Catherine Chichak
Encyclopedia
Catherine Chichak was a provincial and municipal politician from Alberta
, Canada
. She served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
from 1971 to 1982 sitting with the governing Progressive Conservative caucus. She then served as an Alderman for the City of Edmonton.
. She went to school growing up in the nearby town of Wynard. After high school she moved to Edmonton, Alberta and attended McTavish Business College and later the University of Alberta where she earned her real estate license.
She got married to Stanley Chichak on May 14, 1960.
. She ran for the first time in the 1966 Edmonton municipal election
but was unsuccessful finishing in 20th place out of 44th place in the plurality block vote. She ran for a second time in the 1968 Edmonton municipal election
. She did slightly better finishing 17th out of a field of 32 candidates.
Chichak would try for a career in provincial politics running for a seat to the Alberta Legislature in the electoral district of Edmonton-Norwood
in the 1971 Alberta general election
. She won the open district comfortably defeating two other candidates to pickup the seat for the Progressive Conservatives. Her win would help the party form government that year.
Chichak would run for her second term in the 1975 Alberta general election
. She would face a challenge from former cabinet minister Alfred Hooke
and two other candidates. Despite her popular vote dropping slightly, the opposition vote would collapse and she was returned easily. She would run for her third term in office in the 1979 Alberta general election
. She was challenged for her seat and nearly defeated by future MLA Ray Martin
and three other candidates, winning a very hotly contested election. She retired from provincial politics at dissolution of the assembly in 1982.
Chichak returned to Edmonton municipal politics running as a candidate for Separate School Trustee in the 1983 Edmonton municipal election
. She finished at the head of the polls to win her seat. She was re-elected in the 1986 Edmonton municipal election
once again finishing first place in the polls.
Chichak decided to run for a seat to city council in the 1989 Edmonton municipal election
. She won the second seat in Ward 2 to earn her first term as an Aldermen. She became mired in a scandal after it came to light she owed $8,400 in unpaid 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 election but let her keep her seat because she paid her taxes.
She was easily defeated in the 1992 Edmonton municipal election
finishing a distant sixth place out ten candidates.
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. She served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
from 1971 to 1982 sitting with the governing Progressive Conservative caucus. She then served as an Alderman for the City of Edmonton.
Early life
Catherine Chichak was born on October 7, 1934 in the small village of Krasne, SaskatchewanSaskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
. She went to school growing up in the nearby town of Wynard. After high school she moved to Edmonton, Alberta and attended McTavish Business College and later the University of Alberta where she earned her real estate license.
She got married to Stanley Chichak on May 14, 1960.
Political career
Chichak began her political career by seeking a seat on Edmonton City CouncilEdmonton City Council
The Edmonton City Council is the governing body of the City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors. Until 2010, Edmonton was divided in six wards with two councillors representing citizens in each ward...
. She ran for the first time in the 1966 Edmonton municipal election
Edmonton municipal election, 1966
The 1966 municipal election was held October 19, 1966 to elect a mayor and twelve aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and seven trustees to sit on each of the public and separate school boards...
but was unsuccessful finishing in 20th place out of 44th place in the plurality block vote. She ran for a second time in the 1968 Edmonton municipal election
Edmonton municipal election, 1968
The 1968 municipal election was held October 16, 1968 to elect a mayor and twelve aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and seven trustees to sit on each of the public and separate school boards. The electorate also decided three plebiscite questions....
. She did slightly better finishing 17th out of a field of 32 candidates.
Chichak would try for a career in provincial politics running for a seat to the Alberta Legislature in the electoral district of Edmonton-Norwood
Edmonton-Norwood
Edmonton-Norwood was provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The District was created from the Edmonton district in 1959 and was abolished in 2004 when it merged with Edmonton-Highlands to form Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood. The district was a swing riding and was held by every major party...
in the 1971 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1971
The Alberta general election of 1971 was the seventeenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on August 30, 1971 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. She won the open district comfortably defeating two other candidates to pickup the seat for the Progressive Conservatives. Her win would help the party form government that year.
Chichak would run for her second term in the 1975 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1975
The Alberta general election of 1975 was the eighteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on March 25, 1975 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. She would face a challenge from former cabinet minister Alfred Hooke
Alfred Hooke
Alfred "Alf" John Hooke was a teacher, provincial politician and author from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1935 to 1971 sitting with the Social Credit party in government...
and two other candidates. Despite her popular vote dropping slightly, the opposition vote would collapse and she was returned easily. She would run for her third term in office in the 1979 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1979
The Alberta general election of 1979 was the nineteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on March 14, 1979 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. She was challenged for her seat and nearly defeated by future MLA Ray Martin
Ray Martin (politician)
Raymond Martin is a politician in Alberta, Canada and former member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.Born in 1941 in Delia, Alberta, Martin attended the University of Alberta in Edmonton. He was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity...
and three other candidates, winning a very hotly contested election. She retired from provincial politics at dissolution of the assembly in 1982.
Chichak returned to Edmonton municipal politics running as a candidate for Separate School Trustee in the 1983 Edmonton municipal election
Edmonton municipal election, 1983
The 1983 municipal election was held October 17, 1983 to elect a mayor and twelve aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council in Alberta, Canada, nine trustees to sit on the public school board, and seven trustees to sit on the separate school board.-Voter turnout:...
. She finished at the head of the polls to win her seat. She was re-elected in the 1986 Edmonton municipal election
Edmonton municipal election, 1986
The 1986 municipal election was held October 20, 1986 to elect a mayor and twelve aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council, nine trustees to sit on the public school board, and seven trustees to sit on the separate school board....
once again finishing first place in the polls.
Chichak decided to run for a seat to city council in the 1989 Edmonton municipal election
Edmonton municipal election, 1989
The Edmonton municipal election, 1989 was held on October 16 that year to elect a mayor and twelve aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council, nine trustees to sit on the public school board, and seven trustees to sit on the separate school board...
. She won the second seat in Ward 2 to earn her first term as an Aldermen. She became mired in a scandal after it came to light she owed $8,400 in unpaid 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 election but let her keep her seat because she paid her taxes.
She was easily defeated in the 1992 Edmonton municipal election
Edmonton municipal election, 1992
The 1992 municipal election was held October 22, 1992 to elect a mayor and twelve aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council, nine trustees to sit on the public school board, and seven trustees to sit on the separate school board...
finishing a distant sixth place out ten candidates.