Wachowich, Allan

Born Allan Harvey Joseph Wachowich to Polish parents his family was one of the first five Polish families to immigrate to Alberta in 1944. Wachowich attended St. Joseph’s highschool as was an altar boy at St. Josephs Basilica.

While Wachowich originally intended to be a priest his education lead him to a long career in law. He received both his Bachelor of Arts in 1957 and his Bachelor of Laws in 1958 from the University of Alberta. He was called to the bar in 1959 and held a number of positions before being appointed Chief Justice of Alberta in 1993 a position he held until 2009 when he retired at the age of 75.

Wachowich served on the boards of many religious organizations including the Western Catholic Reporter, the Friars, the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, Catholic Charities, and he founded St. Thomas Moore Catholic Lawyer’s Guild in 1963.