When I lose someone I love and admire, I find comfort and peace in pondering how that person has touched and affected my life for good.
Many Albertans have fond personal stories about our friend Ralph Klein, and I am no different. After Ralph left politics, he took a position at the law firm, BLG in Calgary.
I was just a first-year associate - a nobody by the world’s standards. Ralph, of course didn’t care about that. He took the time to talk with me and counsel me on my nomination campaign – he even wrote a very kind reference. For me, it was like getting hockey tips from Wayne Gretzky. But that was Ralph. He didn’t care who you were or what your position was. He just treated you like a longtime friend regardless.
But over the last week, I realized that my emotions at Ralph’s passing were not just because of how he treated me personally – it was much more than that.
I’ve realized, that more than any other person, it was Ralph who made me proud to be Albertan. It was under Ralph’s leadership, that our province went from economic slouch to economic powerhouse. We went from crushing debt to being debt free. We went from a place where our children would leave for opportunities elsewhere to becoming a beacon of prosperity attracting the best and brightest from all over the world. The Alberta Advantage was built under Ralph.
But it wasn’t just the substance – it was also the style. He wasn’t afraid to be different. He wasn’t afraid of saying what needed to be said or to do what needed to be done just because it may not have been politically correct. He gave us courage. He gave us swagger. But he also showed us humility and compassion. He made us feel like our province could do anything. And, thanks to him, I believe we still can.
Many of us believe that after we leave this life for the next, we will be judged by how we treated others, by what we gave, by how we served our fellow men. If this is true, then Ralph Klein today has become a king. Thank you Ralph and please keep watching out for us down here. Rest in peace.
