Don Getty Passes

A family spokesman has announced that Don Getty, the Grey Cup-winning football player, former Premier of Alberta, and key member of the Alberta horse racing industry, passed away this morning (Friday, February 26) at the age of 82.

Among others, Getty is survived by his wife, Margaret, his four sons Dale, David, Darin and Derek, and many grandchildren. Also by brothers Charles (Margie) and Gerald (Bonnie, deceased), and sister Marlene (Paul Fisher), as well as many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by sister Joyce. Speaking on behalf of the family, one of Don’s sons, Darin, said Friday that the former Alberta Premier passed away peacefully at an Edmonton long-term care facility due to heart failure.

Getty, who was born in Quebec and raised mostly in Ontario, is best known for having hoisted the Grey Cup with the Canadian Football League’s Edmonton Eskimos and having led the province though turbulent economic waters during his seven-year tenure as Premier. His critical politicking on behalf of Alberta horse racing is a lesser-known fact outside of the industry, but his ability to get government, horsepeople and various industry entities on the same page for the common good can not to be overlooked.

A 2007 Trot Magazine cover story by Rob Longley explains that as a director of Horse Racing Alberta in 2000, Getty had the ear of then-Alberta Premier Ralph Klein. Getty was able to articulate to the late Klein why the government’s gaming policy at the time was to the financial detriment of Alberta racing. After having listened to Getty’s case, Klein said “let’s do something about it.” Even though it was right in the middle of the Christmas season, Getty seized the moment and got industry players together for a ‘summit’ on the issue between Christmas and the New Year. That summit led to Klein’s office drafting a government report which recommended more slot machines, a reallocation of existing slot revenue, and, according to Getty, “a commitment from all parties to revitalize horse racing in the province.”

An excerpt from Longley’s Trot Magazine article appears below.

Getty arrived at the Premier’s office with some prominent horsemen who had been well briefed on how to conduct themselves. Klein had mentioned his concerns about a fractious, squabbling industry, something he had seen first hand.

“I told the horsepeople, ‘we all have a chance to pull together, but we have to convince the government we will cooperate,’” Getty said. “From that meeting, we never looked back.”

Although he held a prestigious position with Horse Racing Alberta – one that he only accepted after horsepeople endorsed it – Getty was, first and foremost, a big fan of Alberta horse racing.

For Longely’s 2007 piece, Getty revealed some of his personal track stories, which included some of his gridiron teammates, some of which would help comprise the ‘Eskimo Stables’ which went on to own some of the stock that raced over Alberta tracks.

“I can remember many days when we wanted to watch a race (at Northlands Park in Edmonton) and we knew practice was starting in half an hour,” Getty said.

“Boy did we squeal the rubber getting out of there to practice. In those days, practice started at 5 p.m., so guys could work during the day. Well the last race usually went at about 4:30. There were days when we let our enthusiasm cut it pretty close.”

Getty admitted that he really got into racing after his football days to ‘fill that hole.’ “For me, it started as something social,” said Getty. Although, filling that hole and doing something social would lead to much, much more – being able to talk horses with The Queen, for one.

“When The Queen came to Alberta and I was Premier, she and I talked horses a lot,” Getty said. “She invited me to her box at Ascot and we sat there with The Queen, Prince Philip and the Queen Mother.

“What a day that was. She was a gracious hostess of course, but I was really impressed with her passion for the horses.”

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Don Getty.