Garth Turcott Explained

Garth A. Turcott
Birth Date:30 July 1930
Birth Place:Hudson Bay Junction, Saskatchewan, Canada
Death Place:High River, Alberta, Canada
Office:Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Constituency:Pincher Creek-Crowsnest
Term Start:October 6, 1966
Term End:May 23, 1967
Predecessor:William Kovach
Successor:Charles Drain
Party:Alberta NDP
Occupation:lawyer, politician

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]

Early life

Turcott went to the University of Saskatchewan and graduated in 1956.

Political career

Turcott 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

Turcott 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]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Notices biographiques des Francophones dans la vie politique de la province de l'Alberta (1891-2006). 9781897472910. Mardon. Austin. Mardon. E. G.. August 2012. Lulu.com .
  2. Web site: By-elections 1905-1973 . Elections Alberta . April 19, 2010 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090607094042/http://www.elections.ab.ca/Public%20Website/742.htm#1905-1973 . June 7, 2009 .
  3. Legislative Assembly of Alberta. November 16, 2005. 1672. http://www.assembly.ab.ca/Documents/isysquery/d2a1aa07-48fb-49ba-996b-8ee5e4a2c4ee/1/doc/20051116_1330_01_han.pdf.
  4. News: Manning Orders Probe Made On Charges Against Members . May 12, 1967. The Montreal Gazette. 4.
  5. Web site: Pincher Creek-Crowsnest results 1967. Alberta Heritage Community Foundation . April 19, 2010.
  6. Web site: Pincher Creek CO-OP 2008 AGM . Pincher Creek CO-OP . April 7, 2009 . April 19, 2010 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20091025042539/http://www.pinchercreekcoop.com/docs/AGM%20report%20for%20web.pdf . October 25, 2009 .
  7. https://wawa-news.com/index.php/2018/02/14/turcott-garth-alphonse/ Turcott, Garth Alphonse