Peter Elzinga Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honourable
Birth Date:6 April 1944
Birth Place:Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Death Place:Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Constituency Mp:Pembina
Parliament:Canadian
Term Start:1974
Term End:1986
Predecessor:Daniel Hollands
Successor:Walter van de Walle
Office2:Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Sherwood Park
Term Start2:May 8, 1986
Term End2:June 14, 1993
Predecessor2:Riding established
Successor2:Bruce Collingwood
Office3:Alberta Minister of Agriculture
Term Start3:May 26, 1986
Term End3:April 13, 1989
Predecessor3:LeRoy Fjordbotten
Successor3:Ernie Isley
Premier3:Don Getty
Office4:Alberta Minister of Economic Development and Trade
Term Start4:April 14, 1989
Term End4:December 14, 1992
Predecessor4:Larry Shaben
Successor4:Donald H. Sparrow
Premier4:Don Getty
Office5:Deputy Premier of Alberta
Term Start5:December 15, 1992
Term End5:June 29, 1993
Predecessor5:Jim Horsman
Successor5:Ken Kowalski
Premier5:Ralph Klein
Office6:Alberta Minister of Federal and Intergovernmental Affairs
Term Start6:December 15, 1992
Term End6:June 29, 1993
Predecessor6:Jim Horsman
Successor6:Ralph Klein
Premier6:Ralph Klein
Party:Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta
Otherparty:Progressive Conservative Party of Canada

Peter Elzinga (April 6, 1944 – November 8, 2023) was a Canadian politician. He was the executive director of the Alberta's Progressive Conservative Party, a member of Parliament, and cabinet minister in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.[1]

Elzinga was born in Edmonton, the son of Susan Laanstra and Peter Elzinga.[2] A farmer and rancher by training, Elzinga was first elected to the House of Commons as the Progressive Conservative in the 1974 federal election representing Pembina.[3] He served as president of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1986 and was chair of the 1983 PC leadership convention.

Elzinga resigned his seat in the House of Commons to run in the 1986 Alberta provincial election. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta as the member for Sherwood Park and joined the cabinet of Don Getty as minister of agriculture. In April 1989, he became minister of economic development and trade, a post he held until December 1992.[4]

Elzinga co-chaired Ralph Klein's successful bid to win the leadership of the Alberta PC Party in 1992, and subsequently became deputy premier and minister of federal and intergovernmental affairs. Elzinga did not run for re-election in 1993 provincial election. He chaired the PC Party's election campaign that year, and the subsequent campaigns in the 1997, 2001 and 2004 provincial elections. Elzinga returned from the private sector to serve as Klein's chief of staff from 1998 to 2004.

In 2018, Elzinga joined Atlas Growers as Chairman of the Board of Directors.[5]

Elzinga died on November 8, 2023, at the age of 79.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Peter Elzinga . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231115213308/https://www.arbormemorial.ca/en/glenwood/obituaries/peter-elzinga/114616.html . November 15, 2023 . November 16, 2023 . www.arbormemorial.ca.
  2. https://books.google.ca/books?id=6hHwAAAAMAAJ&q=Peter+Elzinga+1944&dq=Peter+Elzinga+1944&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwix1JCLn_eCAxUc7QIHHZiKAI0Q6AF6BAgIEAE
  3. Web site: Peter Elzinga . Sayers . Anthony . 2017 . November 17, 2023 . canadianelectionsdatabase.ca . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221007131241/http://canadianelectionsdatabase.ca/PHASE5/?p=0&type=person&ID=12311 . October 7, 2022.
  4. Web site: Member Information . November 17, 2023 . Legislative Assembly of Alberta.
  5. Web site: . Peter Elzinga appointed Board Chair of Atlas Growers . Press release . May 15, 2018 . Todayville Edmonton . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231116063918/https://www.todayville.com/edmonton/107744-2/ . November 16, 2023 . November 17, 2023.