Down on the Farm - Art Gallery of Alberta

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramAgriculture in Alberta continuedIn 1925, John E. Brownlee, who was already widely believedto be the “true” leader of the United Farmers, agreed tosucceed Greenfield as Premier. Brownlee led the party toa second majority government in the 1926 election. Heis credited with securing provincial control over Alberta’snatural resources. In 1929, following years of negotiations,he signed an historic agreement with the federal governmenttransferring to Alberta this long-awaited responsibility.Despite having alienated socialists within his party (theUnited Farmers of Alberta) and labour interests, Brownleewon much popularity for these achievements and led hisparty to another victory in the 1930 provincial election.John E. BrownleeThe years between the elections of 1926 and 1930 were a fairly prosperous time forAlbertans. High grain prices and a buoyant economy overshadowed years of drought andfarm foreclosures. However, with the onset of the Great Depression, these existing economicproblems became more pronounced. People who had questioned the United Farmers of Alberta(UFA) government’s ability to deal with these problems quickly became more numerous andoutspoken.The Brownlee government was not well-prepared when depression struck. Many Albertanssoon became frustrated with the government’s conservatism, tentative assistance programs andfiscal restraint. As the Depression deepened the UFA government was forced to further cut itsspending. It laid off staff and disbanded the Alberta Provincial Police in the early 1930s.The final blow to the Premier Brownlee and the UFA came with widely publicized scandalsresulting in Brownlee’s resignation in 1934. Richard Reid replaced him as premier but couldnot regain the party’s popularity. In the 1935 provincial election the upstart Social Credit Partysoundly defeated the faltering UFA, ending their 14-year reign.AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB. Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca