Catherine Chichak

Catherine Chichak
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
In office
August 30, 1971 – November 1, 1982
Preceded by William Tomyn
Succeeded by Ray Martin
Constituency Edmonton-Norwood
City of Edmonton Alderman
In office
October 16, 1989 – October 22, 1992
Serving with Ron Hayter
Preceded by Jan Reimer
Succeeded by Allan Bolstad
Constituency Ward 2
Personal details
Born October 7, 1934
Krasne, Saskatchewan
Died April 6, 2009(2009-04-06) (aged 74)
Political party Progressive Conservative
Spouse(s) Stanley Chichak
Occupation Real Estate Agent
Religion Ukrainian Catholic

Catherine Chichak (October 7, 1934 – April 6, 2009) was a provincial and municipal politician from Alberta, Canada. She served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1971 to 1982 sitting with the governing Progressive Conservative caucus. She then served as an Alderman for the City of Edmonton.

Early life

Catherine Chichak was born on October 7, 1934[1] in the small village of Krasne, Saskatchewan. She went to school growing up in the nearby town of Wynard.[2] After high school she moved to Edmonton, Alberta and attended McTavish Business College and later the University of Alberta[3] where she earned her real estate license.[2]

She got married to Stanley Chichak on May 14, 1960.[3]

Political career

Chichak began her political career by seeking a seat on Edmonton City Council. She ran for the first time in the 1966 Edmonton municipal election but was unsuccessful finishing in 20th place out of 44th place in the plurality block vote. She ran for a second time in the 1968 Edmonton municipal election. She did slightly better finishing 17th out of a field of 32 candidates.[4]

Chichak would try for a career in provincial politics running for a seat to the Alberta Legislature in the electoral district of Edmonton-Norwood in the 1971 Alberta general election. She won the open district comfortably defeating two other candidates to pick up the seat for the Progressive Conservatives. Her win would help the party form government that year.[5]

Chichak would run for her second term in the 1975 Alberta general election. She would face a challenge from former cabinet minister Alfred Hooke and two other candidates. Despite her popular vote dropping slightly, the opposition vote would collapse and she was returned easily.[6] She would run for her third term in office in the 1979 Alberta general election. She was challenged for her seat and nearly defeated by future MLA Ray Martin and three other candidates, winning a very hotly contested election.[7] She retired from provincial politics at dissolution of the assembly in 1982.

Chichak returned to Edmonton municipal politics running as a candidate for Separate School Trustee in the 1983 Edmonton municipal election. She finished at the head of the polls to win her seat. She was re-elected in the 1986 Edmonton municipal election once again finishing first place in the polls.[8]

Chichak decided to run for a seat to city council in the 1989 Edmonton municipal election. She won the second seat in Ward 2 to earn her first term as an Aldermen. She became mired in a scandal after it came to light she owed $8,400 in unpaid business taxes. She was convicted and fined for signing a false statement regarding her tax debt. The court also found she was ineligible to have run for election but let her keep her seat because she paid her taxes.[3]

She was easily defeated in the 1992 Edmonton municipal election finishing a distant sixth place out ten candidates.[9]

References

  1. ↑ https://www.assembly.ab.ca/Documents/isysquery/19f76df9-32be-47a9-97c4-439cb8b07a74/10/doc/20090407_1330_01_han.pdf |chapter-url= missing title (help) (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Legislative Assembly of Alberta. April 7, 2009. p. 543.
  2. 1 2 "Councillor Biographies". City of Edmonton. pp. 13–14. Retrieved December 1, 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 "Biographies of Mayors and Councillors - C". Edmonton Public Library. Archived from the original on October 26, 2009. Retrieved December 1, 2009.
  4. ↑ "Election Results 1945 - 2007". City of Edmonton. pp. 49–52. Archived from the original on December 15, 2010. Retrieved December 1, 2009.
  5. ↑ "Edmonton-Norwood results 1971". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved November 30, 2009.
  6. ↑ "Edmonton-Norwood results 1975". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved November 30, 2009.
  7. ↑ "Edmonton-Norwood results 1979". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved November 30, 2009.
  8. ↑ "Election Results 1945 - 2007". City of Edmonton. pp. 72–77. Archived from the original on December 15, 2010. Retrieved December 1, 2009.
  9. ↑ "Election Results 1945 - 2007". City of Edmonton. pp. 78–81. Archived from the original on December 15, 2010. Retrieved December 1, 2009.
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