View source for Gene Zwozdesky

{{Short description|Canadian politician (1948–2019)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = 
| name = Gene Zwozdesky
| honorific-suffix = 
| image = Gene Zwozdesky - Jun 2013.JPG
| imagesize= 
| caption = Zwozdesky at a charity function in June 2013
| birth_date = {{birth date|1948|07|24}}
| birth_place = [[Nipawin, Saskatchewan|Nipawin]], [[Saskatchewan]]
| office = [[Speaker of the Alberta Legislative Assembly|12th Speaker of the Alberta Legislative Assembly]]
| death_date={{death date and age|2019|1|6|1948|7|24}}
| death_place=[[Edmonton]], [[Alberta]]
| term_start = May 23, 2012
| term_end = June 11, 2015
| predecessor = [[Ken Kowalski]]
| successor = [[Bob Wanner]]
| office2 = [[Legislative Assembly of Alberta|MLA]] for Edmonton-Avonmore
| term_start2 = 1993
| term_end2 = 1997
| predecessor2 = [[Marie Laing]]
| successor2 = ''District Abolished''
| office1 = [[Legislative Assembly of Alberta|MLA]] for [[Edmonton-Mill Creek]]
| term_start1 = 1997
| term_end1 = 2015
| predecessor1 = ''New District''
| successor1 = [[Denise Woollard]]
| party = [[Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta|Progressive Conservative]]
| otherparty   = [[Alberta Liberal Party|Liberal]] (1993–1998)
| alma_mater = 
| religion =
| spouse = Christine Zwozdesky
| children = 2
| occupation = Teacher
| residence = Edmonton, Alberta
| website = 
}}

'''Eugene Zwozdesky''' {{post-nominals|country=CAN|MLAAB}} (July 24, 1948 – January 6, 2019) was a Canadian politician in the province of [[Alberta]]. He served in the [[Legislative Assembly of Alberta]] from 1993 to 2015, and was the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 2012 to 2015.<ref>{{cite web|title=Premier Redford welcomes Gene Zwozdesky as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly|url=http://alberta.ca/acn/201205/323597B55EA25-B6C2-FA8B-282DD3D414A1143E.html|publisher=Government of Alberta|access-date=23 May 2012}}{{Dead link|date=May 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Early life==
Zwozdesky was born on July 24, 1948, in [[Nipawin, Saskatchewan]], to Ukrainian-Canadian parents Alec and Anna Zwozdesky<ref name="parlguide">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cOSIAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Zwozdesky,+Gene%22+1948 |title=The Canadian Parliamentary Guide - Gale Canada, Pierre G. Normandin - Google Books |date=2008-10-16 |publisher=P. G. Normandin |isbn=9781896413433 |access-date=2019-01-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=MLA still gets kick from time as Shumka dancer|newspaper=The Edmonton Journal|date=March 18, 2009|url=https://www.pressreader.com/canada/edmonton-journal/20090318/281492157234501|access-date=January 6, 2019}}</ref> and came to Alberta at the age of two. He lived in [[Grand Centre, Alberta|Grand Centre]], [[Hinton, Alberta|Hinton]] and [[Sangudo, Alberta|Sangudo]] before moving to [[Edmonton]], where he lived since 1963. After attending [[Victoria Composite High School]], he obtained bachelor's degrees in arts and education from the [[University of Alberta]].<ref name="journal70">{{cite web|author=Nick Lees|url=https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/nick-lees-no-signs-of-slowing-down-as-gene-zwozdesky-turns-70 |title=Nick Lees: No signs of slowing down as Gene Zwozdesky turns 70 |publisher=Edmonton Journal |date=2018-07-22 |access-date=2019-01-06}}</ref> Before becoming involved in politics, Zwozdesky worked as a teacher, administrator, professional musician, and businessman.

==Political career==
Zwozdesky was first elected in the [[1993 Alberta general election]] as the [[Alberta Liberal Party]]'s candidate, defeating incumbent [[Marie Laing]] of the [[Alberta New Democratic Party]]. He was re-elected to the new riding of [[Edmonton-Mill Creek]] in the [[1997 Alberta general election]].

In July 1998, he left the Liberal Party caucus and sat as an [[Independent (politician)|Independent member]] after a dispute over fiscal policy. He joined the governing [[Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta|Progressive Conservatives]] a month later. In the [[2001 Alberta general election]], he won by a generous margin over the Liberal challenger [[Bharat Agnihotri]].

