Alana Suzanne DeLong (born c. 1949) is a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
politician who was the candidate for the Conservative Party of Canada in the Cowichan-Malahat-Langford federal riding in the 2019 general election. She is a former member of the
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is the deliberative assembly of the province of Alberta, Canada. It sits in the Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton. The Legislative Assembly currently has 87 members, elected first past the post from sin ...
who represented the constituency of
Calgary-Bow
Calgary-Bow is a provincial electoral district in the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The district is one of 87 districts mandated to return a single member (MLA) to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first past the post method of ...
as a
Progressive Conservative. She was first elected in 2001 and reelected in the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Alberta provincial elections. Alana DeLong did not run in 2015 general election.
Early life
DeLong was born in
Nelson, British Columbia. She graduated from the
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks among the top thre ...
in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics (honours) with a drama minor before going on to complete courses toward a Master of Computer Science degree at the
University of Calgary
The University of Calgary (U of C or UCalgary) is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The University of Calgary started in 1944 as the Calgary branch of the University of Alberta, founded in 1908, prior to being ins ...
. With more than 20 years experience in the information technology industry, DeLong has worked with many leading computer companies in Calgary including Barry W. Ramer & Partners Ltd. Canada's largest IBM PC VAR where she served as a leading Marketing Representative, Sterlingrock Systems Incorporated where she served as president and
Sperry Univac
UNIVAC (Universal Automatic Computer) was a line of electronic digital stored-program computers starting with the products of the Eckert–Mauchly Computer Corporation. Later the name was applied to a division of the Remington Rand company and ...
where she worked as their first female computer mainframe salesperson. DeLong also holds the distinction of being the first female marketing manager with
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable en ...
in Canada.
DeLong has long been an active community member. She served as president of Tuesday Nooners Toastmasters and extensively campaigned for the Cancer Fund, the Heart and Stroke Fund, the Canadian Red Cross Society, Flowers of Hope, and a number of municipal, provincial, and federal elections. DeLong has also drawn on her background in drama as an actress with Theatre Calgary, host of a television ski program, and singer with the Calgary Opera Chorus.
Political life
DeLong first sought public office in the
2001 provincial election in the constituency of
Calgary-Bow
Calgary-Bow is a provincial electoral district in the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The district is one of 87 districts mandated to return a single member (MLA) to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first past the post method of ...
. In that election, DeLong received 64% of the vote. She was subsequently reelected in 2004 with a share of 48% and again in 2008 when she earned 45% of the vote.
During the
same-sex marriage debate in December 2004, DeLong joined the majority of Progressive Conservative caucus in speaking against same sex marriage rights and supported a legal challenge following ''
Reference Re Same-Sex Marriage
''Reference Re Same-Sex Marriage'' 0043 S.C.R. 698, 2004 SCC 79, was a reference question to the Supreme Court of Canada regarding the constitutional validity of same-sex marriage in Canada. The ruling was announced December 2004, following argum ...
'' and the introduction of Bill C-38 by the Government of Canada.
DeLong intended to run as a candidate in the 2006 Progressive Conservative Leadership convention but decided against seeking the position prior to the nomination deadline. Up until the point of her departure from the race, she was the only female seeking the leadership.
In addition to her role as an MLA, DeLong has been a member of a number of committees. She has served in the role of chair of the Standing Committee on Private Bills, the Nomination Review Committee of the Ministers Seniors Service Awards, and of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and SuperNet Committee, as well as the position of vice-chair of the Official Song Committee. DeLong has also served on the Regulatory Review Steering Committee, the Provincial Archives of Alberta Advisory Board, the Cabinet Policy Committee on Government Services, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts Committee, the Standing Policy Committee on Justice and Government Services, and the Standing Policy Committee on Law and Regulations and Public Accounts. As well, she has served as a member of a number of MLA Review Committees, including the MLA Committee to Review the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) Program, the MLA Committee to Review Low-Income Programs in Alberta, the MLA Committee to Review Marketing Tourism, the MLA Committee to Review Freedom of Information Practices, and the MLA Committee to Review the Select Conflicts of Interest Act.
DeLong served as a member of the Cabinet Policy Committee on Community Services, the Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing, and the Standing Committee on the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund. She also serves as co-chair of the Alberta Life Sciences Institute (ALSI) Board.
Personal life
DeLong is married to Robert Spencer. She has two grown children, Samantha and James. She lived in the community of Bowness for more than 30 years and designed the log home she lives in with her family. DeLong returned to her native home of British Columbia in April 2015 and now lives on Thetis Island in the Southern Gulf Islands.
Electoral record
References
External links
Alana DeLong's web page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Delong, Alana
Year of birth missing (living people)
Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta MLAs
Canadian people of Dutch descent
Living people
People from Nelson, British Columbia
Women MLAs in Alberta
21st-century Canadian politicians
21st-century Canadian women politicians
British Columbia Liberal Party candidates in British Columbia provincial elections