What some people are saying after the death of former Alberta premier Don Getty

EDMONTON – Don Getty, a former premier of Alberta who was also a star quarterback with the Edmonton Eskimos, died Friday at the age of 82.

Premier Rachel Notley described him as dedicated and hard-working, a “foundational leader in building much of what we all love best about our province today.”

Bernard Ominayak, former chief of the Lubicon Cree, recalled the day in 1989 when Getty gave him a racehorse during land-claim talks. “I had the good fortune of meeting one of the few people in government who had the integrity and honesty of a man who tried and understood the hardships that our people faced and still face,” Ominayak said.

Here is some other reaction to Getty’s death:

“He guided Alberta through challenging economic times, was a strong proponent of Senate reform, and worked in close collaboration with indigenous peoples across the province … Mr. Getty was a tireless champion of strengthening Alberta’s presence in Canada.”— Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

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“Don was a kind man with a great sense of humour. His legacy as one of the architects of our party, as a cabinet minister and as premier, has played a major role in shaping Alberta into the strong and resilient province it is today.”— Ric McIver, interim leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservatives

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“Mr. Getty was a fiercely proud Albertan and Canadian with a remarkable ability to reconcile a strong voice on behalf of his home province with the best interests of the country as a whole.” — Rona Ambrose, interim leader of the federal Conservative party

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“He was a consummate team player. I don’t think Don actually wanted to be premier because he was personally ambitious. I think he was premier because a lot of the other guys said, ‘You should be the premier.’ So I respect him for that.”— Preston Manning, former leader of the Reform party

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“Today, Albertans lost a man whose dedication and love for his province shone brightly and will be fondly remembered … he stood up tall for our province on the national stage and served Alberta as premier with determination during difficult economic challenges.”— Brian Jean, Alberta Opposition Wildrose leader

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“As a youngster, I remember watching him guide the Eskimos to the Grey Cup championship. He brought that energy and leadership to his career in politics.” — David Swann, Alberta Liberal leader

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“When you look at his life story — a champion athlete, a very successful business person and someone who really deeply believed in public service — that is something that all of us can really look towards as … an exemplar of the work that … we like to think we do as public servants.”— Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi