Arthur LeRoy Smith

Who was Arthur LeRoy Smith?

Arthur LeRoy Smith Sr. was a barrister, inventor and a Canadian federal politician. He was born in Regina, Northwest Territories.

Smith first ran for a seat in the Canadian House of Commons as a Conservative candidate in the 1921 federal election in the East Calgary riding, he was defeated by William Irvine. He would not make another attempt at winning a seat for almost 25 years.

Smith filed a patent on an Air Heating System with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office on September 29, 1936. He also defended Premier of Alberta John Edward Brownlee in MacMillan v. Brownlee.

Smith would make a second attempt at federal politics. This time he ran in the Calgary West riding in the 1945 federal election defeating 4 other candidates to win his first term in office. He would run for re-election in the 1949 federal election winning his second term by a comfortable margin. Smith would be forced to resign his seat on July 5, 1951 due to health complications. He died 5 months later on December 17, 1951.

Smith's son Arthur Ryan Smith also served as a Member of Parliament and a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.