Biography: Lawrence “Larry” Ralph Shaben
Lawrence "Larry" Ralph Shaben (March 20, 1935 – September 6, 2008) was a trailblazing Canadian politician, public servant, and community builder.
Early Life
Larry Shaben was born in the hamlet of Endiang, Alberta on March 20, 1935. He was the third of five children of Lebanese Muslim immigrants, Albert and Lila (Kazeil) Shaben. Larry’s parents acquired the community’s general store in 1925, operating it as the Endiang Trading Company for fifteen years. They established a second general store in the nearby community of Byemoor, running two businesses twelve kilometers apart, until 1945 when the family moved to Edmonton to be closer a larger Muslim community and Canada's first mosque, which opened there in 1938.
Larry attended Eastwood High School and later the University of Alberta before striking out in business. In 1960 he married Alma Saddy and the couple had five children, Linda, Carol (Riyad Abu-Laban), Larry (Tracy), James, and Joan. The family moved from Edmonton to High Prairie in 1966 where Larry purchased the Robinson’s general store in which both he and Alma worked to support themselves and their children. Larry quickly became active in the town’s economic and civic life, serving as President of the Chamber of Commerce (1968-1970), and as a Town Councillor (1969 to 1974), and managing the High Prairie Regals, the town’s senior men’s hockey team.
Political Career
Drawn to newly elected Premier Peter Lougheed’s vision of inclusivity for Alberta minorities, Larry entered provincial politics in 1975, running as a Progressive Conservative candidate in the riding of Lesser Slave Lake. He won by a large margin and was the first Alberta MLA to be sworn into office on the Qur’an. Larry ran for a second term in the 1979 Alberta general election. Though he faced a tough race against three other candidates, he held his seat and voters returned him to the Legislature.[4]
Premier Peter Lougheed appointed Larry to the Executive Council of Alberta and offered him a cabinet portfolio as Minister of Utilities and Telephones. This appointment would make Larry the first Muslim cabinet minister in Canadian history.[3] He would go on to easily win a third term in the 1982 general election and become Alberta’s Minister of Housing. As Housing Minister, Larry was a trustee of the Edmonton Housing Trust Fund, which helped provide housing to low-to-moderate-income Albertans. He was instrumental in initiating the Recognizing Outstanding Organizations and People in Housing or ROOPH Awards, an annual event honouring dedicated individuals working in the housing sector, whether on the frontlines of homelessness or in housing policy.
In 1984, Larry survived a tragic plane crash near Swan Hills that killed fellow MLA and Provincial NDP Leader Grant Notley and five other passengers from northern Alberta communities, some of whom Larry knew.[6] He and three other survivors—the pilot, a young RCMP officer, and a criminal he was escorting to face charges in Grande Prairie—helped one another survive a long, cold night in the wilderness before being rescued. Despite this trauma, Larry returned to the Alberta Legislature as soon as his injuries from the crash had healed, continuing his public service with resilience and dedication.
In 1986, Larry successfully ran for a fourth and final term in public office, this time under Don Getty, Peter Lougheed’s successor as leader of Alberta’s Progressive Conservative Party. Premier Getty appointed Larry to the senior portfolio of Minister of Economic Development and Trade, which he held until his retirement in 1989.
Later Life
In later years, Larry became a strong advocate for intercultural understanding, particularly in promoting tolerance toward Muslim communities in Edmonton and Alberta. He was a pivotal founding member and leader of the Edmonton Council of Muslim Communities (ECMC), established in the aftermath of 9/11 to bridge the gap between Muslims and non-Muslims. His political experience, track record of community service, and strong leadership skills were instrumental in forging solidarity among Edmonton’s various Muslim groups, and in fostering interfaith dialogue between the city’s Muslim, Jewish, Christian and other religious communities. Larry also played a key role in establishing the Edmonton Islamic Academy—today one of the top faith-based schools in Western Canada—and a Chair in Islamic Studies at the University of Alberta.
In 2005, Larry was appointed a federal citizenship judge, further extending his legacy of Canadian public service. He retired from public life a short time later to enjoy time at the family’s cottage on Lesser Slave Lake with his wife, children, and grandchildren. Larry passed away on September 6, 2008, of colon cancer. He was 73.
More than 1,000 people attended his funeral, held in the gymnasium of the Edmonton Islamic Academy he had helped establish. Among them were three Alberta premiers—a testament to his profound impact on public life and the respect he engendered.
Two awards were created in his memory: the Larry Shaben Scholarship in Islamic Studies, awarded annually to a University of Alberta student with superior academic standing taking Islamic Studies and entering their second or third year of a Bachelor of Arts degree; and the Larry Shaben Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Housing Sector, part of the annual ROOPH Awards Larry helped establish as Alberta’s Minister of Housing in the early 1980’s. Awarded by Homeward Trust—an Edmonton organization committed to combatting homelessness—this honour recognizes highly committed and passionate individuals working in the city’s housing sector.