Ralph Klein Dead: Defining Moments In The Life Of The Iconic Former Premier (PHOTOS) | HuffPost

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LOOK: Defining Moments In The Life Of Former Premier

The Huffington Post Alberta

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After a short battle with a form of dementia and lung disease, Ralph Klein passed away on Friday, at the age of 70.

As news of Ralph Klein's worsening illness spread earlier this month, tributes poured in for the iconic leader. Politicians in Alberta, and from across Canada, paid tribute to the man who served the province for more than 20 years.

Before his death, Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi said, "to me he'll always be the mayor who is best identified with this city."

In Edmonton earlier, Premier Alison Redford told reporters that Klein was a "great man," who "redefined this province."

Story continues after slideshow

Ralph Klein's Defining Moments

From Sandstones To City Hall(01 of11)

As a journalist for CFCN, Klein took issues important to Calgarians and raised a fuss. He spoke to the people, about what concerned them. It was one plan that angered Klein enough to challenge the ideas of city hall. Five blocks of city housing were facing the wrecking ball, in order to build a civic centre. Klein took charge and produced a 30 minute documentary titled,Dreams, Schemes, and Sandstone Dust. In an interview with The Fifth Estate, Klein revealed, "It was at that point where I thought I lost my objectivity as a reporter." At that point he began to talk to friends about running for mayor.

The '88 Olympics, A Huge Success(02 of11)

The 1988 Olympic Games, "... was really the seed for our success in winter sport,” revealed Anne Merklinger, chief executive of Own the Podium. Merklinger credits the investment into building sports facilities, and the geography for laying the ground work for the success of the 2010 Winter Games, in Vancouver.Those advances have Ralph Klein's finger prints on them. The games made a profit of $30 million dollars, which put Montreal to shame, whose Olympic Games 16 years earlier lost so much money, the debt was only paid off in 2006. The first Canadian Olympic Games was a huge failure, but Calgary repaired Canada's Olympic reputation. (credit:CP)

Changing Jobs(03 of11)

Klein left the mayor's chair in 1989, and in the same year was elected as a MLA for Calgary-Elbow. For three years he was the Minister of Environment, until he won the PC leadership in 1992, replacing Don Getty as Premier. (credit:CP)

Mad About Mad Cow(04 of11)

In 2003, Mad Cow Disease hit Alberta. People were scared, people were angry, and Ralph Klein took the opportunity to speak off the cuff."I guess any self-respecting rancher would have shot, shovelled and shut up, but he didn't do that. Instead he took it to an abattoir."Encouraging cattle farmers to shoot infected cattle, and hide the death from authorities got Klein in hot water, and still gets a reaction to this day. The cattle industry suffered, but the problem was contained to the point where only Klein's remarked remained. (credit:Shutterstock)

Debt Be Gone(05 of11)

Between 1982 and 1992, the crashing of oil prices meant Alberta was in a fiscal nightmare. In 1994, the provincial debt stood at $23 billion. By 2004, public sector jobs were shrinking, oil revenues increasing, and provincial government got smaller. Klein's work in cutting the deficit and turning our fiscal problems into a surplus is even more important now, considering our new budget problems. (credit:CP)

The Homeless Shelter Incident(06 of11)

It was an incident that reached newspapers all over the world. A drunk Ralph Klein stumbles into the Herb Jamieson Centre in Edmonton, after a dinner, he berated the homeless. Accounts of the incident claim Klein told the homeless to "get a job". Klein later used the incident to admit he had a drinking problem. (credit:CP)

On Allende And Pinochet(07 of11)

In 2004 while discussing public auto insurance, Klein made a comment in legislature that offended Chilean immigrants, and Canadians.“It sounds like (former president Salvador) Allende in Chile, you know, when he took over all the copper mines and said the Americans are out, the government now owns all the copper mines, all the minerals, all the resources, all the mining ... Pinochet came in, Mr. Speaker, and I'm not saying that Pinochet was any better, but because of the only elected communist in Chile, Allende, and the socialist reforms he put in, Pinochet was forced, I would say, to mount a coup.”He would later apologize, explaining what he meant. (credit:CP)

A Tearful Farewell(08 of11)

After receiving only 55 per cent of support from party members in 2006, Klein announced he was stepping aside on September 20, so a new leader could be elected (credit:CP)

The Third Way, Is The Wrong Way(09 of11)

Ralph Klein doesn't have a perfect record. He tried to fix Alberta's health care system by introducing The Third Way. The plan was a combination of public health care, and out of pocket spending by patients. Journalists who question Klein's need to revamp Alberta's health care system,Klein turned red. As he was winding down his time as Premier, the health care plan lost support, and led the way to his departure. (credit:Shutterstock)

Park And Recreation(10 of11)

In 2011, a new park was introduced to Calgarians, located off of Highway 22X. It was named after Ralph Klein. It has learning trails, wetlands and an environmental education area. Mayor Nenshi opened the park with Klein in June, marking the last public appearance made by Klein. (credit:CP)

The Greatest Honour(11 of11)

Nobody can question the impact Ralph Klein had on the political discourse of this country. His bombastic nature, confrontational attitude, and his policies regarding debt, big government, and community engagement, made him known across Canada. For that reason, he was given the highest honour of our nation. The Order of Canada.Too sick to attend, the Governor General traveled to Calgary to hand the medal to Klein's wife, Colleen Klein, back in November 2012. (credit:CP)

For the last 20 years, Klein did define Alberta and he did so by suggesting that when faced with an animal infected with mad cow disease, a good Alberta rancher should "shoot, shovel and shut up."

He also helped define the province by eliminating its debt, by giving out Ralph bucks and by reaching unfathomable heights of popularity.

These are some of the moments that solidified King Ralph in the minds of Albertans, and Canadians at large, and that defined him and his career from his entrance into politics, on through to his eventual retirement.

These are Ralph Klein's most defining, famous, infamous, and province-shaping moments.

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