15 Facts About Gene Zwozdesky

Eugene Zwozdesky was a Canadian politician in the province of Alberta.

Gene Zwozdesky served in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1993 to 2015, and was the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 2012 to 2015.

Zwozdesky was born on July 24,1948, in Nipawin, Saskatchewan, to Ukrainian-Canadian parents Alec and Anna Zwozdesky and came to Alberta at the age of two.

Gene Zwozdesky lived in Grand Centre, Hinton and Sangudo before moving to Edmonton, where he lived since 1963.

Gene Zwozdesky was re-elected to the new riding of Edmonton-Mill Creek in the 1997 Alberta general election.

Gene Zwozdesky joined the governing Progressive Conservatives a month later.

On December 15,2006, Gene Zwozdesky was replaced in Premier Ed Stelmach's cabinet by Ron Liepert.

Gene Zwozdesky again joined the Alberta Cabinet on June 27,2007, as Associate Minister for Capital Planning.

Gene Zwozdesky was 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.

Gene Zwozdesky has won numerous awards from cultural and arts organizations, as well as the 2005 Alberta Centennial Medal.

Gene Zwozdesky was re-elected in the 2012 provincial election as an incumbent PC candidate.

Gene Zwozdesky was defeated in the 2015 Alberta general election by Alberta NDP candidate Denise Woollard.

Gene 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; he served in the same role for the Cheremosh Ukrainian Dance Company.

Gene Zwozdesky 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.

Gene Zwozdesky died of cancer on January 6,2019, aged 70.