Frank Appleby, a former Athabasca-area MLA and staunch community advocate for decades, passed away on Victoria Day at 101 years old.
Appleby was elected to the Legislature in 1971 as part of the first Progressive Conservative (PC) provincial government under Premier Peter Lougheed. He served four terms until 1986.
“Frank was a great friend and mentor,” former Athabasca-Sturgeon-Redwater PC MLA Jeff Johnson said. “He will be sorely missed.
“The fullness of his life is only surpassed by the vast amount of work he did to make our community and province a better place. He has an incredible legacy.”
Former Athabasca Mayor Lionel Cherniwchan worked on Appleby’s first election campaign, and their respective political careers paralleled each other.
“It’s been a long road with him,” Cherniwchan remembered. “We go all the way back to when he first got elected. It was a learning curve on my part; I was a young guy just getting involved in politics.”
Both during his political career and beyond, Appleby played a key role in many local projects.
He was instrumental in facilitating the relocation of Athabasca University to the community, and later served on AU’s board of governors. He received an honourary doctorate from AU in 2005.
"Frank was a builder in every sense of that word,” AU Interim President Peter MacKinnon said. “We deeply appreciate and remember his tireless work on behalf of the university, including his service for two terms on our board, and for his continuing support of our faculty, staff and students.
“Frank will be missed, but his legacy will live on through Athabasca University."
Appleby advocated strongly for the establishment of the Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries pulp mill near Grassland.
“He (also) got the road paved from Athabasca to Smith,” Cherniwchan added. “Frank pushed for it and he got it done.”
Appleby was never appointed to the provincial cabinet, though he did serve as deputy speaker of the Legislature. Cherniwchan said Appleby’s personality was not to be as self-aggrandizing as many politicians, and as such his contributions have been largely understated.
“Frank never got his due, I don’t think,” Cherniwchan said, noting Appleby’s unheralded work with the lumber industry and social services, as well as his role in local projects like the Athabasca Performing Arts Centre.
“Things like that, they just don’t show up,” Cherniwchan said. “He did a lot of good work behind the scenes … working for his constituency.
“He was always professional,” he added. “He exuded that aura about him, one that you could respect.”
Born at a homestead near Athabasca in 1913, Appleby at various times worked as a teacher, fish inspector, commercial fisherman, sawmill operator, farmer and marriage commissioner. He also served with the Royal Canadian Air Force in World War II.
Cherniwchan noted that Appleby was one of the last surviving members of the original Progressive Conservative government caucus. “An era has come to an end with him passing.”
A memorial service has yet to be planned.
