Albertans and Canadians react to the passing of ‘King Ralph’
Posted Mar 29, 2013 7:47 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Condolences continue to pour in on ‘Good Friday’ at the passing of former Alberta Premier Ralph Klein.
From politicians to members of the public, everyone has been weighing in on the man who led the not only the city of Calgary but the Wildrose province.
His wife Colleen broke the news in an email released through Alberta Health Services around 1:30 saying “my beloved husband Ralph has slipped away after 42 years of marriage and 70 years of life.”
“He himself simply believed that public service was important, that it need not be complicated, and that it revolved around people,” she adds.
In a written statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, Stephen Harper writes:
“Alberta and Canada have lost a unique and significant leader. While Ralph’s beliefs about the role of government and fiscal responsibility were once considered radical. It is perhaps his greatest legacy that these ideas are now widely embraced across the political spectrum.”
Premier Allison Redford learned of the news while out of the province, and tells reporters she will always consider him her Premier.
“He was my Premier when he was in my late twenties, he was also my MLA and he was a candidate that I worked for in many of provincial campaigns,” she says. “He was the leader of my political party.”
An MLA also for Calgary Elbow, she says very often in the role she has now, she thinks about his style of leadership and his approach.
It’s been a couple years since Klein disappeared from public life, even still, Redford says you can never prepare for something like this and she was surprised by the impact it was even having on her.
“I think when someone like Premier Klein leaves this Earth, we remember what a force of personality he was, how driven he was and how motivated he was,” Redford adds.
And she’s not alone, Wildrose leader Danielle Smith says she was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of the former Premier.
“The sad part about his illness is that he wasn’t able to play that advisory role that a lot of senior statesmen are able to do for his successors and I think he would have had so much to add for younger politicians like me,” she tells 660News.
A very emotional Calgary Fish Creek MLA, Heather Forsyth, served in the Klein cabinet.
She hopes the former Premier will be remembered for his big heart.
“I don’t think some really know the type of guy he was, he was wonderful and compassionate,” Forsyth says. “People across this country knew Ralph, they knew who he was.”
“Walking down the street, people would stop; if he was having dinner, I don’t know how many occasions we were out for dinner and people would stop and say ‘Hi Ralph, how are you doing” and he would be just, just Ralph.” she tearfully reminisced.
Liberal Leader Raj Sherman says “a lot can be said about the legacy that Ralph Klein has left behind. He was forceful, passionate and witty.”
Calgary Mountain View MLA Dr. David Swann and Calgary East MP Deepak Obhrai both credit Klein for being big influences on their political career, but for two very different reasons.
Obhrai says it’s important to note although he will be referred to most as Premier, he also had many accomplishments as a journalist and the Mayor of Calgary.
Swann tells 660News, Klein was the reason why he got into politics.
“He was a very colourful character to be sure,” he says. “In 2002 his administration had me fired in the Medical Officer position in southeastern Alberta for daring to challenge their lack of action on climate change,” he says.
NDP Leader Brian Mason declined interview requests Friday afternoon but wrote in an email that “Premier Klein undoubtedly made a major contribution to our province. The far-reaching political changes brought by Ralph Klein transformed the politics of the province for decades.”
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi was out of the country and wrote ” A true born-and-raised Calgary, he served as Mayor from 1980-1989 and, to me, he will also be Mayor Klein.”
The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees was one of the first groups to issue a release that says “our thoughts are with Colleen, the entire Klein family and all Albertans who are today saddened by the passing of our former Premier.”
The University of Calgary also weighing in with President Elizabeth Cannon writing “we have lost a fiercely proud Calgarian and Albertan today, he was a dedicated champion for our province and a larger than life character.”
Twitter was flooded with comments about the former Premier, and #Klein trended on the social media site.
Notable politicians sending tweets of condolence include Liberal leadership front-runner Justin Trudeau, BC Premier Christy Clark and Calgary Member of Parliament and Minister Diane Albonczy.
