13 Facts About William Hawrelak

In 1945, William Hawrelak moved to Edmonton and purchased the Prairie Rose Manufacturing Co.

William Hawrelak served as president of the Alberta Farmer's Union and of the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues before entering politics.

William Hawrelak was more successful in the next election, winning the last available aldermanic position by finishing sixth of nine candidates after being backed by the Citizens' Committee, a municipal political party dominated by English Canadian businessmen.

William Hawrelak initially saw considerable political success: his re-election bids in the 1953 and 1955 elections were unopposed, and in the 1957 election he easily dispatched his two challengers, both former aldermen, winning more than sixty-five percent of the vote.

William Hawrelak presided over a time of prosperity resulting, in part, from the discovery of oil near Edmonton in 1947.

Leger alleged that William Hawrelak had used his position to financially benefit himself, his family, and his associates.

William Hawrelak resigned September 9,1959, but continued to deny any wrongdoing.

William Hawrelak ran for mayor in the 1966 election, but was defeated by Vincent Dantzer, the man city council had chosen to replace him as mayor.

William Hawrelak turned his attention instead to the federal scene.

William Hawrelak had come within three hundred votes of unseating incumbent Social Credit Party of Canada MP Ambrose Holowach, but had not hitherto made any subsequent bids for federal election.

William Hawrelak finished third, behind Progressive Conservative Steve Paproski and official Liberal Donald Gray.

William Hawrelak couldn't maintain the tight control to which he was accustomed.

Thirteen months after his election, on November 7,1975, William Hawrelak died of a heart attack.