Al Adair
Encyclopedia
James Allen "Al" "Boomer" Adair (May 13, 1929 – December 24, 1996) was a minor league baseball
player, radio broadcaster, published author and provincial level politician from Alberta
, Canada
. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
from 1971 to 1993.
for the Peace River Stampeders in the North Peace Baseball League. He stayed with the team through a number of years in the 1960s. After baseball he became a well known radio broadcaster in Peace River until he ran for political office in 1971.
. He defeated incumbent Social Credit MLA Robert Wiebe
to win his first term in office and pickup the Peace River
electoral district for his party. He was appointed to the cabinet by Premier Peter Lougheed
and served as the Minister without portfolio responsible for native affairs. Adair was re-elected in the 1975 Alberta general election
winning a larger vote share and defeating three other candidates. After the election, he was reassigned by Lougheed to be the new Minister of Recreation, Parks and Wildlife.
Adair stood for a third term in office in the 1979 Alberta general election
. He easily defeated three other candidates to win the second highest popular vote of his political career. Adair would reach the height of his popularity with a landslide win in the 1982 Alberta general election
. After Don Getty
became Premier in 1985, Adair became the new Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs. The appointment was short lived because he became the Minister of Transportation and Utilities after winning his fifth consecutive term in office in the 1986 Alberta general election
. He would run for his sixth and final term in the 1989 Alberta general election
. His final election would see him net the highest vote percentage of his career as he took 66% of the popular vote. Adair lost his cabinet portfolio after Ralph Klein became Premier in 1992. He retired from provincial politics with the dissolution of the Assembly in 1993.
, Alberta
is named in his honor.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player, radio broadcaster, published author and provincial level politician from Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
from 1971 to 1993.
Early life
Adair played minor league BaseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
for the Peace River Stampeders in the North Peace Baseball League. He stayed with the team through a number of years in the 1960s. After baseball he became a well known radio broadcaster in Peace River until he ran for political office in 1971.
Political career
Adair ran as a candidate for the Progressive Conservative Party in the 1971 Alberta general electionAlberta general election, 1971
The Alberta general election of 1971 was the seventeenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on August 30, 1971 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. He defeated incumbent Social Credit MLA Robert Wiebe
Robert Wiebe
Robert Henry Wiebe was a municipal and provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1967 to 1971 sitting with the governing Social Credit caucus.-Political career:...
to win his first term in office and pickup the Peace River
Peace River (provincial electoral district)
Peace River is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district is mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first past the post method of voting...
electoral district for his party. He was appointed to the cabinet by Premier Peter Lougheed
Peter Lougheed
Edgar Peter Lougheed, PC, CC, AOE, QC, is a Canadian lawyer, and a former politician and Canadian Football League player. He served as the tenth Premier of Alberta from 1971 to 1985....
and served as the Minister without portfolio responsible for native affairs. Adair was re-elected in the 1975 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1975
The Alberta general election of 1975 was the eighteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on March 25, 1975 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
winning a larger vote share and defeating three other candidates. After the election, he was reassigned by Lougheed to be the new Minister of Recreation, Parks and Wildlife.
Adair stood for a third term in office in the 1979 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1979
The Alberta general election of 1979 was the nineteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on March 14, 1979 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. He easily defeated three other candidates to win the second highest popular vote of his political career. Adair would reach the height of his popularity with a landslide win in the 1982 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1982
The Alberta general election of 1982 was the twentieth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on November 2, 1982 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. After Don Getty
Don Getty
Donald Ross Getty, OC, AOE is a retired Canadian politician who served as the 11th Premier of Alberta between 1985 and 1992. A member of the Progressive Conservatives, he served as Energy Minister and Federal and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister in the government of Peter Lougheed before...
became Premier in 1985, Adair became the new Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs. The appointment was short lived because he became the Minister of Transportation and Utilities after winning his fifth consecutive term in office in the 1986 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1986
The Alberta general election of 1986 was the twenty-first general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on May 8, 1986 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. He would run for his sixth and final term in the 1989 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1989
The Alberta general election of 1989 was the twenty-second general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on March 20, 1989 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. His final election would see him net the highest vote percentage of his career as he took 66% of the popular vote. Adair lost his cabinet portfolio after Ralph Klein became Premier in 1992. He retired from provincial politics with the dissolution of the Assembly in 1993.
Late life
After retiring from his political career, Adair co-authored a book with Frank J. Dolphin titled Boomer: My Life with Peter, Don and Ralph. The book was published in 1994 by Polar Bear Publishing. He died on December 24, 1996 at the age of 67. The Al 'Boomer' Adair Rec Centre in Peace RiverPeace River, Alberta
Peace River is a town in northwestern Alberta, Canada, situated along the banks of the Peace River, at its confluence with the Smoky River, the Heart River and Pat's Creek. It is located northwest of Edmonton, and northeast of Grande Prairie, along Highway 2. The Peace River townsite is nearly ...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
is named in his honor.