Ambrose Holowach
Ambrose Holowach | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta | |
| In office 1959–1971 | |
| Succeeded by | Gordon Miniely |
| Constituency | Edmonton Centre |
| Member of Parliament | |
| In office 1953–1958 | |
| Preceded by | Albert Frederick Macdonald |
| Succeeded by | William Skoreyko |
| Constituency | Edmonton East |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 22, 1914 Edmonton, Alberta,Canada |
| Died | February 27, 1993(aged 78) Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| Political party | Social Credit Party of Canada Alberta Social Credit Party |
Ambrose Holowach(July 22, 1914 – February 27, 1993) was aCanadianbusinessman, soldier duringWorld War II,member of the Canadian Parliament and member of the Alberta legislative assembly.
Family
[edit]Ambrose's father, Sam, was an ethnically Ukrainian immigrant from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Same homesteaded east of Edmonton before moving into the city to start a laundry business. Ambrose's brother Walter studied violin in Vienna and played in the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. A horsechestnut treewas planted behind the family business from seed brought from Vienna by Walter. It became a local landmark known as the "Holowach Tree"; saved from redevelopment in 1998, it was still standing as of 2023.[1][2]
Federal political career
[edit]Holowach first ran for a seat in theHouse of Commons of Canadaas a candidate of theSocial Credit partyin the1949 federal election.He was defeated byLiberalcandidateAlbert Frederick Macdonald.
Holowach ran again in the1953 federal electionand this time defeated Macdonald. He remained an MP untilProgressive ConservativecandidateWilliam Skoreykodefeated him in the1958 federal election.
Provincial political career
[edit]Before he became an MP, Holowach ran for a seat in theLegislative Assembly of Albertain1952.He ran in the seven-member electoral district ofEdmonton.In the First Count he came in sixth, but without the quota required to win a seat. He would have won a seat if his vote total had increased adequately through transfers conducted under STV, but he received fewer vote transfers than another SC candidate - Edgar Gerhart - who was elected instead of Holowach.
He made another attempt at entering the Alberta Legislature after losing his seat in the House of Commons. He was elected in theEdmonton Centredistrict in the1959 general election.In 1962,PremierErnest Manningappointed him to theExecutive Council of Alberta;he became Provincial Secretary. In 1964 he attracted much attention when he said in the legislature that he didn't think Alberta needed a distinct flag. Shortly before the1971 general election,he was appointed Minister of Culture, Youth and Recreation by PremierHarry Strom.
At the 1971 election, Holowach left the Edmonton Centre district and ran for re-election in theEdmonton-Highlandsdistrict. He lost toProgressive ConservativecandidateDavid Thomas King.Holowach ran against King again in the1975 electionbut was again defeated.
References
[edit]External links
[edit]- 1914 births
- 1993 deaths
- Alberta Social Credit Party MLAs
- Canadian military personnel of World War II
- Members of the Executive Council of Alberta
- Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Alberta
- Politicians from Edmonton
- Social Credit Party of Canada MPs
- Canadian people of Ukrainian descent
- 20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada
- 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta