Calahasen becomes longest serving woman MLA

On May 31, Lesser Slave Lake MLA Pearl Calahasen  marked more than 23 years and two months in office making her the longest serving woman in the Alberta Legislature. Calahasen  surpassed Cornelia Wood, a Social Credit MLA from Stony Plain, who served from 1940-55 and again from 1959-67. “I have always prided myself on communicating with my constituents,” Calahasen, 60, told the Edmonton Journal. “I go home every weekend. I make sure to attend as many functions as I can. I try to make sure I represent everybody, because it’s a diverse constituency.” Calahasen’s riding is more than 70,000 square kilometres and includes the towns of Slave Lake, High Prairie and Wabasca, as well as many First Nations and Métis settlements. Calahasen took her seat in the Legislature in 1989 when she scored an upset victory in the PC nomination race. She won again this year marking her sixth term.