Zwozdesky was appointed to the [[Cabinet (government)|cabinet]] as Minister of [[Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture|Community Development]]; after being re-elected in the [[2004 Alberta general election]], he was appointed Minister of Education.

On December 15, 2006, Zwozdesky was replaced in Premier [[Ed Stelmach]]'s cabinet by [[Ron Liepert]]. He again joined the Alberta Cabinet on June 27, 2007, as Associate Minister for Capital Planning. In 2008, he was the [[Minister of Aboriginal Relations]] and [[Deputy Government House Leader]]. He was also co-chair of the [[Advisory Council on Alberta-Ukraine Relations]], co-chair of the [[Cabinet Policy Committee on Public Safety and Services]], and a member of the [[Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing]].<ref name="assembly.ab.ca"/>

Zwozdesky has won numerous awards from cultural and arts organizations, as well as the 2005 Alberta Centennial Medal.<ref name="assembly.ab.ca"/>

Zwozdesky was re-elected in the 2012 provincial election as an incumbent PC candidate. He was defeated in the [[2015 Alberta general election]] by [[Alberta NDP]] candidate [[Denise Woollard]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/1967252/alberta-election-2015-edmonton-mill-creek/ |title=Alberta Election 2015: Former Speaker of the House Gene Zwozdesky loses Edmonton-Mill Creek seat to NDP |publisher=Globalnews.ca |access-date=2019-01-06}}</ref>

==Personal life and death==
Zwozdesky joined the [[Ukrainian Shumka Dancers]] in 1963, and danced in the troupe for six years before becoming the [[musical director]], composing and conducting Shumka's music for twenty-five years;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/dancer-turned-politician-reflects-shumka-success-1.456895 |title=Dancer turned politician reflects Shumka success &#124; CTV News Edmonton |publisher=Edmonton.ctv.ca |date=2009-11-22 |access-date=2019-01-06}}</ref> he also served in the same role for the [[Cheremosh Ukrainian Dance Company]]. He was involved in various other cultural organizations, was the executive director of the [[Alberta Cultural Heritage Foundation]] and the [[Alberta Ukrainian Canadian Centennial Commission]], and has served on various voluntary boards.<ref name="assembly.ab.ca">{{cite web|url=https://www.assembly.ab.ca/net/index.aspx?p=mla_bio&rnumber=37 |title=Legislative Assembly of Alberta |publisher=Assembly.ab.ca |date=2018-07-01 |access-date=2019-01-06}}</ref><ref name="journal70" /> He was married to Christine, with two children.<ref name="parlguide" />

He died of cancer on January 6, 2019, aged 70.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-gene-zwozdesky-death-1.4967933| title = Gene Zwozdesky, former Speaker of the Alberta Legislature, has died {{!}} CBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Alex Antoneshyn|url=https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/edmonton-mla-legislative-speaker-gene-zwozdesky-dies-1.4242567 |title=Edmonton MLA, legislative speaker Gene Zwozdesky dies |publisher=[[CFRN-DT|CTV Edmonton]] |date=2019-01-06 |access-date=2019-01-06}}</ref>

==Electoral record==
{{Alberta provincial election, 1993/Edmonton-Avonmore}}
{{Alberta provincial election, 1997/Edmonton-Mill Creek}}
{{Alberta provincial election, 2001/Edmonton-Mill Creek}}
{{Alberta provincial election, 2004/Edmonton-Mill Creek}}
{{Alberta provincial election, 2008/Edmonton-Mill Creek}}
{{Alberta provincial election, 2012/Edmonton-Mill Creek}}
{{Alberta provincial election, 2015/Edmonton-Mill Creek}}

== References ==
<references/>

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[https://www.assembly.ab.ca/net/index.aspx?p=mla_bio&rnumber=37 Alberta Legislative Assembly biography Gene Zwozdesky]
*[http://www.cbc.ca/albertavotes2004/riding/037/ Edmonton Mill Creek political history, CBC News]

{{Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta}}
{{Stelmach Ministry}}
{{Klein Ministry}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zwozdesky, Gene}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:2019 deaths]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Ukrainian descent]]
[[Category:Alberta Liberal Party MLAs]]
[[Category:Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta MLAs]]
[[Category:Canadian male dancers]]
[[Category:People from Nipawin, Saskatchewan]]
[[Category:Politicians from Edmonton]]
[[Category:Members of the Executive Council of Alberta]]
[[Category:Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Alberta]]