It was 40 years ago today that the political landscape of Alberta drastically shifted, when Peter Lougheed's PC's took office and the party has never left.
In 1971, Lougheed became premier winning 49 seats.
We came up the centre social credit was in political terms more to the right. We were the centre where we thought the people were," he said.
Lougheed knew what it felt like to win. He won a Grey Cup with the Edmonton Eskimos before politics, but his era almost ended the night it began.
"We flew up to Edmonton. I was in Calgary I won a Calgary seat and Calgary is my home city. And we flew back and there was a terrible fog and we almost crashed as we were landing -- the control tower was on the wrong side," he said.
He then found himself on the wrong side of the federal government fighting Ottawa over the constitution and energy.
"I just say to Canadians we have a mandate from the people of Alberta.
By 1982 he won 75 of 79 seats, with voter turnout over 70 per cent – a noticeable decline in voter turnout in the 2008 Alberta election, with 41 per cent.
"I'm worried about it. I don't like that it distressed me and I hope it will change and maybe our party will pull together behind a new leader and that will change," said Lougheed.
On Tuesday night, Lougheed and members of his party will reunite at a private event in Edmonton.
With files from Kevin Armstrong
