Catherine Chichak Explained

Catherine Chichak
Birth Date:October 7, 1934
Birth Place:Krasne, Saskatchewan
Constituency:Edmonton-Norwood
Term Start:August 30, 1971
Term End:November 1, 1982
Predecessor:William Tomyn
Successor:Ray Martin
Constituency1:Ward 2
Term Start1:October 16, 1989
Term End1:October 22, 1992
Alongside1:Ron Hayter
Predecessor1:Jan Reimer
Successor1:Allan Bolstad
Spouse:Stanley Chichak
Party:Progressive Conservative
Occupation:Real Estate Agent

Catherine Chichak (October 7, 1934 – April 6, 2009) was a politician from Alberta, Canada. She served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and as an Alderman in the City of Edmonton.

Early life

Catherine Chichak was born in the small village of Krasne, Saskatchewan and grew up in the nearby town of Wynard.[1] After high school she moved to Edmonton, Alberta and attended McTavish Business College and the University of Alberta[2] where she earned her real estate license.[1] She married Stanley Chichak on May 14, 1960.[2]

Political career

Chichak first ran for political office in the 1966 Edmonton municipal election. She finished in 20th place out of 44 in the plurality block vote, not high enough for a seat on city council. She ran again in the 1968 Edmonton municipal election; she did slightly better, finishing 17th out of a field of 32 candidates, but still short of election to council.[3]

Chichak ran for the Alberta Legislature as the Progressive Conservative candidate in the electoral district of Edmonton-Norwood in the 1971 general election. She won comfortably over two other candidates.[4]

Chichak ran for her second term in the 1975 Alberta general election. She defeated former cabinet minister Alfred Hooke and two other candidates.[5] In the 1979 Alberta general election, she defeated future NDP MLA Ray Martin and three other candidates.[6] She retired from provincial politics at dissolution of the assembly in 1982.

Chichak entered Edmonton municipal politics as a candidate for the Separate School board in the 1983 municipal election. She finished at the top of the polls. She was re-elected in the 1986 municipal election, again at the top of the polls.[7]

In 1989, Chichak ran for a seat to city council in the municipal election that year and won the second seat in Ward 2. She became mired in a scandal after it came to light that she owed $8,400 in 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 office, but let her keep her seat because she paid her taxes.[2] She was defeated in the 1992 election, finishing sixth among ten candidates.[8]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Councillor Biographies. 13–14. December 1, 2009. City of Edmonton. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20101215014748/http://edmonton.ca/city_government/documents/Chapter_18_-_Biographies.doc. December 15, 2010.
  2. Web site: Biographies of Mayors and Councillors - C . Edmonton Public Library . December 1, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091026233850/http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/5202/Edm1919.htm . October 26, 2009 .
  3. Web site: Election Results 1945 - 2007 . City of Edmonton . 49–52 . December 1, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101215014547/http://edmonton.ca/city_government/documents/Election_Results_1945_-_2007.doc . December 15, 2010 .
  4. Web site: Edmonton-Norwood results 1971. Alberta Heritage Community Foundation . November 30, 2009.
  5. Web site: Edmonton-Norwood results 1975. Alberta Heritage Community Foundation . November 30, 2009.
  6. Web site: Edmonton-Norwood results 1979. Alberta Heritage Community Foundation . November 30, 2009.
  7. Web site: Election Results 1945 - 2007 . City of Edmonton . 72–77 . December 1, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101215014547/http://edmonton.ca/city_government/documents/Election_Results_1945_-_2007.doc . December 15, 2010 .
  8. Web site: Election Results 1945 - 2007 . City of Edmonton . 78–81 . December 1, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101215014547/http://edmonton.ca/city_government/documents/Election_Results_1945_-_2007.doc . December 15, 2010 .