The Hon. Léon Balcer |
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Member of the Canadian Parliament for Trois-Rivières |
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In office 1949–1965 |
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Preceded by | Wilfrid Gariépy |
Succeeded by | Joseph-Alfred Mongrain |
Personal details | |
Born |
Trois-Rivières, Quebec |
October 13, 1917
Died | March 22, 1991 Sainte-Foy, Quebec |
(aged 73)
Political party |
Progressive Conservative (1949-1965) Independent (1965) |
Cabinet | Solicitor General of Canada (1957–1960) Minister of Mines and Technical Surveys (Acting) (1957) Secretary of State of Canada (Acting) (1960) Minister of Transport (1960–1963) Secretary of State of Canada (Acting) (1962) |
Léon Balcer, PC (October 13, 1917 – March 22, 1991) was a Canadian politician.
He was born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec and was a lawyer by profession.
He was one of only three Progressive Conservative candidates who were elected to the House of Commons in 1949 from Quebec, representing the district of Trois-Rivières. He was re-elected in the 1953, 1957, 1958, 1962, and 1963 elections.
Balcer held numerous ministerial positions in the cabinet of John Diefenbaker including Solicitor General of Canada (1957–1960), and Minister of Transport (1960–1963). He also briefly acted as Minister of Mines and Technical Surveys (Acting), and Secretary of State of Canada (Acting).
He was Prime Minister John Diefenbaker's Quebec lieutenant and Deputy Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party.
A few months before the 1965 election, he left his party and sat as an Independent, claiming that "there is no place for a French Canadian in the party of Mr. Diefenbaker." He did not run for re-election in that year.