Garth-Alphonse Turcott (July 30, 1930 – January 11, 2018) was a lawyer and a former provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1966 to 1967 sitting as the first member of the New Democratic Party to be elected in Alberta and the only member of its caucus at that time.[1]
Garth A. Turcott | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta | |
| In office October 6, 1966 – May 23, 1967 | |
| Preceded by | William Kovach |
| Succeeded by | Charles Drain |
| Constituency | Pincher Creek-Crowsnest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 30, 1930 Hudson Bay Junction, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Died | January 11, 2018 (aged 87) High River, Alberta, Canada |
| Political party | Alberta NDP |
| Occupation | lawyer, politician |
Early life
editTurcott went to the University of Saskatchewan and graduated in 1956.
Political career
editTurcott ran for a seat to the Alberta legislature in a by-election held on October 6, 1966, in the electoral district of Pincher Creek-Crowsnest. The by-election was hotly contested by all four candidates. Turcott ended up winning by just over 100 voters over Social Credit candidate J.H. Hanrahan.[2] This was the first election won by a candidate running under the Alberta NDP banner,[3] although members of the NDP's predecessor, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation sat in the legislature continuously from 1942 to 1959.
During the by-election and continuing after he took his seat Turcott along with NDP Leader Neil Reimer leveled accusations of corruption against the Social Credit government, specifically that Edgar Hinman and Alfred Hooke used their offices for personal gain.[4]
The 1967 Alberta general election would be called less than a year after Turcott was elected. He would run for a second term but was defeated finishing second to Social Credit candidate Charles Drain.[5]
Late life
editTurcott runs a legal practice in Pincher Creek, Alberta. He was also on the board of directors for the Pincher Creek Co-op Association.[6] He died on January 11, 2018, at the age of 87.[7]
References
edit- ^ Mardon, Austin; Mardon, E. G. (August 2012). Notices biographiques des Francophones dans la vie politique de la province de l'Alberta (1891-2006). Lulu.com. ISBN 9781897472910.
- ^ "By-elections 1905-1973". Elections Alberta. Archived from the original on June 7, 2009. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
- ^ http://www.assembly.ab.ca/Documents/isysquery/d2a1aa07-48fb-49ba-996b-8ee5e4a2c4ee/1/doc/20051116_1330_01_han.pdf (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Legislative Assembly of Alberta. November 16, 2005. p. 1672.
{{cite book}}:|chapter-url=missing title (help)[permanent dead link] - ^ "Manning Orders Probe Made On Charges Against Members". The Montreal Gazette. May 12, 1967. p. 4.
- ^ "Pincher Creek-Crowsnest results 1967". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
- ^ "Pincher Creek CO-OP 2008 AGM" (PDF). Pincher Creek CO-OP. April 7, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 25, 2009. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
- ^ Turcott, Garth Alphonse