Gene Zwozdesky
Gene Zwozdesky | |
---|---|
12th Speaker of the Alberta Legislative Assembly | |
In office May 23, 2012 – June 11, 2015 | |
Preceded by | Ken Kowalski |
Succeeded by | Bob Wanner |
MLA for Edmonton-Mill Creek | |
In office 1997–2015 | |
Preceded by | New District |
Succeeded by | Denise Woollard |
MLA for Edmonton-Avonmore | |
In office 1993–1997 | |
Preceded by | Marie Laing |
Succeeded by | District Abolished |
Personal details | |
Born | Nipawin, Saskatchewan | July 24, 1948
Died | January 6, 2019 Edmonton, Alberta | (aged 70)
Political party | Progressive Conservative |
Other political affiliations | Liberal (1993–1998) |
Spouse(s) | Christine Zwozdesky |
Children | 2 |
Residence | Edmonton, Alberta |
Occupation | Teacher |
Eugene Zwozdesky, MLA (July 24, 1948 – January 6, 2019) was a Canadian politician in the province of Alberta. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1993 to 2015, and was the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 2012 to 2015.[1]
Early life[]
Zwozdesky was born on July 24, 1948 in Nipawin, Saskatchewan to Ukrainian-Canadian parents Alec and Anna Zwozdesky[2][3] and came to Alberta at the age of two. He lived in Grand Centre, Hinton and Sangudo before moving to Edmonton, where he lived since 1963. After attending Victoria Composite High School, he obtained bachelor's degrees in arts and education from the University of Alberta.[4] Before becoming involved in politics, Zwozdesky worked as a teacher, administrator, professional musician, and businessman.
Political career[]
Zwozdesky was first elected in the 1993 Alberta general election as the Alberta Liberal Party's candidate, defeating incumbent Marie Laing of the Alberta New Democratic Party. He was re-elected to the new riding of Edmonton-Mill Creek in the 1997 Alberta general election.
In July 1998, he left the Liberal Party caucus and sat as an Independent member after a dispute over fiscal policy. He joined the governing Progressive Conservatives a month later. In the 2001 Alberta general election, he won by a generous margin over the Liberal challenger Bharat Agnihotri.
Zwozdesky was appointed to the cabinet as Minister of Community Development; after being re-elected in the 2004 Alberta general election, he was appointed Minister of Education.
On December 15, 2006, Zwozdesky was replaced in Premier Ed Stelmach's cabinet by Ron Liepert. He again joined the Alberta Cabinet on June 27, 2007 as Associate Minister for Capital Planning. In 2008, he was the and . He was also co-chair of the , co-chair of the , and a member of the .[5]
Zwozdesky has won numerous awards from cultural and arts organizations, as well as the 2005 Alberta Centennial Medal.[5]
Zwozdesky was re-elected in the 2012 provincial election as an incumbent PC candidate. He was defeated in the 2015 Alberta general election by Alberta NDP candidate Denise Woollard.[6]
Personal life and death[]
Zwozdesky joined the in 1963, and danced in the troupe for six years before becoming the musical director, composing and conducting Shumka's music for twenty-five years;[7] he also served in the same role for the Cheremosh Ukrainian Dance Company. He was involved in various other cultural organizations, was the executive director of the and the , and has served on various voluntary boards.[5][4] He was married to Christine, with two children.[2]
He died of cancer on January 6, 2019, aged 70.[8][9]
Electoral record[]
hide1993 Alberta general election: Edmonton-Avonmore | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
Liberal | Gene Zwozdesky | 6,728 | 52.67% | 24.59% | ||||
Progressive Conservative | Ken Alyluia | 3,433 | 26.88% | -3.33% | ||||
New Democratic | Marie Laing | 2,190 | 17.15% | -24.56% | ||||
Social Credit | Leslie M. Jackson | 285 | 2.23% | – | ||||
Greens | Dennis Clark | 97 | 0.76% | – | ||||
Natural Law | Lucia Hoff | 40 | 0.31% | – | ||||
Total | 12,773 | – | – | |||||
Rejected, Spoiled and Declined | 28 | – | – | |||||
Eligible electors / Turnout | 22,055 | 58.04% | – | |||||
Liberal gain from New Democratic | Swing | 7.15% | ||||||
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Source(s) |
hide1997 Alberta general election: Edmonton-Mill Creek | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
Liberal | Gene Zwozdesky | 6,757 | 51.91% | – | ||||
Progressive Conservative | Sukhi Randhawa | 3,679 | 28.27% | – | ||||
New Democratic | Stephen Crocker | 1,804 | 13.86% | – | ||||
Social Credit | Christie Forget | 776 | 5.96% | – | ||||
Total | 13,016 | – | – | |||||
Rejected, Spoiled and Declined | 18 | – | – | |||||
Eligible electors / Turnout | 23,216 | 56.14% | – | |||||
Liberal pickup new district. | ||||||||
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Source(s) |
hide2001 Alberta general election: Edmonton-Mill Creek | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
Progressive Conservative | Gene Zwozdesky | 8,085 | 55.67% | 27.40% | ||||
Liberal | Bharat Agnihotri | 4,229 | 29.12% | -22.80% | ||||
New Democratic | Edwin Villania | 1,893 | 13.03% | -0.83% | ||||
