Former Member of Parliament (MP) Myron Thompson died Jan. 5 at the age of 82, following a battle with pancreatic cancer. Thompson served as the MP for the now-defunct Wild Rose riding, which included much of Rocky View County, from 1993 through 2008. “With Myron Thompson, what you saw was what you got. He always called it the way he saw it,” said Airdrie MP Blake Richards in an email to the Rocky View Weekly. “[Thompson] was completely committed to his faith, his family and to serving his constituents and country. He also had a dogged determination – when he latched onto an issue, he would tirelessly pursue it.” Thompson was first elected to Parliament as MP for Wild Rose as a member of the Reform party. He continued to serve as a member of the Canadian Alliance and Conservative parties until he left federal politics in 2008. In his ubiquitous cowboy hat, Thompson was often a polarizing figure who made his views on government spending and other issues well known in the press and on Parliament Hill. “I want the whole world to know that I do not condone homosexuals. I do not condone their activity…. I think it is unnatural and I think it is totally immoral. I will object to it forever,” he infamously said in the House of Commons during a 1995 debate on same-sex marriage. Born in April 1936, in Colorado, Thompson served in the United States Army from 1958 to 1960, before moving to Canada in 1968. He served as the Mayor of Sundre from 1974 to 1980 and again from 2008 until he retired in 2017. Current Sundre Mayor Terry Leslie, who knew Thompson for many years, commended him for his long and valued community service. On Jan. 6, Leslie confirmed Thompson’s death. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dot [Thompson’s wife] and their family,” Leslie said. “He spent years on town council as a councillor. He served as mayor. He was the only Member of Parliament to come from this area. “He had a huge impact on the community, representing the people of Sundre and district and Alberta and the people of Canada in an exceptional way.” Richards echoed Leslie’s comments, saying, “What we can all learn from Myron’s life of public service is to always stay true to yourself and your beliefs.” - With files from Dan Singleton
