Alexander Turk
Introduction


**Alexander Turk** (March 5, 1906 – January 1, 1988\) was a [professional wrestling promoter](/wiki/Professional_wrestling_promotion "Professional wrestling promotion") and politician in [Manitoba](/wiki/Manitoba "Manitoba"), Canada. He served in the [Legislative Assembly of Manitoba](/wiki/Legislative_Assembly_of_Manitoba "Legislative Assembly of Manitoba") as a [Liberal\-Progressive](/wiki/Manitoba_Liberal_Party "Manitoba Liberal Party") from 1953 to 1958\.

Born in [Larne](/wiki/Larne "Larne"), [Northern Ireland](/wiki/Northern_Ireland "Northern Ireland"), the son of Nathaniel Turk and Mary O'Lynn, Turk came to Canada with his family in 1910 and was educated at Lord Selkirk School. In 1931, he married Annie Owens. 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](/wiki/Professional_wrestling "Professional wrestling") to Manitoba in 1946 with his company, the [NWA](/wiki/National_Wrestling_Alliance "National Wrestling Alliance")\-affiliated **Alex Turk Promotions**. In his later years, he would promote [Verne Gagne](/wiki/Verne_Gagne "Verne Gagne"), [Pat O'Connor](/wiki/Pat_O%27Connor_%28wrestler%29 "Pat O'Connor (wrestler)"), [Stu Hart](/wiki/Stu_Hart "Stu Hart"), [Bruno Sammartino](/wiki/Bruno_Sammartino "Bruno Sammartino"), [Haystacks Calhoun](/wiki/Haystacks_Calhoun "Haystacks Calhoun"), [Lou Thesz](/wiki/Lou_Thesz "Lou Thesz") and others in the region. In 1961 and 1962, he promoted wrestling events for the [American Wrestling Association](/wiki/American_Wrestling_Association "American Wrestling Association"). In 1963, he left the AWA and ran shows in competition with the AWA for several years. He was eventually pushed out of business by competition from the [American Wrestling Association](/wiki/American_Wrestling_Association "American Wrestling Association").

Turk's election to the Manitoba legislature was somewhat unexpected. In the [1953 election](/wiki/1953_Manitoba_general_election "1953 Manitoba general election"), he ran as a candidate of the Liberal\-Progressive Party in [Winnipeg North](/wiki/Winnipeg_North_%28Manitoba_riding%29 "Winnipeg North (Manitoba riding)"), a constituency dominated by the [socialist](/wiki/Socialist "Socialist") [Cooperative Commonwealth Federation](/wiki/Manitoba_Cooperative_Commonwealth_Federation "Manitoba Cooperative Commonwealth Federation") and the [communist](/wiki/Communist "Communist") [Labour Progressive Party](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Canada_-_Manitoba "Communist Party of Canada - Manitoba"). 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](/wiki/Single_transferable_vote "Single transferable vote"), however, and defeated fellow Liberal\-Progressive [J.M. Kozoriz](/wiki/J.M._Kozoriz "J.M. Kozoriz") for the final position. In the legislature, he served as a backbench supporter of [Douglas Campbell](/wiki/Douglas_Lloyd_Campbell "Douglas Lloyd 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](/wiki/1958_Manitoba_general_election "1958 Manitoba general election"), and Turk lost to [Steve Peters](/wiki/Steve_Peters_%28Manitoba_politician%29 "Steve Peters (Manitoba politician)") of the CCF by 856 votes in the newly created riding of [Elmwood](/wiki/Elmwood_%28electoral_district%29 "Elmwood (electoral district)"). He ran again in the [1959 election](/wiki/1959_Manitoba_general_election "1959 Manitoba general election") but finished third.

After leaving provincial politics, Turk was elected to the [Winnipeg City Council](/wiki/Winnipeg_City_Council "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 people with disabilities, and he often voted with the CCF group. In 1964, he lost his seat on council to another CEC candidate.


Where was Alexander Turk born?