Lawrence "Larry" Ralph Shaben (March 20, 1935 – September 6, 2008) was a Canadian politician of Lebanese descent and the first Muslim Cabinet Minister in Canada.
During his time in office he served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Premier Peter Lougheed and Don Getty occupying various portfolios from 1979 to 1989.
Lawrence Ralph Shaben was born on March 20, 1935, in Hanna, Alberta[1] The family moved to Edmonton in the mid-1940s after North America's first mosque was opened there.
He left university early to join the workforce,[1] although his daughter admitted in a book that he goofed off so much in college that he flunked out.
He won the electoral district defeating incumbent Dennis Barton and a third candidate by a wide margin to pick up the seat for his party.
He faced a tougher race, losing a little bit of his popular vote from the previous election against three other candidates including future MLA Dan Backs.
[7] Getty made his first cabinet shuffle after the election and appointed Shaben to his final portfolio as Minister of Economic Development and Trade.