Fonds glen-1746 - Herbert Nichols fonds

Herbert Edward Nichols, 1886-1973, was born in England and came to Edmonton, Alberta in 1907. He homesteaded at Clyde in 1911 and raised Percherons, Hampshire sheep and Yorkshire swine. He was in charge of the successful Alberta Percheron exhibit at the 1930 Toronto Royal Winter Fair, and was well known for his livestock breeding. He and his wife, Grace, were married in 1935, and they had three children, David, Richard and Margaret. Herbert was a member of Alberta Wheat Pool and Alberta Dairy Pool from their inceptions, in addition to being a member of the United Farmers of Canada, Alberta Section and United Grain Growers. He moved to Edmonton in 1942 when he retired from farming. He served as executive secretary of the Alberta Farmers' Union and editor of the A.F.U. Bulletin, 1941-1946. Between 1945 and 1948, he served on the Board of Governors of the University of Alberta. In 1946, he joined the Alberta Department of Economic Affairs, heading the provincial information service. It was in this capacity that he wrote essays, radio broadcasts, speeches and articles on Social Credit. He retired from the government in 1953. He was also president of the Property Owners' Association of Edmonton and active in community work.

The Alberta Farmers' Union was formed in 1942. It ceased to exist on January 14, 1949 when it amalgamated with the United Farmers of Alberta; the new organization was known as the Farmers' Union of Alberta. Established in 1926, the Saskatchewan-based United Farmers of Canada was a militant farmers' organization, adopting direct action practices such as non-delivery farm strikes, as opposed to more democratic processes. The Alberta Section of this organization was created on September 4, 1938 in Willingdon, Alberta by radical members of the declining United Farmers of Alberta. They promoted the delivery of grain through the Alberta Wheat Pool and the United Grain Growers, a farmer-owned organization. In 1940, there were 146 locals, comprised of about 2400 members, concentrated in the area between Edmonton and the Saskatchewan border. Attempts to amalgamate with the United Farmers of Alberta were made, but failed as the two organizations were unable to agree upon a new name, United Farmers of Alberta wanting to retain their name while the Alberta Section refused to consider this name because of its political associations. On January 31,1942, the United Farmers of Canada, Alberta Section closed its books. It changed its name to the Alberta Farmers' Union, in the hopes of gaining wider support. The Alberta Farmers' Union was incorporated on January 31,1942 under the <em>Societies Act, 1924</em>, with the objective of promoting all branches of agriculture. Its position was more militant than the United Farmers of Alberta. They held as their purpose to provide a militant challenge to a system in which agriculture had been in a position of disadvantage, and to try, by union methods, to restore farming to a dignified, remunerative occupation. From September 6th until October 6th, 1946, almost 50,000 farmers in Alberta and Saskatchewan went on strike, which resulted in the non-delivery of all farm produce with the exception of milk for hospitals and children. At a joint convention held in December 1948, delegates from the United Farmers of Alberta and the Alberta Farmers' Union met, and set up a constitution and by-laws for a new organization of farmers to be known as the Farmers' Union of Alberta. The Alberta Farmers' Union amalgamated on January 14, 1949 with the United Farmers of Alberta. The new organization that resulted was the Farmers' Union of Alberta. The Farmers' Union of Alberta amalgamated with the Alberta Federation of Agriculture to become Unifarm in 1970. Unifarm became the Wild Rose Agricultural Producers in 1996. The Alberta Farmers' Union was headed by a board of five (a chairman, and four vice-chairman) along with twelve directors. The provincial administration was divided into twelve districts; districts were divided into five subdivisions. Under the subdivisions were the locals. Incorporated as the Alberta Farmers Union, it is most often referred to as the Alberta Farmers' Union. Presidents of the United Farmers of Canada, Alberta Section: Alex Huculak, 1938-1939; William Yusep, 1939-1941; Chester O. McGowan, 1941-1942;Presidents of the Alberta Farmers' Union: Chester O. McGowan, 1942-1943; James Jackson, 1943-1945; Carl Stimpfle, 1946-1949