Alexander Turk
Encyclopedia
Alexander Turk was a politician in Manitoba
, Canada
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
as a Liberal-Progressive
from 1953 to 1958.
Born in Larne
, Ireland
, Turk came to Canada with his family in 1910, and was educated at Lord Selkirk School. He was a wrestling promoter and president of the Giants Baseball Club, and was known in politics as a charismatic showman. Some credit him with introducing modern professional wrestling
to Manitoba in 1946 with his company, the NWA
-affiliated Alex Turk Promotions. In later years, he would promote Verne Gagne
, Pat O'Connor
, Bruno Sammartino
, Haystacks Calhoun, Lou Thesz
and others in the region. He was eventually pushed out of business by competition from the American Wrestling Association
.
Turk's election to the Manitoba legislature was somewhat unexpected. In the 1953 election
, he ran as a candidate of the Liberal-Progressive Party in Winnipeg North, a constituency dominated by the socialist Cooperative Commonwealth Federation and the communist Labour Progressive Party. He finished seventh out of eleven candidates on the multi-member constituency's first count, behind two other Liberal-Progressive candidates. He did well on transfers, however, and defeated fellow Liberal-Progressive J.M. Kozoriz for the final position. In the legislature, he served as a backbench supporter of Douglas Campbell
's government.
Turk was on the left-wing of the Liberal-Progressive Party. In 1954, he was the only member of the government caucus to support a CCF bill calling for comprehensive health insurance. The following year, he was the only Liberal-Progressive MLA to endorse a bill calling for progressive prison reforms.
Winnipeg's multi-member constituencies were eliminated in the 1958 election
, and Turk lost to Steve Peters
of the CCF by 856 votes in the newly-created riding of Elmwood. He ran again in the 1959 election
, but finished third.
After leaving provincial politics, Turk was elected to the Winnipeg city council. Though a member of the conservative Civic Election Committee, he again showed himself to be a progressive representative on issues relating to workers, pensioners and the handicapped, and often voted with the CCF group. In 1964, he lost his seat on council to another CEC candidate.
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
as a Liberal-Progressive
Manitoba Liberal Party
The Manitoba Liberal Party is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late nineteenth-century, following the province's creation in 1870.-Origins and early development :...
from 1953 to 1958.
Born in Larne
Larne
Larne is a substantial seaport and industrial market town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland with a population of 18,228 people in the 2001 Census. As of 2011, there are about 31,000 residents in the greater Larne area. It has been used as a seaport for over 1,000 years, and is...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Turk came to Canada with his family in 1910, and was educated at Lord Selkirk School. He was a wrestling promoter and president of the Giants Baseball Club, and was known in politics as a charismatic showman. Some credit him with introducing modern professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
to Manitoba in 1946 with his company, the NWA
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
-affiliated Alex Turk Promotions. In later years, he would promote Verne Gagne
Verne Gagne
Laverne Clarence "Verne" Gagne , is a retired American professional wrestler, football player, and professional wrestling trainer and promoter. He was the former owner/promoter of the American Wrestling Association , based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which was the predominant promotion throughout...
, Pat O'Connor
Pat O'Connor (wrestler)
Patrick John "Pat" O'Connor , was a professional wrestler from New Zealand. O'Connor was regarded as one of the premier workers of his era...
, Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino is an Italian-American former professional wrestler, best known for being the longest-running champion of the World Wide Wrestling Federation , holding the title across two reigns for over 11 years in total, as well as the longest single WWE Championship reign...
, Haystacks Calhoun, Lou Thesz
Lou Thesz
Aloysius Martin "Lou" Thesz was a United States professional wrestler and 18-time world heavyweight champion, most notably holding the NWA World Heavyweight Championship three times. Combined, he held the NWA Championship for 10 years, three months and nine days , longer than anyone else in history...
and others in the region. He was eventually pushed out of business by competition from the American Wrestling Association
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
.
Turk's election to the Manitoba legislature was somewhat unexpected. In the 1953 election
Manitoba general election, 1953
Manitoba's general election of June 8, 1953 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. This was the first election held in Manitoba after the breakup of a ten-year coalition government led by the Liberal-Progressives and Progressive Conservatives...
, he ran as a candidate of the Liberal-Progressive Party in Winnipeg North, a constituency dominated by the socialist Cooperative Commonwealth Federation and the communist Labour Progressive Party. He finished seventh out of eleven candidates on the multi-member constituency's first count, behind two other Liberal-Progressive candidates. He did well on transfers, however, and defeated fellow Liberal-Progressive J.M. Kozoriz for the final position. In the legislature, he served as a backbench supporter of Douglas Campbell
Douglas Lloyd Campbell
Douglas Lloyd Campbell, OC was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as the 13th Premier of Manitoba from 1948 to 1958...
's government.
Turk was on the left-wing of the Liberal-Progressive Party. In 1954, he was the only member of the government caucus to support a CCF bill calling for comprehensive health insurance. The following year, he was the only Liberal-Progressive MLA to endorse a bill calling for progressive prison reforms.
Winnipeg's multi-member constituencies were eliminated in the 1958 election
Manitoba general election, 1958
Manitoba's general election of June 16, 1958 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This election was the first to be held in Manitoba after a comprehensive electoral redistribution in 1956...
, and Turk lost to Steve Peters
Steve Peters (Manitoba politician)
Steve Peters was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Manitoba legislature from 1958 to 1966, as a representative of the social-democratic Cooperative Commonwealth Federation and its successor, the New Democratic Party.Peters was educated at Winnipeg and the neighbouring suburb of...
of the CCF by 856 votes in the newly-created riding of Elmwood. He ran again in the 1959 election
Manitoba general election, 1959
Manitoba's general election of May 14, 1959 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It resulted in a majority victory for the Progressive Conservative Party under the leadership of Dufferin Roblin...
, but finished third.
After leaving provincial politics, Turk was elected to the Winnipeg city council. Though a member of the conservative Civic Election Committee, he again showed himself to be a progressive representative on issues relating to workers, pensioners and the handicapped, and often voted with the CCF group. In 1964, he lost his seat on council to another CEC candidate.