Swede Hanson (politician)

Peter (Swede) Hanson (August 22, 1925 - September 17, 1986) was a Canadian politician, who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Yukon from 1978 to 1982.[1] He represented the electoral district of Mayo as a member of the Yukon Progressive Conservative Party, and served in the Executive Council of Yukon as minister of consumer and corporate affairs, tourism, economic development and renewable resources in the government of Chris Pearson.[2]

Swede Hanson
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Yukon
In office
1978–1982
Preceded byGordon McIntyre
Succeeded byPiers McDonald
ConstituencyMayo
Personal details
Born
Peter Hanson

August 22, 1925
Montreal, Quebec
DiedSeptember 17, 1986
Whitehorse, Yukon
Political partyProgressive Conservative
ResidenceMayo, Yukon

Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Hanson served in Canada's Black Watch Regiment during World War II.[3] He moved to Yukon following the war and settled in Mayo, where he worked as a miner, trapper and prospector before becoming foreman of the town's public works department.[4] By the time of his decision to run in the 1978 Yukon general election, Hanson was so well known in Mayo that he only half-jokingly ran on the theme that he did not need to actually conduct a campaign.[4]

He was elected in the 1978 Yukon general election, defeating former territorial councillor Gordon McIntyre. The result was subject to an automatic recount due to his narrow margin over second place candidate David Harwood,[5] but the recount confirmed his victory.[6] Once the transfer of executive power from the Commissioner of Yukon to the Legislative Assembly was finalized, he was named to Pearson's new cabinet in 1979;[2] however, he resigned the position in May 1980 following a dispute over First Nations hunting rights in the Kluane National Park and Reserve.[7] He was later appointed as chair of the legislature's first select committee to debate and discuss improvements to its new wildlife management legislation.[8]

He was defeated in the 1982 Yukon general election by Piers McDonald of the Yukon New Democratic Party, and retired from politics thereafter.

He died on September 17, 1986 in Whitehorse.[1]

Electoral record
1978 Yukon general election[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Progressive ConservativeSwede Hanson9526.8%–
  Independent David Harwood 84 23.7% –
  Liberal Gordon McIntyre 85 24.0% –
  NDP Alan H. McDiarmid 82 23.2% –
Total 354 100.0% –
1982 Yukon general election[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
  NDP Piers McDonald 230 52.3% +29.1%
Progressive ConservativeSwede Hanson17339.3%+12.5%
  Liberal Eleanor Van Bibber 35 8.0% -16.0%
Total 440 100.0% –
gollark: Did you add *any coolers*?
gollark: I said sensibly designed.
gollark: Any sensibly designed reactor won't.
gollark: It just explodes if its heat bar goes to 100%.
gollark: There is no critical mass.

References
  1. Massey Padgham, "Ex cabinet minister dies". Whitehorse Star, September 18, 1986.
  2. Dave Tait, "End of an Era". Whitehorse Star, October 22, 1979.
  3. "Swede Hanson fonds". Archives Society of Alberta.
  4. Dave Tait, "A New Member". Whitehorse Star, October 22, 1979.
  5. "Ballot Count Begins Today". Whitehorse Star, November 23, 1978.
  6. "Recount Confirms Hanson's Election". Whitehorse Star, December 1, 1978.
  7. Heather Stockstill, "Hanson Out: Lang takes over, Lattin in cabinet". Whitehorse Star, May 13, 1980.
  8. Jim Butler, "Game law hearing opens". Whitehorse Star, December 2, 1981.
  9. Yukon Elections Board Report on the 1978 Election Elections Yukon, 1978. Retrieved January 21, 2017
  10. Yukon Elections Board Report on the 1982 Election Elections Yukon, 1982. Retrieved January 21, 2017
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