Nelson Spencer

Spencer was born in York County, New Brunswick,[1] to Amelia Caroline (née Price) and William Spencer,[2][3] and raised at Bloomfield Ridge, Stanley Parish.

Conservative in party allegiance, Nelson Spencer was an Orangeman,[4] and in 1910 belonged to Carnduff, Saskatchewan, Loyal Orange Lodge No.1561 where he served as the County Master for that jurisdiction. Later he transferred to 'Medicine Hat' L.O.L. 1549.

Spencer first served in municipal politics, serving as mayor of Medicine Hat, Alberta 1912-1914.[5]

Spencer was elected to the Alberta Legislature in the 1913 Alberta general election to fill the Medicine Hat seat. He defeated Liberal cabinet minister Charles R. Mitchell in an upset victory by 10 votes. Mitchell was the only cabinet minister defeated in that election.

Spencer retained his seat in the 1917 Alberta general election under section 38 of the Elections Act that stipulated that an incumbent MLA engaged in duty with the Canadian Forces in World War I would be automatically returned to his district without an election. Spencer retired from the legislature after two terms in office, not running for re-election in 1921.

Spencer belonged to the 21st Alberta Hussars prior to the Great War of 1914–1919. During the war he was given command of the newly created 175th 'Medicine Hat' Battalion and appointed to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. This unit was later broken up to reinforce other units at the front. He commanded the 31st 'Alberta' Battalion from October 6, 1918, to December 1, 1918. For his war service he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, and after the war he returned to the militia as commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, the Alberta Regiment in Medicine Hat.[6]

Spencer ran for a seat in the House of Commons of Canada as the Conservative candidate in a 1920 by-election in the Medicine Hat federal electoral district held after the death of Arthur Lewis Sifton. Spencer was badly defeated in a landslide by Robert Gardiner.

After his electoral defeat, Spencer moved to British Columbia and ran in the 1928 British Columbia general election. He was elected in the riding of Vancouver City and spent one term in office for the British Columbia Conservative Party. Spencer later ran as an independent for Mayor of Vancouver after losing the Non-partisan Association nomination in 1937.

Spencer was married to Martha Alberta Kennedy (15 June 1878 – 21 June 1958).[1]

He died in Vancouver, British Columbia at the age of 66,[2] and is interred at Ocean View Burial Park in Burnaby, British Columbia.

• Legislative Assembly of Alberta Members Listing
• Nelson Spencer at Find a Grave