Preceded by Ernest Duke Name William Kovach Residence Hillcrest, Alberta | Political party Social Credit Succeeded by Garth Turcott | |
Constituency Pincher Creek-Crowsnest Full Name William August Kovach Died August 4, 1966(1966-08-04) (aged 57)
Lost Creek, Alberta | ||
William August Kovach (January 30, 1909 – August 4, 1966) was a miner, construction worker, trapper, taxi driver, rancher, trucker, salesman and a provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1948 until his death in 1966 sitting with the Social Credit caucus in government.
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Early life
William August Kovach was born on January 30, 1909 in the town of Passburg, Alberta, which became part of the Crowsnest Pass municipality. After completing grade school in Passburg he went to work on various construction crews working on grading for railways and highways in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Kovach changed jobs in 1926, he started working for a coal mine in Bellevue, Alberta. He left the mines to become a prospector. Kovach supplemented his income by driving a taxi, and trapping animals for fur. Kovach began working at the Hillcrest-Mowhawk Mines in Hillcrest, Alberta. He became a part time recording secretary for the United Mine Workers. Kovach continued working as a prospector, ending up with West Canadian Collieries. He left the mining business in 1947 to found a trucking company, raise live stock on his ranch and sell insurance.
Political career
Kovach ran for a seat to the Alberta Legislature in the 1948 Alberta general election. He stood as the Social Credit candidate in the electoral district of Pincher Creek-Crowsnest. The race was hotly contested, with Kovach winning on the third vote count to hold the seat for his party.
Kovach ran for a second term in office in the 1952 Alberta general election. He would fight a two way race against Liberal candidate Thomas Costigan and win easily with a landslide majority to hold his seat.
Kovach ran for a third term in the 1955 Alberta general election. He would face two other candidates including H. Ferguson a jointly nominated candidate from the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives. Kovach would lose some of his popular vote, but still held his seat easily.
The 1959 Alberta general election would see Kovach run for his fourth term in office. He defeated two other candidates with a landslide majority to return to office.
Kovach ran for re-election to his fifth term in the 1963 Alberta general election. He lost a significant portion of his vote share from the last election, but held on to the district with a clear majority against the three other candidates.
Kovach died on August 4, 1966 from a heart seizure while on a fishing trip at Lost Creek.