Alberta First | Kyle Harvey | 220 | 1.51% | – | ||||
Greens | Harlan Light | 97 | 0.67% | – | ||||
Total | 14,524 | – | – | |||||
Rejected, Spoiled and Declined | 41 | – | – | |||||
Eligible electors / Turnout | 26,307 | 55.37% | -0.78% | |||||
Progressive Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | 1.45% | ||||||
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Source(s) |
hide2004 Alberta general election: Edmonton-Mill Creek | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
Progressive Conservative | Gene Zwozdesky | 5,070 | 42.08% | -13.59% | ||||
Liberal | Aman Gill | 4,289 | 35.60% | 6.48% | ||||
New Democratic | Nathan Taylor | 1,709 | 14.18% | 1.15% | ||||
Alberta Alliance | Robert J. Alford | 523 | 4.34% | – | ||||
Greens | Eric Stieglitz | 386 | 3.20% | 2.54% | ||||
Independent | Cameron Johnson | 72 | 0.60% | – | ||||
Total | 12,049 | – | – | |||||
Rejected, Spoiled and Declined | 50 | – | – | |||||
Eligible electors / Turnout | 24,419 | 49.55% | -5.82% | |||||
Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | -10.03% | ||||||
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Source(s) |
hide2008 Alberta general election: Edmonton-Mill Creek | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
Progressive Conservative | Gene Zwozdesky | 6,857 | 50.78% | 8.70% | ||||
Liberal | Aman Gill | 4,058 | 30.05% | -5.55% | ||||
New Democratic | Stephen Anderson | 1,822 | 13.49% | -0.69% | ||||
Green | Glen Argan | 726 | 5.38% | – | ||||
Communist | Naomi Rankin | 41 | 0.30% | – | ||||
Total | 13,504 | – | – | |||||
Rejected, Spoiled and Declined | 90 | – | – | |||||
Eligible electors / Turnout | 29,773 | 45.66% | -3.89% | |||||
Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | 7.12% | ||||||
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Source(s) |
hide2012 Alberta general election: Edmonton-Mill Creek | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
Progressive Conservative | Gene Zwozdesky | 6,623 | 55.06% | 4.28% | ||||
Wildrose | Adam Corsaut | 2,193 | 18.23% | – | ||||
Liberal | Mike Butler | 1,640 | 13.63% | -16.42% | ||||
New Democratic | Evelinne Teichgraber | 1,336 | 11.11% | -2.39% | ||||
Alberta Party | Judy Wilson | 194 | 1.61% | – | ||||
Communist | Naomi Rankin | 43 | 0.36% | 0.05% | ||||
Total | 12,029 | – | – | |||||
Rejected, Spoiled and Declined | 117 | – | – | |||||
Eligible electors / Turnout | 25,250 | 48.10% | 2.44% | |||||
Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | 8.05% | ||||||
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Source(s) |
hide2015 Alberta general election: Edmonton-Mill Creek | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
New Democratic | Denise Woollard | 9,025 | 55.94% | 44.83% | ||||
Progressive Conservative | Gene Zwozdesky | 3,848 | 23.85% | -31.21% | ||||
Liberal | Harpreet Gill | 1,896 | 11.75% | -1.88% | ||||
Wildrose | Saqib Raja | 1,365 | 8.46% | -9.77% | ||||
Total | 16,134 | – | – | |||||
Rejected, Spoiled and Declined | 59 | – | – | |||||
Eligible electors / Turnout | 32,521 | 49.79% | 1.69% | |||||
New Democratic gain from Progressive Conservative | Swing | -2.37% | ||||||
show
Source(s) |
References[]
- ^ "Premier Redford welcomes Gene Zwozdesky as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly". Government of Alberta. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
- ^ Jump up to: a b The Canadian Parliamentary Guide - Gale Canada, Pierre G. Normandin - Google Books. 2008-10-16. ISBN 9781896413433. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
- ^ "MLA still gets kick from time as Shumka dancer". The Edmonton Journal. March 18, 2009. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Nick Lees (2018-07-22). "Nick Lees: No signs of slowing down as Gene Zwozdesky turns 70". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Legislative Assembly of Alberta". Assembly.ab.ca. 2018-07-01. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
- ^ "Alberta Election 2015: Former Speaker of the House Gene Zwozdesky loses Edmonton-Mill Creek seat to NDP". Globalnews.ca. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
- ^ "Dancer turned politician reflects Shumka success | CTV News Edmonton". Edmonton.ctv.ca. 2009-11-22. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
- ^ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-gene-zwozdesky-death-1.4967933
- ^ Alex Antoneshyn (2019-01-06). "Edmonton MLA, legislative speaker Gene Zwozdesky dies". CTV Edmonton. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
External links[]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gene Zwozdesky. |
- 1948 births
- 2019 deaths
- Canadian people of Ukrainian descent
- Alberta Liberal Party MLAs
- Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta MLAs
- Canadian male dancers
- People from Nipawin, Saskatchewan
- Politicians from Edmonton
- Members of the Executive Council of Alberta
- Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
- 21st-century Canadian politicians
- Deaths from cancer in Alberta