Coote, George G.

George Gibson Coote, 1880-1959, was born in Oakville, Ontario. In 1901 he was employed by the Bank of Hamilton and in 1906 was transferred to Nanton, Alberta to open a branch. He managed the branch until 1908 then homesteaded in the area. In 1910 he married Jeanette Louise McKinnon, ?-1951, and they had two sons, Donald H. and George F. He was active on the Council of Local Improvement District No. 8, and joined the United Farmers of Alberta in 1911. He was elected as the UFA Member of Parliament (MP) for Macleod in the 1921 federal election, and was re-elected to Parliament in 1925, 1926 and 1930. He joined the Progressives in the House, and became a member of the "Ginger Group". He was the group's financial critic and actively pressed for banking reforms. He was defeated in the 1935 federal election. In 1936 he was appointed director of the Bank of Canada. He also served as director of the Alberta Wheat Pool, 1936-1952, and secretary-treasurer of the Canadian Chamber of Agriculture, 1938-1939.