Heather Klimchuk
{{Short description|Canadian politician (born 1958)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Honourable
| name = Heather Klimchuk
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|ECA|size=100%}}
| image =20140907-HKlimchuk.jpg
| caption = Klimchuk at the 2014 Tour of Alberta
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1958|8|10}}
| birth_place = Calgary, Alberta
| residence = Edmonton, Alberta
| office = Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Edmonton-Glenora
| term_start = March 3, 2008
| term_end = May 5, 2015
| predecessor = Bruce Miller
| successor = Sarah Hoffman
| party = Progressive Conservative
| religion =
| spouse = Wade Klimchuk
| occupation = Real Estate Agent, Politician
| portfolio = Minister of Human Services
}}
Heather May Klimchuk {{post-nominals|country=CAN|ECA}} (born August 10, 1958) is a Canadian politician who was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta representing the constituency of Edmonton-Glenora as a Progressive Conservative, from 2008 to 2015. She was Minister of Human Services from 2014 until defeated in the 2015 provincial election.
Political career
Before being elected in the 2008 Alberta General Election, Klimchuk also ran the 2001 and 2004 election campaigns of former Edmonton-Glenora MLA Drew Hutton.{{Cite web |url=http://www2.canada.com/edmontonjournal/columnists/story.html?id=7ec926b2-bff0-46e4-afdd-b6cb93342dc3&p=2 |title=Minister determined to make a difference |access-date=2014-09-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006133449/http://www2.canada.com/edmontonjournal/columnists/story.html?id=7ec926b2-bff0-46e4-afdd-b6cb93342dc3&p=2 |archive-date=2014-10-06 |url-status=dead }}
She was narrowly elected as MLA for Edmonton-Glenora in the 2008 election over Alberta Liberal Party incumbent Bruce Miller by 96 votes, less than 1% of votes cast. In the 2011 PC leadership election Klimchuk supported Gary Mar,{{cite web|url=http://daveberta.ca/2011/07/mla-support-in-the-alberta-pc-leadership-contest-july-14-2011/|title=mla support in the alberta pc leadership contest (july 14, 2011) - daveberta.ca – Alberta Politics|date=14 July 2011 |access-date=September 27, 2014|archive-date=September 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140926020627/http://daveberta.ca/2011/07/mla-support-in-the-alberta-pc-leadership-contest-july-14-2011/|url-status=live}} who was defeated by Alison Redford. Klimchuk was re-elected by a more comfortable margin in the 2012 election and was named Minister of Human Services on September 15, 2014 in the first cabinet of Jim Prentice. She has previously served as Minister of Culture and Community Services and Minister of Service Alberta.{{Cite web|title=Alberta Cabinet swearing-in ceremony - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q48JwzLbwqk |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/q48JwzLbwqk |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|access-date=2020-12-20|website=www.youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}{{Cite web |date=February 17, 2011 |title=Premier promotes Verlyn Olson and Greg Weadick to cabinet |url=https://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID=29926346C9485-CEB4-9248-53CD33963B4C78D7}}{{Cite web |last=Parrish |first=Julia |date=2012-05-08 |title=Premier Alison Redford unveils new cabinet |url=https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/premier-alison-redford-unveils-new-cabinet-1.806898 |access-date=2023-09-25 |website=Edmonton |language=en}} Klimchuk was defeated in the 2015 Alberta general election as the Alberta NDP won every seat in Edmonton.{{Cite web|title=NDP sweep Edmonton ridings|url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/ndp-sweep-edmonton-ridings|access-date=2021-11-27|website=edmontonjournal|language=en-CA|archive-date=2021-11-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127045923/https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/ndp-sweep-edmonton-ridings|url-status=live}}
She was considered to be part of the progressive or Red Tory wing of the PC Party.{{Cite web |url=http://www2.canada.com/edmontonjournal/columnists/story.html?id=7ec926b2-bff0-46e4-afdd-b6cb93342dc3&p=1 |title=Minister determined to make a difference |access-date=2014-09-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006084455/http://www2.canada.com/edmontonjournal/columnists/story.html?id=7ec926b2-bff0-46e4-afdd-b6cb93342dc3&p=1 |archive-date=2014-10-06 |url-status=dead }}
Personal life
Klimchuk has a long family history with the PC Party. Her father worked on Premier Peter Lougheed's first electoral campaign and was a classmate of Joe Clark's at law school. Her public service experience prior to serving as a Member of the Legislature includes working as a researcher and writer for both Premier Lougheed and Premier Don Getty.She also assisted with the initiation of the Alberta Seniors´ information phone line.
In the 1980s Klimchuk worked as a hair model, often entering competitions.{{Cite news |date=June 19, 2019 |title=Heather Klimchuk: No shortage of people to celebrate during Pride Month |work=Edmonton Journal |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/heather-klimchuk-no-shortage-of-people-to-celebrate-during-pride-month}}
Post-politics she became Director of Alberta Ballet.
Klimchuk holds a bachelor of arts (special) from the University of Alberta in political science. She and her husband, Wade, have two children: Kyrsten and Keifer.{{cite web|title=Legislative Assembly of Alberta|url=https://www.assembly.ab.ca/net/index.aspx?p=mla_bio&rnumber=34&leg=28|access-date=2014-12-21|archive-date=2014-12-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141221050103/https://www.assembly.ab.ca/net/index.aspx?p=mla_bio&rnumber=34&leg=28|url-status=live}}
Election results
{{Alberta provincial election, 2008/Edmonton-Glenora}}
{{Alberta provincial election, 2012/Edmonton-Glenora}}
{{CANelec/top|AB|2015|percent=yes|change=yes}}
{{CANelec|AB|NDP|Sarah Hoffman|12,403|68.5|}}
{{CANelec|AB|PC|Heather Klimchuk|3,137|17.3|}}
{{CANelec|AB|Wildrose|Don Koziak|1,381|7.6|}}
{{CANelec|AB|Liberal|Karen Sevcik|542|3.0|}}
{{CANelec|AB|Alberta|Chris Vilcsak|445|2.5|}}
{{CANelec|AB|Green|David Parker|199|1.1|}}
{{end}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Prentice Ministry}}
{{Hancock Ministry}}
{{Redford Ministry}}
{{Stelmach Ministry}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Klimchuk, Heather}}
Category:Businesspeople from Calgary
Category:Businesspeople from Edmonton
Category:Canadian real estate agents
Category:Members of the Executive Council of Alberta
Category:Politicians from Calgary
Category:Politicians from Edmonton
Category:Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta MLAs
Category:University of Alberta alumni
Category:Women government ministers of Canada
Category:Women MLAs in Alberta
Category:21st-century Canadian women politicians
Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
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