About Mel

Mel Knight was elected to his first term as Member of the Legislative Assembly for Grande Prairie-Smoky on March 12, 2001 and re-elected in November of 2004. On March 3, 2008, he was re-elected to his third term. In addition to his role as MLA, he served as a member of standing committees on the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund and Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing as well as the Standing Policy Committee on Energy and Sustainable Development.

Mel has also served as the representative of ward 2 of the municipal district of Greenview.

Mel was born on July 30, 1944 in Beaverlodge and raised in the Peace country. He graduated from Hillside high school in Valleyview and is a certified journeyman instrument mechanic.

Mel worked for drilling and exploration service companies until 1965, when he joined PanAm Petroleum. In 1970 he started Knight Measurement and Control, an energy sector service company that employed up to 50 people in northwestern Alberta.

In 1972 Mel moved to a half-section farm south of Valleyview, where he expanded to 1500 acres raising forage for contract sales. In 1974 he bought a family service station that operates today as an antique shop. He continues to be actively involved in commercial real estate leasing.

An active member of his community, Mel is a member of a local recreation board, the past president of a senior hockey team and a hockey coach for over 10 years, and a member of the local gun club and petroleum association.

In December 2006 Mel was appointed by premier Stelmach to the Alberta Cabinet as Minister of Energy and reappointed in March 2008. In January of 2010 Mel was given a new portfolio as the Minister of Sustainable Resource Development.

Mel has also been the Party Whip and Deputy Whip and has also served on the following committees and Boards:

Chair of group to advise steering group on consultation process for oil sands area policy
Member, Canadian Energy Research Institute (CERI)
Member, Endowment Fund Policy Committee
Member, Energy Council
Member, Alberta/Alaska Bilateral Council
Member, Council of State Governments – West Energy Committee
Member, Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER)
Member, Transmission Advisory Committee
Co-Chair, Alberta Energy Research Institute (AERI)
Member, Member Services
Member, Privilege/Electionsory, and nine grandchildren.

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