Joseph Miville Dechene

Joseph Miville Dechêne (born: October 22, 1879 Chambord, Quebec - died: December 1, 1962) was a farmer and a prominent Canadian municipal, provincial and federal level politician.

Early life

Dechene began his political career as a Councillor in the small town of Bonnyville, Alberta. He served that position from 1928 to 1934.

Provincial politics

Dechene was active in provincial politics, he was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in the 1921 Alberta general election. He ran as a candidate of the Liberal party, winning the Beaver River electoral district by a comfortable margin. He served that term as a member of the official opposition. Dechene would stand for re-election in the 1926 Alberta general election but loose almost half of his popular vote from the previous election and suffer defeat by United Farmers candidate John Deslisle.

Dechene would not be detered by defeat and ran for a seat in the 1930 Alberta general election. This time he would run in the neighboring St. Paul electoral district. He would defeat incumbent Joseph Joly to win his 2nd term in office. Dechene would be defeated again for the 2nd time in the 1935 Alberta general election by Social Credit candidate Joseph Beaudry in a very closely contested eleection. After his defeat Dechene would run for office on the federal level.

Federal politics

After serving 2 terms in the Alberta provincial legislature and as a Dechene ran for a seat in the Canadian House of Commons. He ran in the 1940 Canadian federal election as a candidate from the Liberals and would defeat incumbent Member of Parliament Percy John Rowe. Dechene would run for re-election in the 1945 Canadian federal election and defeat 4 other candidates in a closely contested race to win his 2nd term in office. He would run for a 3rd term in office in the 1949 Canadian federal election defeating former Member of Parliament Orvis A. Kennedy by a wide margin. He would run for a 4th term in the 1953 Canadian federal election winning his highest vote total of his career. Dechene would run for 1 more term in the 1957 Canadian federal election, he would be re-elected to his 5th and final term in office, he retired from federal politics when parliament dissolved in 1958.

External links

* [http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Files/Parliamentarian.aspx?Item=86b009fb-e658-41cc-8d03-6b3ab3024e63&Language=E Joseph Milville Dechene Federal Political Experience]
* [http://www.assembly.ab.ca/legislaturecentennial/pdf/membersBooklet.pdf Legislative Assembly of Alberta Members Listing]