Allen Edison Stairs (December 22, 1924 – October 10, 2010) was a Canadian businessman and politician. Known by Edison, after graduating high school he attended the University of New Brunswick but interrupted his education during World War II to join the Royal Canadian Air Force. He served until after V-E Day in 1945 and following his discharge from the military settled in Woodstock, New Brunswick where he established an insurance business.

A. Edison Stairs
Born(1924-12-22)December 22, 1924
Meductic, New Brunswick, Canada
DiedOctober 10, 2010(2010-10-10) (aged 85)
EducationUniversity of New Brunswick
Occupation(s)Businessman, politician
Political partyProgressive Conservative

From a family active in community affairs, his great-uncle Ernest W. Stairs had been a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1935 to 1939. Edison Stairs was elected as the Progressive Conservative Party member for Carleton in 1960, 1963, and 1967, sitting as a member of the Official Opposition.[1] Reelected in 1970, his party formed the government led by Premier Richard Hatfield, and Stairs was immediately named to the Cabinet. He held several positions[2] until 1976 when, as Minister of Finance[3] and Chairman of NB Power,[4] he resigned from Cabinet to be with his terminally ill wife. Stairs remained a member of the Legislature until 1978 but retired from politics upon the passing of his wife.[5]

His cousin, Gerald Merrithew, was elected both provincially (1972–1984) and federally (1984–1993).

New Brunswick provincial government of Richard Hatfield
Cabinet posts (4)
Predecessor Office Successor
Jean-Maurice Simard 'Minister of Finance'
1974–1976
Lawrence Garvie
Wilfred Bishop 'Minister of Natural Resources & Energy'
1972–1974
Roland Boudreau
H. H. Williamson 'Minister of Economic Growth'
1970–1972
Paul Creaghan
J. Adrien Levesque 'Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development'
1970–1972
J. Stewart Brooks
Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
Preceded by MLA for Carleton County
1960–1978
Succeeded by

References

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  1. ^ CBC – Woodstock riding profiles, Edison Stairs
  2. ^ New Brunswick. Legislative Assembly, A.E. Stairs
  3. ^ Bud Jorgenson (December 9, 1974). "Finance Ministers pick up resource taxes talk but may pass buck". Ottawa Citizen. p. 4.
  4. ^ "Well-known Canadians who died in 2010". The Record. The Canadian Press. December 26, 2010. Archived from the original on December 30, 2010. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  5. ^ Obituary
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