Henry Kroeger
Encyclopedia
Henry Kroeger was a provincial level politician from Alberta
, Canada
. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
from 1975 until his death in 1987. During his time in office he served as Minister of Transportation in the Peter Lougheed
government from 1979 to 1982.
he moved to Canada
at the age of nine to escape the Russian Revolution.
. He ran as a Liberal candidate in the electoral district of Stettler
and was defeated by Galen Norris
finishing third.
He made another attempt to run for office by running for the Progressive Conservatives in the 1975 Alberta general election
. He won the electoral district of Sedgewick-Coronation defeating incumbent Ralph Sorenson
in a closely contested race. Kroger became the provinces 500th MLA to be sworn in.
The Sedgewick-Coronation electoral district was abolished for the 1979 Alberta general election
. Kroeger ran in the new Chinook electoral district. He was re-elected with a large majority defeating three other candidates. After the electoral Premier Peter Lougheed
appointed Kroeger to serve in the Executive Council of Alberta as the Minister of Transportation. When he was minister of Transportation he pushed to have Alberta Highway 16 twinned.
Kroeger ran for his third term in office in the 1982 Alberta general election
. He defeated future Member of Parliament Jack Ramsay
to retain his seat. Kroeger was not invited back into cabinet after the election and served the rest of his career in the back benches. He ran for his final term in the 1986 Alberta general election
. He won a straight fight against New Democrat candidate Lavera Creasy who he had faced in 1982. Kroeger died a year later in 1987.
After his induction the Government of Alberta named the Water Services Commission that Kroeger was directly involved with in his honor. The Commission was named the Henry Kroeger Regional Water Services Commission. A water treatment plant in the community of Hanna
, Alberta
was also named in his honor.
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
from 1975 until his death in 1987. During his time in office he served as Minister of Transportation in the Peter Lougheed
Peter Lougheed
Edgar Peter Lougheed, PC, CC, AOE, QC, is a Canadian lawyer, and a former politician and Canadian Football League player. He served as the tenth Premier of Alberta from 1971 to 1985....
government from 1979 to 1982.
Early life
Henry Kroeger was born in RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
he moved to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
at the age of nine to escape the Russian Revolution.
Political career
Kroger ran for a seat to the Alberta Legislature for the first time in the 1959 Alberta general electionAlberta general election, 1959
The Alberta general election of 1959 was the fourteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on June 18, 1959 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.Ernest C...
. He ran as a Liberal candidate in the electoral district of Stettler
Stettler (provincial electoral district)
Stettler was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. It was mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1909 to 1993.-1957 liquor plebiscite:...
and was defeated by Galen Norris
Galen Norris
Galen Clark Norris was a provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1959 to 1971.-Early life:Galen Clark Noris was born on November 7, 1915...
finishing third.
He made another attempt to run for office by running for the Progressive Conservatives in the 1975 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1975
The Alberta general election of 1975 was the eighteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on March 25, 1975 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. He won the electoral district of Sedgewick-Coronation defeating incumbent Ralph Sorenson
Ralph Sorenson
Ralph Andrews Sorenson was a provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1971 to 1975 sitting with the Social Credit caucus in the official opposition.-Political career:...
in a closely contested race. Kroger became the provinces 500th MLA to be sworn in.
The Sedgewick-Coronation electoral district was abolished for the 1979 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1979
The Alberta general election of 1979 was the nineteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on March 14, 1979 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. Kroeger ran in the new Chinook electoral district. He was re-elected with a large majority defeating three other candidates. After the electoral Premier Peter Lougheed
Peter Lougheed
Edgar Peter Lougheed, PC, CC, AOE, QC, is a Canadian lawyer, and a former politician and Canadian Football League player. He served as the tenth Premier of Alberta from 1971 to 1985....
appointed Kroeger to serve in the Executive Council of Alberta as the Minister of Transportation. When he was minister of Transportation he pushed to have Alberta Highway 16 twinned.
Kroeger ran for his third term in office in the 1982 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1982
The Alberta general election of 1982 was the twentieth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on November 2, 1982 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. He defeated future Member of Parliament Jack Ramsay
Jack Ramsay (politician)
F.J. "Jack" Ramsay is a former Reform Party of Canada member of the Canadian House of Commons. Ramsay is a former Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer.-Western Canada Concept:...
to retain his seat. Kroeger was not invited back into cabinet after the election and served the rest of his career in the back benches. He ran for his final term in the 1986 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1986
The Alberta general election of 1986 was the twenty-first general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on May 8, 1986 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. He won a straight fight against New Democrat candidate Lavera Creasy who he had faced in 1982. Kroeger died a year later in 1987.
Honors
Henry Kroeger was posthumously inducted in the Alberta Agriculture Hall of Fame in March 1988 for his life's work of water management and development in the dry prairie regions of southern Alberta.After his induction the Government of Alberta named the Water Services Commission that Kroeger was directly involved with in his honor. The Commission was named the Henry Kroeger Regional Water Services Commission. A water treatment plant in the community of Hanna
Hanna, Alberta
Hanna is a town in east-central Alberta, Canada.The town's main industries are agriculture, oil production, tourism, and coal mining. It is the centre of a large trading area called Short Grass County and is the home of approximately 200 businesses...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
was also named in his honor.