Ralph Katzman (May 13, 1940 – June 13, 2025) was a Canadian farmer and political figure in

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

. He represented

Rosthern Rosthern is a town at the juncture of Highway 11 and Highway 312 in central Saskatchewan, Canada. It is roughly halfway between the cities of Prince Albert and Saskatoon. History Mennonite settlers, led by Gerhard Ens, began arriving in ...

from 1975 to 1986 in the

Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan The Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan () is the legislative chamber of the Saskatchewan Legislature in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. Bills passed by the assembly are given royal assent by the lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan, in the ...

as a Progressive Conservative.

Life and career

Katzman was born in

Prince Albert, Saskatchewan Prince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada, after Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan, Regina. It is situated near the centre of the province on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The city is known as the "Gateway ...

, the son of Labe Katzman, and was educated in

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

and at the

University of Saskatchewan The University of Saskatchewan (U of S, or USask) is a Universities in Canada, Canadian public university, public research university, founded on March 19, 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatch ...

, where he studied agriculture. In 1970, Katzman married Lucille Jean Martler. He served as government

whip A whip is a blunt weapon or implement used in a striking motion to create sound or pain. Whips can be used for flagellation against humans or animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain, or be used as an audible cue thro ...

in the provincial assembly and was also legislative secretary for the ministers of agriculture and highways. In 2000, Katzman was found guilty of fraud for diverting $450,000 from the Conservative caucus bank account to a private bank account; this was related to a political scandal involving Saskatchewan Progressive Conservatives during the 1980s. He was sentenced to one year in jail and ordered to repay over $100,000. Katzman died on June 13, 2025, at the age of 85.

References

1940 births 2025 deaths Corruption in Canada Canadian politicians convicted of fraud Jewish Canadian politicians Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan MLAs Politicians from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan {{ProgressiveConservative-Saskatchewan-MLA-stub