By The Canadian Press

EDMONTON - Even though it's been 25 years since former Alberta NDP leader Grant Notley died in a plane crash, some of his colleagues remember the horror they felt when they heard of his untimely death.

Notley, 45, and five other people were killed when their plane went down in the wilderness of northwestern Alberta on Oct. 22, 1984.

Four other people survived the crash, including a prisoner who was credited with helping to save the lives of his police escort and two others.

Notley had served as NDP leader since 1968 and Ken Kowalski, the speaker of the Alberta legislature, remembers him as a dynamic person known for his character and integrity.

He says Notley provided a strong voice for the people he represented, and that voice was also heard by many other Albertans, despite Notley's political affiliations.

Notley's daughter, Rachel, followed in her father's political footsteps and after working as a legal advocate in Alberta and British Columbia, was elected to the Alberta legislature in 2008.