Chester Reynolds

For the founder of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, see Chester A. Reynolds.

Chester Ambrose Reynolds (September 24, 1902 – May 1, 1983) was a Canadian provincial politician from Alberta. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1940 to 1944, sitting as a Social Credit member from the constituency of Stettler.^[1]

Chester Reynolds
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
In office March 21, 1940 – August 7, 1944
Preceded by	Charles Cockroft
Succeeded by	William S. Mackie
Constituency	Stettler
Personal details
Born	Chester Ambrose Reynolds (1902-09-24)September 24, 1902 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	May 1, 1983(1983-05-01) (aged 80) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Political party	Social Credit Party of Alberta
Spouse	Helen Mary Long ​ (m. 1938)​
Children	4
Relatives	Ryan Reynolds (grandson)
Occupation	Farmer

Early life and education

Reynolds was born September 24, 1902, in Chicago, Illinois to William Francis Reynolds (1863–1949) and Elizabeth Frances Reynolds (née Crowe; 1872–1949). The family immigrated to Canada in 1906; he was educated in Gadsby, Alberta.^[1]

Reynolds farmed in the Gadsby area until around 1934. He then worked for the Provincial Government, specializing in promoting the welfare of horses. He held this position until he resigned in the spring of 1940 to run for the Stettler riding as the Social Credit candidate.^[2]

Political career

Reynolds was elected in the 1940 Alberta general election to the 9th Alberta Legislature for the constituency of Stettler as a member of the Social Credit Party. Reynolds received slightly over 50 percent of the vote, defeating his Independent opponent L. V. Lohr by 817 votes, and the Co-operative Commonwealth candidate H. H. Turner by 1,884 votes.^[3] Reynolds did not contest the 1944 Alberta general election.

Personal life

On June 29, 1938, Reynolds married Helen Long of Lacombe, Alberta.^[1] He was the paternal grandfather of actor Ryan Reynolds.^[4]