William Kovach

Last updated
William Kovach
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
In office
August 17, 1948 –August 4, 1966
Preceded by Ernest Duke
Succeeded by Garth Turcott
Constituency Pincher Creek-Crowsnest
Personal details
Born
William August Kovach

January 30, 1909
Passburg, Alberta
DiedAugust 4, 1966(1966-08-04) (aged 57)
Lost Creek, Alberta
Political party Social Credit
Residence Hillcrest, Alberta
Occupationpolitician, miner, construction worker, trapper, rancher, trucker, salesman and taxi driver.

William August Kovach (January 30, 1909 – August 4, 1966) was a politician from Alberta, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1948 until his death in 1966 as a member of the Social Credit caucus in government.

Alberta Province of Canada

Alberta is a western province of Canada. With an estimated population of 4,067,175 as of 2016 census, it is Canada's fourth most populous province and the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces. Its area is about 660,000 square kilometres (250,000 sq mi). Alberta and its neighbour Saskatchewan were districts of the Northwest Territories until they were established as provinces on September 1, 1905. The premier is Jason Kenney as of April 30, 2019.

Canada Country in North America

Canada is a country in the northern part of North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering 9.98 million square kilometres, making it the world's second-largest country by total area. Canada's southern border with the United States, stretching some 8,891 kilometres (5,525 mi), is the world's longest bi-national land border. Its capital is Ottawa, and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. As a whole, Canada is sparsely populated, the majority of its land area being dominated by forest and tundra. Consequently, its population is highly urbanized, with over 80 percent of its inhabitants concentrated in large and medium-sized cities, with 70% of citizens residing within 100 kilometres (62 mi) of the southern border. Canada's climate varies widely across its vast area, ranging from arctic weather in the north, to hot summers in the southern regions, with four distinct seasons.

Legislative Assembly of Alberta Single house of Legislature of Alberta

The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton. The Legislative Assembly consists of 87 members, elected first past the post from single-member electoral districts.

Contents

Early life

William August Kovach was born on January 30, 1909 in the town of Passburg, Alberta, which became part of the Crowsnest Pass municipality. After completing grade school in Passburg he worked on various construction crews, grading for railways and highways in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan. [1]

Crowsnest Pass, Alberta Specialized municipality in Alberta, Canada

The Municipality of Crowsnest Pass is a specialized municipality located in the Crowsnest Pass of the Rocky Mountains in southwest Alberta, Canada. The municipality formed as a result of the amalgamation of five municipalities – the Village of Bellevue, the Town of Blairmore, Town of Coleman, the Village of Frank and Improvement District No. 5 – on January 1, 1979. Today, Blairmore and Coleman remain the two largest communities while Frank is the smallest. Crowsnest, Passburg, and Sentinel are other former communities within the municipality's boundaries.

Saskatchewan Province of Canada

Saskatchewan is a prairie and boreal province in western Canada, the only province without a natural border. It has an area of 651,900 square kilometres (251,700 sq mi), nearly 10 percent of which is fresh water, composed mostly of rivers, reservoirs, and the province's 100,000 lakes.

In 1926, Kovach started working in a coal mine in Bellevue, Alberta. He left the mines to become a prospector. He supplemented his income by driving a taxi and trapping animals for fur. [1] Kovach began working at the Hillcrest-Mowhawk Mines in Hillcrest, Alberta. He became a part time recording secretary for the United Mine Workers. Kovach continued working as a prospector, ending up with West Canadian Collieries. He left the mining business in 1947 to found a trucking company, raise live stock on his ranch and sell insurance. [1]

Bellevue, Alberta Place in Alberta, Canada

Bellevue is an urban community in the Rocky Mountains within the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass in southwest Alberta, Canada. It was formerly incorporated as a village prior to 1979 when it amalgamated with four other municipalities to form Crowsnest Pass.

United Mine Workers North American labor union

The United Mine Workers of America is a North American labor union best known for representing coal miners. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing workers and public employees in the United States and Canada. Although its main focus has always been on workers and their rights, the UMW of today also advocates for better roads, schools, and universal health care. By 2014, coal mining had largely shifted to open pit mines in Wyoming, and there were only 60,000 active coal miners. The UMW was left with 35,000 members, of whom 20,000 were coal miners, chiefly in underground mines in Kentucky and West Virginia. However it was responsible for pensions and medical benefits for 40,000 retired miners, and for 50,000 spouses and dependents.

Political career

Kovach first ran for a seat in the Alberta Legislature in the 1948 general election, as the Social Credit candidate in the electoral district of Pincher Creek-Crowsnest. He won on the third vote count to hold the seat for his party. [2]

Pincher Creek-Crowsnest was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. It was mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1940 to 1993.

In the 1952 general election he defeated Liberal candidate Thomas Costigan in a landslide. [3]

In the 1955 general election Kovach defeated two other candidates, including H. Ferguson, who was nominated jointly by the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives. [4]

In the 1959 general election Kovach defeated two other candidates in a landslide. [5]

In the 1963 general election Kovach lost a significant portion of his share of the vote in the last election, but held on to the district with a clear majority over three other candidates. [6]

Kovach died on August 4, 1966 from a heart seizure while on a fishing trip at Lost Creek. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Alberta MLA Dies While On Fishing Trip". Vol LIX No. 199. Lethbridge Daily Herald. August 5, 1966. p. 1.
  2. ↑ "Pincher Creek-Crowsnest results 1948". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
  3. ↑ "Pincher Creek-Crowsnest results 1952". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Pincher Creek-Crowsnest results 1955". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
  5. ↑ "Pincher Creek-Crowsnest results 1959". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Pincher Creek-Crowsnest results 1963". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
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