Jon Lord (politician) facts for kids

Jonathan Joseph Lord (born December 29, 1956 – died March 25, 2014) was a Canadian politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, representing the province of Alberta.

Early Life and Business

Jon Lord was born in Calgary, Alberta. His birth name was Jonathan Joseph Brown. He grew up on a farm in central Alberta.

When he was 18, Jon started his first business. It was a painting company. He chose the name "A Appolo Painting" so it would be listed first in the phone book! He owned and ran small businesses for many years.

As a young adult, Jon changed his last name to Lord. He was a big fan of the band Deep Purple. He chose "Lord" to honor one of the band's founders, Jon Lord.

He studied business at the University of Alberta. Later, he opened Casablanca Video in Calgary. This store became very popular. It won awards for being Calgary's best video rental place many times. Casablanca Video was also known for helping local charities and community groups.

In 1985, Jon helped create one of Alberta's first Business Revitalization Zones (BRZ). A BRZ is an area where local businesses work together to improve their community. He helped name this area "Marda Loop." He also started the "Marda Gras" summer festival there, which began in 1985. Jon then became the first chairman of the Federation of Business Revitalization Zones. This group represented all the BRZs across Alberta.

Political Career

Jon Lord decided to get involved in politics. In 1995, he ran for Calgary City Council. He was elected as an Alderman for Ward 8. An Alderman is like a city council member. He served two terms, which means he was elected twice. While on Council, he helped bring in new environmental planning policies for the city.

In the 2001 Alberta election, Jon Lord ran as a candidate for the Progressive Conservative party. He was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Calgary-Currie. An MLA is a politician who represents a part of the province in the provincial government.

As an MLA, Jon Lord worked on several important committees:

• He chaired a committee that looked at school building costs. They found ways to save money when building new schools.
• He also chaired a committee that created building rules for secondary suites. These are often basement apartments.
• He led the "Special Places 2000" committee. This group helped protect a large amount of land in Alberta. They also created more than 60 new provincial parks.
• He served on a committee about Alberta's role within Canada.
• Jon was also part of the "Dumb Rules committee." This group worked to reduce unnecessary rules and make government more efficient.

In the 2004 Alberta election, Jon Lord ran for re-election but was not successful. Dave Taylor from the Liberals won the election instead.

Jon Lord continued to be involved in politics. He ran for Mayor of Calgary in both the 2010 and 2013 city elections. He did not win, but in 2013, he received 21% of the votes.

He was also the chairman of "BBQ on the Bow." This is Canada's oldest barbecue competition that follows the rules of the Kansas City Barbeque Society.

Death

Jon Lord passed away on March 25, 2014, at his home in Calgary. He was 57 years old.