Floyd Albin Johnson

Floyd Albin Johnson (1908–1974)^[1] was a Canadian politician who was the last leader of the Alberta Co-operative Commonwealth Federation from 1957 until 1962.

Floyd Albin Johnson
Leader of the Alberta Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
In office June 29, 1957 – January 20, 1962
Preceded by	Elmer Ernest Roper
Succeeded by	Neil Reimer (NDP)
Personal details
Born	1908 South Dakota
Died	1974
Political party	Alberta Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Other political affiliations	Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, New Democratic Party
Spouse	Alice Andrews Johnson
Children	Floyd Edison Johnson, Myrna Johnson Getty, Mark Johnson
Profession	Carpenter, building contractor

Johnson was born in South Dakota. He emigrated to Canada with his family when he was 12 and spent the rest of his youth on the family's homestead in Wetaskiwin, where he became involved with the United Farmers of Alberta. As an adult, he was a carpenter by trade and studied architecture, ultimately becoming a building contractor. In 1945, after being involved with construction projects in the north during World War II he co-founded and became president of Dicconson, Johnson and Company, a contracting firm specializing in building housing.^[2]

He succeeded Elmer Roper^[2] as leader of the Alberta CCF in 1957,^[3] and led the party into the 1959 provincial election,^[2] in which it lost its only two seats in the Alberta legislature. He remained leader until the founding of the CCF's successor, the Alberta New Democratic Party, in 1962.^[4] Johnson sought the leadership of the new party at its first leadership convention on January 27, 1963 but withdrew before balloting began; Neil Reimer was elected leader.^[5]

Johnson joined the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation at its founding in 1932^[2] and stood for office in federal and provincial elections in the 1950s and in the 1960s for the CCF and its successor, the New Democratic Party of Canada. He was a candidate for the Alberta CCF in Edmonton in the 1952 and 1955 provincial elections and, as party leader, in Dunvegan in 1959 but was defeated in each attempt. He also ran unsuccessfully as a candidate in federal elections for the CCF in Edmonton—Strathcona in the 1953 and 1957 federal elections, and for the New Democratic Party of Canada in Acadia in the 1962 and 1963 federal elections.^[6] He also ran, unsuccessfully, for the Edmonton school board on the Better Education Association ticket in the 1961 civic election.

References

1. Mardiros, Anthony (1979). William Irvine: The Life of a Prairie Radical. James Lorimer & Company. p. 224. ISBN 9780888622372. floyd johnson 1908 alberta.
2. "Capitalist Socialist" (PDF). The Daily News (St. John's, Newfoundland), page 16. Canadian Press. June 8, 1959. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 15, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
3. Canadian Press (July 2, 1957). "Secret Ballot Selects new CCF Leader". Calgary Herald. Edmonton. p. 1.
4. "300 Meeting Here To Form New Party". Edmonton Journal. Edmonton. January 20, 1962. p. 28.
5. "Neil Reimer elected Alberta NDP leader". Edmonton Journal. January 28, 1963. p. 3.
6. "Floyd Albin Johnson". Canadian Elections Database. Dr. Anthony Sayers, Department of Political Science, University of Calgary. Retrieved June 13, 2015.