Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jul 01/98) - Five western premiers and their families are scheduled to arrive Thursday for two days of meetings followed by a weekend of fishing at Plummer's Lodge.

Yellowknifer attempted to get in touch with the premier's a personal side by finding out their likes, dislikes, hobbies and interests but many of their offices when contacted knew little about their leader's personal life.

Don Morin, NWT

The conference host was born in Hay River in 1954. In 1976 he moved to Fort Resolution where he operated his own construction business. Besides his business, he represented the Dene Nation on the Great Slave Lake Advisory Committee and was a member of the Deninoo Community Council in Fort Resolution.

Morin was first elected to the legislative assembly in 1987 and on Nov. 20, 1995 he was elected premier.

Morin and his wife Gladys have four sons, Steve, Mike, Denecho, Clarke, and one grandchild, Jesse.

Piers McDonald, Yukon

McDonald was born in Kingston, Ont., on August 4, 1955. After studying at Queens University he moved to the Yukon in 1975.

An underground miner with United Keno Hill mine in Elsa for six years, McDonald was active with United Steelworkers of America Local 924.

He was elected to the Yukon Assembly in 1982 to represent Mayo. From the election of 1989 until January 1991 he held the portfolios of finance, education and economic development. In 1995 he became leader of the Yukon New Democrats and was sworn is as government leader and minister of finance in October 1997.

McDonald and his wife, Ofelia Andrade, have four children; sons Yoani and Ewan and twin daughters Lara and Vanessa.

Glen Clark, B.C.

Clark, 38, has lived all his life in East Vancouver, where he has worked in the labor and a natural resource policy consultant. He has a master's degree in community and regional planning from UBC.

Prior to becoming leader of the province's New Democrats in 1996, Clark served as minister of employment and investment.

First elected to the legislature in 1986, he also served as minister of finance and corporate relations. He is married to Dale, a teacher, and they have a son Reid and daughter Layne.

Ralph Klein, Alberta

Klein was elected leader of the Progressive Conservative Party on Dec. 5, 1992, in the first one-member, one-vote leadership race held in Alberta.

Klein was born in Calgary in 1942. He obtained his education in Calgary, interrupting his high school to enlist in the Canadian Air Force. Upon leaving the service, he continued his education and later became principal of the Calgary Business College.

From 1963 to 1969 he pursued a public relations career with the Red Cross and United Way in Calgary. For the next 11 years he was the senior civic affairs reporter with CFCN television and radio.

Klein was elected Calgary's 32nd mayor in 1980 and remained for three terms. Klein and his wife, Colleen, live in southwest Calgary and still have one daughter at home.

Roy Romanow, Saskatchewan

Romanow was born, raised and educated in Saskatoon. He graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with arts and law degrees. He was first elected to the Saskatchewan legislature in 1967 and was re-elected in 1971, 1975, 1978, 1986, 1991 and 1995.

In 1979 Romanow was appointed Saskatchewan's first minister of intergovernmental affairs. In 1987, Romanow was acclaimed leader of the Saskatchewan NDP. In 1991 he led the part to a 55-seat majority government and assumed the duties of Premier on Nov. 1 1991.

Romanow and his wife, Eleanor, have no children.

Gary Filmon, Manitoba

Filmon was sworn in as Manitoba's 19th premier in 1998. He was re-elected in September 1990 and again in April 1995, serving his third term as premier. He is minister of federal-provincial relations and chairs the economic development board of cabinet and the Manitoba Round Table on Environment and Economy.

A registered engineer, Filmon is a native of Winnipeg and obtained his early education at four north Winnipeg schools.

He served as a consulting engineer for five years with Underwood McLellan Ltd. and for the next 11 years was president of Success-Angus Commercial College.

Filmon and his wife, Janice, have four children, Allison, David, Gregg and Susanna.