Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Stan Waters Fonds
General material designation
- Textual record
- Graphic material - photograph
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: The title is based on contents of fonds.
Level of description
Fonds
Repository
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
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1871 - 2014 (Creation)
Physical description area
Physical description
1.71 m of textual records, 345 photographs, 178 negatives, and 5 colour transparencies.
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
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Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Stanley “Stan” Charles Waters was born in Winnipeg on 14 June 1920, but attended school in Alberta at
Strathcona Composite High School and later the University of Alberta, in Edmonton. In 1941, he enlisted
in the Canadian Army, becoming a member of the 14th Army Tank Battalion, and later was posted to
the First Special Service Force. At the conclusion of the war, Waters decided to remain in the army and
rose quickly through the ranks, ending his career as a Lieutenant-General and Commander of Canadian
Forces Mobile Command from 1973-1975.
In 1975 he joined the Mannix Organization in Calgary, eventually becoming president of the Loram Group, which was a subsidiary of the Mannix Organization, (also known as the Mancal Group). The Loram Group of Companies began in the heavy construction industry in 1898 and soon moved into coal mining, oil and gas, building construction, real estate, and more. Additionally, Waters was the co-founder of the Bowfort Group of companies, which was involved in farming, real estate and investment operations. He held a variety of executive positions until his eventual retirement from business in 1989.
Politically and socially, Stan Waters held strong conservative views. He first entered politics in 1987 when he became a founding member of Preston Manning’s Reform Party. Though he did not participate in the 1988 federal election, he was perceived to be the party’s most popular early spokesperson, appearing at multiple rallies and events between 1987 and 1991.
In 1989, he ran for the vacant Alberta Senate seat, winning with 41.7% of the non-binding votes cast by Alberta voters. His win was unprecedented, as he became the first person to be elected by a provincial population to be the Prime Minister’s recommendation for appointment to the Senate. On June 11, 1990, Waters was sworn into the Senate, becoming the first member of the Reform Party to enter the upper house. He remained in the Senate for one year, during which he pushed for the end of official bilingualism, urged healthcare reform, opposed federal funding grants to artists, and pushed Prime Minister Brian Mulroney to adopt a Triple E Senate, (Elected, Effective, and Equal). Additionally, he was pro-choice on abortion, putting him at odds with many of the Reform Party’s Christian supporters.
On 25 September 1991, Stan Waters passed away due to complications resulting from a brain tumor. When the Liberal Party took control of the federal government under Jean Chrétien, Senate reform was abandoned. Stan Waters’ son, Mark Waters, later served as leader of the Alberta Political Alliance, a small provincial party.
Custodial history
Scope and content
The fonds consists of records relating to the life and career of Senator Stan Waters and his family, including correspondence, newspaper and magazine clippings, military memorabilia and documents, photographs, brochures, Reform Party documents, and personal notes and documents.
Notes area
Physical condition
Materials are in fair condition.
Immediate source of acquisition
Mark Waters, Stan Waters’ son, deposited the records in the Provincial Archives of Alberta in 2013.
Arrangement
Language of material
- English
- Italian
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
None.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Permission for use required. Subject to the Copyright Act.
Finding aids
File list is available.
Associated materials
Accruals
Further accruals are not expected.
General note
Information for the biographical sketch is taken from the records.
Includes the following accessions: PR2013.0618.