Vincent Martin Dantzer (2 October 1923 – 13 March 2001) was a

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lawyer, economist, and politician, a member of the

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, and a mayor of

Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

Early life

Dantzer was born in

Rush Lake, Saskatchewan Rush Lake ( 2016 population: ) is a village in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within the Rural Municipality of Excelsior No. 166 and Census Division No. 7. Surrounding communities include Waldeck, Herbert, and the City of Swift Curren ...

. He enlisted in the

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in 1942, and served as a Flying Officer in the

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. He left the military in 1946, and began studying

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at the

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, from which he graduated with an honours degree in 1948. He continued his studies at the

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, where he earned a

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in economics. He worked for the

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's department of Trade and Commerce as a research economist in 1949 before returning to

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to work in the

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's budget bureau. He left this position and moved to Edmonton to lecture in

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at the

University of Alberta The University of Alberta (also known as U of A or UAlberta, ) is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta, and Henry Marshall Tory, t ...

, where he also earned a law degree in 1956. The following year, he started a law practice and worked as senior partner in a nine-person firm. He would remain with that firm until leaving Edmonton in 1970.

Municipal politics

Dantzer's first attempt at elected office took place in 1956, when he ran for the separate (

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) school board in that year's municipal election. He finished first of four candidates in that election, and became the board's chair. He was re-elected in the 1958 election, but was unseated in

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. He would not try to regain his position. Instead, he ran for alderman on

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in the 1962 election. He finished fifth of thirteen candidates, and became one of five candidates elected to a two-year term. He was re-elected in the 1964 election, finishing eighth of forty-six candidates (that election marked the end of staggered aldermanic terms in Edmonton; accordingly, all twelve of the city's aldermen were elected at once). On 11 March 1965, mayor William Hawrelak was expelled from office by the

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, which found that he had violated the City Act in his dealings with a development company that he partly owned. City Council selected Dantzer to take his place. Dantzer was able to defeat Hawrelak in the 1966 election, but did not seek re-election at the conclusion of this term. During his time as mayor, Dantzer served as President of the

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in 1967. In 1970, not long after leaving municipal politics, Dantzer moved to

Vernon, British Columbia Vernon is a city in the Okanagan region of the British Columbia Interior, Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is northeast of Vancouver. Named after Forbes George Vernon, a former Member of the Legislative Assembly, MLA of British ...

where he became the senior partner in a six-person firm that he founded.

Federal politics

In the 1980 federal election, Dantzer ran for the

as the Progressive Conservative candidate in Okanagan North. He won an easy victory over his two challengers, and was re-elected by an increased margin in the 1984 federal election. He did not seek re-election in the 1988 election, and did not return to public life thereafter.

Personal life and legacy

Dantzer was married to Mary Catherine; the couple had nine children. Vincent Dantzer died of heart failure on 13 March 2001. Dantzer's Hill in Edmonton is named in his honour.

External links

*
Edmonton Public Library: profile of Mayor Vincent DantzerCity of Edmonton biography of Vincent DantzerList of Presidents of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dantzer, Vincent 1923 births 2001 deaths Canadian economists Canadian military personnel of World War II Lawyers in Alberta Lawyers in British Columbia Mayors of Edmonton Members of the House of Commons of Canada from British Columbia People from Rural Municipality Excelsior No. 166, Saskatchewan Progressive Conservative Party of Canada MPs Royal Canadian Air Force officers University of Alberta alumni Academic staff of the University of Alberta University of Saskatchewan alumni University of Toronto alumni 20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada 20th-century mayors of places in Alberta