to Parliament in 1974, and in 1977 Trudeau appointed him to the Senate of Canada. Olson served as leader of the opposition in the Senate in 1979, and returned to Cabinet when the Trudeau Liberals returned to power in 1980.

He served as Minister of Economic and Regional Development from 1980 to 1984, as well as Leader of the Government in the Senate. As one of Trudeau's most powerful ministers, he chaired the cabinet committee on economic development from 1980 to 1983. He was also the minister responsible for the Northern Pipeline Agency from 1980 to 1984,and the government leader in the Senate from 1982 to 1984. It was also Olson's job to promote the government's unpopular National Energy Program in Alberta.

Late life

Olson resigned from the Senate when he was appointed Alberta's 14th Lieutenant-Governor in April 1996. He served in that position until 2000.

Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Shield - worn on the front of CAPS constables blazers when providing security for LG

Bud Olson died in Medicine Hat in 2002.

Arms

References

    22nd Ministry – Second cabinet of Pierre Trudeau
    Cabinet post (1)
    Predecessor Office Successor
    Ray Perrault Leader of the Government in the Senate
    1982–1984    		 Allan MacEachen
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