New Alberta premier born in Fort Res
Dave Hancock spent infancy in South Slave community
Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Published Monday, April 7, 2014
DENINU KU'E/FORT RESOLUTION
It's been said that it's always a good idea to have friends in high places.
Dave Hancock, recently named the new premier of Alberta, has roots in the NWT, having been born in Fort Resolution. - photo courtesy of Government of Alberta |
And now Fort Resolution has - for a while, anyway - a somewhat surprising connection to the very top of the Government of Alberta.
That's because Dave Hancock, the province's new premier, was born in Fort Resolution.
On March 23, he was sworn in as Alberta's 15th premier following the resignation of Alison Redford. He will remain premier until the ruling Progressive Conservatives choose a new leader later this year.
Hancock was born Aug. 10, 1955, in Fort Resolution, where his father was a Hudson's Bay Company fur trader.
Kara King, the president of the Fort Resolution Metis Council, said she found it interesting upon first hearing that Hancock was born in the community.
"My first thought was he's either a teacher's son or a cop's son," she said with a laugh.
Such a connection to an Alberta premier is not something that you'd expect to hear, she added, noting she doesn't believe Hancock now has any family ties to Fort Resolution.
Craig Loewen, the director of communications with the premier's office, said Hancock's family lived in Fort Resolution for about two years and they left the community for Fort Smith about six or seven months after he was born.
"Premier Hancock's father was literally one of the last fur traders," he said.
Loewen added the premier cherishes his time in the North, both in the NWT and in northern Alberta.
King noted it is not the first time Fort Resolution has had connections to an Alberta premier.
She explained that the late Peter Lougheed, who was premier of Alberta from 1971 to 1985, had family ties to the South Slave community.
Hancock's family also lived in Hazelton, B.C., and the northern Alberta community of Fort Vermilion. The now-premier graduated from La Crete Public School before moving to Edmonton to attend university.
A lawyer by profession, he is in his fifth term as the MLA for Edmonton-Whitemud. In addition, he currently serves as the minister of Innovation and Advanced Education.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta will choose a new leader and premier in September.
