Mike Cardinal facts for kids

Melvin Percy Joseph Cardinal (July 17, 1941 – January 12, 2023) was a Canadian politician from Alberta. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta (MLA) from 1989 to 2008. He belonged to the Progressive Conservative party.

Cardinal represented different areas during his time as an MLA. These included Athabasca-Lac La Biche, Athabasca-Wabasca, and Athabasca-Redwater. He made history as the first First Nations person to join Alberta's cabinet. The cabinet is a group of top advisors to the Premier. He served as a minister under Premier Ralph Klein. His roles included Minister of Family and Social Services, Minister of Sustainable Resource Development, and Minister of Human Resources and Employment.

Early Life and Work

Mike Cardinal was born on July 17, 1941, in Slave Lake, Alberta. He grew up in a large family with 12 brothers and sisters. His father was a trapper, and his mother was a homemaker.

He left school in grade 8 to start working. However, he later returned and finished high school. For ten years, he worked in the forestry and sawmill industries.

After that, he moved into public service. He helped people get mortgages with the Alberta Housing Corporation. He also worked on a program to help Indigenous people find housing. Later, he became a regional supervisor for employment services. He spent many years helping people find jobs and get career advice.

Political Journey

Before becoming an MLA, Mike Cardinal was active in his community. He served as a town councillor in Slave Lake. He also worked on the school board for the Northland School Division No. 61. He was the chairman of the school board for three of his six years there.

Becoming a Provincial Leader

Cardinal first ran for a provincial election in 1989. He ran as a Progressive Conservative candidate. He won against the current New Democrat MLA, Leo Piquette, in the Athabasca-Lac La Biche area.

The voting areas changed before the 1993 election. Cardinal then ran in the new area called Athabasca-Wabasca. He won this election and two more in 1997 and 2001. He always won with more than half of the votes. In 2001, he even ran against Colin Piquette, who was the son of Leo Piquette.

In 2004, his voting area changed again. He served his last term as the MLA for Athabasca-Redwater. He won this election easily. After this term, he decided not to run for re-election.

Working in the Legislature

When Cardinal was first elected, he served as a "backbencher." This means he was a regular member of the legislature, not a minister. During this time, he helped create the Metis Settlements Land Protection Act in 1990. This law aimed to give Métis communities ownership of their land. The law passed without much debate.

Serving as a Minister

In 1992, Ralph Klein became the new Premier of Alberta. He chose Mike Cardinal to be part of his cabinet. Cardinal became the Minister of Family and Social Services. This was a very important moment because he was the first First Nations person to be a minister in Alberta's cabinet. He was also in charge of issues related to Indigenous people.

As Minister, Cardinal worked to save government money. He helped reduce costs by encouraging people to find jobs. He introduced programs to help people become more independent.

During his time as Minister, there were some challenges. He put rules in place about what government employees could say publicly. In 1996, there were concerns about how government resources were being used. Because of these concerns, Premier Klein asked Cardinal to resign from his role as Minister. Stockwell Day took over his position.

Cardinal returned to Premier Klein's cabinet in 2000. He became the Minister of Resource Development. In this role, he worked on changes to Alberta's electricity system. Alberta's economy was growing fast, which put a lot of pressure on electricity. This led to higher costs for people. The government tried to help by giving rebates to families.

In 2001, his ministry was split. He remained in charge of environmental and land management. His new role was Minister of Sustainable Resource Development. In 2002, it was found that he had approved fishing in Calling Lake. This was a lake where he owned a home. This decision went against advice from scientists who said the lake's ecosystem was in trouble.

Later Life

Mike Cardinal passed away on January 12, 2023. He was 81 years old.

Election Results