Horst Adolph Louis Charles Schmid ECA (born April 29, 1933) is a former provincial level politician and international trade businessman from Alberta, Canada.
The contest in the new electoral district of Edmonton-Avonmore ended up being a close two way race between Schmid and incumbent Social Credit MLA Gerrit Radstaak.
His win helped that party form government after the election, one of only four times that power has shifted hands in Alberta's history.
Leighton, O.C., as ``the dynamic German-born immigrant who became a hard-driving Minister of Culture, who had the job of implementing the government's arts strategy and did so with a vengeance`` (Fraser, Alberta's Camelot, 2003, p. 7).
With incumbent ministerial advantage Schmid saw a significant gain in his popular vote while the opposition candidates collapsed.
This has led to increased private sector donations in support of arts organizations (Fraser, Alberta's Camelot, 2003, p224).
Schmid spearheaded the promotion of exporting manufactured goods and services to other countries through numerous trade missions.
Schmid was also invited as guest speaker to many national and international conferences and meetings of the Oil and Gas Industry [1].
Schmid was responsible for the return of a medicine bundle that had been housed in the Provincial Museum back to the Blood Reserve for use in their sacred Sun Dance ceremony.
His margin of victory however was reduced as NDP candidate Kathy Wright heavily challenged Schmid to retain his seat.
He again took numerous Alberta companies especially from the Oil and Gas Equipment and Services sector internationally, often to many as 40 countries in a year.
Since retiring from Public Office in 1995, Schmid has returned to his international trade business as President and CEO of Flying Eagle Resources.