Gordon Balser

Gordon Douglas Balser (24 February 1954 – 10 April 2024) was a Canadian educator and politician in Nova Scotia. He represented Digby-Annapolis in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1998 to 2003 as a Progressive Conservative member.

The Honourable Gordon Balser ECNS
MLA for Digby-Annapolis
In office 24 March 1998 – 5 August 2003
Preceded by	Joseph H. Casey
Succeeded by	Harold Theriault
Personal details
Born	(1954-02-24)24 February 1954 Digby, Nova Scotia, Canada
Died	10 April 2024(2024-04-10) (aged 70) Digby, Nova Scotia, Canada
Political party	Progressive Conservative
Occupation	Teacher

Early life

Balser was born on 24 February 1954. He grew up on a farm in Digby, Nova Scotia. He had four brothers and a sister. He attended Acadia University, where he received a BBA, BEd and a Masters in Education.^[1]

Balser was a teacher, teaching principal and acting superintendent of schools for the Digby district. During his education career, he was a teacher and principal at both Barton Consolidated School and Digby Elementary School, as well as superintendent of schools for the Tri-County Area. In the summer, he worked as a carpenter for over 30 years.^[1][2]

Political career

Balser entered provincial politics in the 1998 election, defeating Liberal John Drish by 233 votes in the Digby-Annapolis riding.^[3] He was re-elected in the 1999 election by over 2,200 votes.^[4] In August 1999, he was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia as Minister of Economic Development and Minister of Transportation and Public Works.^[5][6] In December 1999, the Transportation and Public Works portfolio was transferred to Ron Russell.^[7] In June 2002, Balser was shuffled to Minister of Energy.^[8] On 19 December 2002, premier John Hamm shuffled his cabinet, moving Balser to Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, and Minister of the Public Service Commission.^[9] In the 2003 election, Balser was defeated by Liberal Harold Theriault.^[10][11] Balser's loss was attributed to his support for a local quarrying project that Theriault had opposed.^[12]

Personal life and death

In 1981, he married Wendy Suzanne Moore. His daughter Jill Balser was elected to the legislature to represent Digby-Annapolis in the 2021 Nova Scotia general election.^[13] In 2021, she became Nova Scotia's Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration, as well as Minister responsible for Apprenticeship.^[2][14] He also had two other daughters, Erin and Anne.^[2] In 2002, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal.^[15]

Balser died on 10 April 2024, at the age of 70.^[1][15]