Ray Hnatyshyn

Hnatyshyn, a Ukrainian Canadian, was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to Helen Constance (Pitts) and John Hnatyshyn. John practised as a lawyer, but also became involved in politics, running unsuccessfully in three federal elections in the riding of Yorkton before becoming Canada's first Ukrainian-born senator in 1959. John's political links and friendship with John Diefenbaker, the future prime minister, would provide his son with frequent exposure to high-calibre political debate. Ray Hnatyshyn attended Victoria Public School and Nutana Collegiate Institute in Saskatoon, then went on to study at the University of Saskatchewan, earning a Bachelor of Arts in 1954, and a Bachelor of Laws two years later. He was called to the bar of Saskatchewan in 1957 and briefly worked at a Saskatoon law firm, then moved to Ottawa in 1958 to take a position as an assistant to Walter Aseltine, the Government Leader in the Canadian Senate. Hnatyshyn returned to Saskatoon in 1960 and resumed his career as a lawyer. That year, on January 9, he married Karen Gerda Nygaard Andreasen, eventually having and raising two sons with her. In the 1964 Saskatchewan general election, he ran unsuccessfully as a Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan candidate in the electoral district of Saskatoon City. In his youth, Hnatyshyn enrolled in the Royal Canadian Air Cadets, where he was a member of 107 Spitfire Squadron in Saskatoon. He was enlisted as a reservist with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) from 1951 to 1956, then served in the RCAF's 23 Wing (Auxiliary) from 1956 to 1958. ==Member of Parliament==

In the 1974 federal election, Hnatyshyn ran as a Progressive Conservative Party (PC) candidate and narrowly won the riding of Saskatoon—Biggar against New Democratic Party incumbent Alfred Gleave. He thereby became a member of Parliament (MP). He was called to the bar of Ontario the same year, and was appointed Queen's Counsel in Canada in 1988. Saskatoon West was abolished before the election of 1988, and Hnatyshyn attempted to follow most of his constituents into Saskatoon—Clark's Crossing, but lost to NDP challenger Chris Axworthy. Following his defeat, Hnatyshyn returned to practising law, joining the Ottawa firm of Gowling, Strathy & Henderson in April 1989. ==Governor General of Canada==

, Hnatyshyn's Ottawa residence during his term as governor general On December 14, 1989, Queen Elizabeth II, by commission under the royal sign-manual and Great Seal of Canada, appointed Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's choice of Hnatyshyn to succeed Jeanne Sauvé as the Queen's representative. He was the second consecutive Saskatchewan-born Governor-General. Hnatyshyn was sworn in during a ceremony in the Senate chamber on January 29, 1990.—to the public, establishing a visitors' centre and initiating guided tours of the palace and the royal park in which it sits. These moves marked a complete reversal of the policies of his predecessor Sauvé, who had closed Rideau Hall to the general public. In 1991, Hnatyshyn staged on the grounds the first of the annual Governor General's Summer Concert Series and, the year after, mounted His Excellency's Most Excellent Rock Concert and re-opened the skating rink to the public. ==Post viceregal career and death==

in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan After his departure from Government House, Hnatyshyn returned to Gowling, Strathy & Henderson, where he became senior partner. Though he was Ukrainian Orthodox, he was commemorated in his state funeral in a multi-faith ceremony on December 23, 2002, at Ottawa's Christ Church Cathedral. Adrienne Clarkson, by that time the sitting governor general, paid tribute to him via video, as she and her husband were en route to spend Christmas with Canadian troops stationed in the Persian Gulf. Hnatyshyn was then buried at Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa. Various memorials followed Hnatyshyn's death: On March 16, 2004, Canada Post unveiled at a ceremony, attended by Hnatyshyn's widow, a $0.49 postage stamp designed by Vancouver graphic artist Susan Mavor, and bearing the formal portrait of Hnatyshyn taken by Canadian Press photographer Paul Chaisson on the day Hnatyshyn became governor general, along with a tone-on-tone rendering of part of Hnatyshyn's coat of arms. Two years later, a 48-minute documentary DVD examining the life of Hnatyshyn, A Man for all Canadians was released in Canada by IKOR Film. ==Honours and arms==

Honours Ribbon bars of Ray Hnatyshyn ;Appointments • 1973 – December 18, 2002: Queen's Counsel for Saskatchewan (QC) • September 30, 1974 – October 1, 1988: Member of Parliament (MP) • June 4, 1979 – December 18, 2002: Member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada (PC) • 1988 – December 18, 2002: Queen's Counsel for Canada (QC) • January 10, 1990 – January 29, 1990: Companion of the Order of Canada (CC) • January 29, 1990 – February 8, 1995: Chancellor and Principal Companion of the Order of Canada (CC) • February 8, 1995 – December 18, 2002: Companion of the Order of Canada (CC) • January 29, 1990 – February 8, 1995: Chancellor and Commander of the Order of Military Merit (CMM) • February 8, 1995 – December 18, 2002: Commander of the Order of Military Merit (CMM) • January 29, 1990 – February 8, 1995: Knight of Justice, Prior, and Chief Officer in Canada of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem • February 8, 1995 – December 18, 2002: Knight of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem • January 29, 1990 – February 8, 1995: Chief Scout of Canada • 1990 – December 18, 2002: Honorary Member of the Royal Military College of Canada Club • 1993 – December 18, 2002: Honorary Fellow of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada (FRHSC) • : Honorary Life Member of the Law Society of Upper Canada • May 17, 1991: Royal Military College of Canada, Doctor of Laws (LLD) • 1991: Queen's University, Doctor of Laws (LLD) • 1991: University of Ottawa, Doctor of the University (DUniv) • 1991: British Columbia Open University, Doctor of Laws (LLD) • 1992: Carleton University, Doctor of Laws (LLD) • June 15, 1992: McGill University, Doctor of Laws (LLD) • October 23, 1992: University of Manitoba, Doctor of Laws (LLD) • October 29, 1994: Memorial University of Newfoundland, Doctor of Laws (LLD) • 1994: University of Alberta, Doctor of Laws (LLD) • 1994: University of Northern British Columbia, Doctor of Laws (LLD) • 1996: Law Society of Upper Canada at Osgoode Hall, Doctor of Laws (LLD) • : University of Victoria, Doctor of Canon Law (JCD) Arms == Archives ==

There is a Ramon J. Hnatyshyn fonds at Library and Archives Canada. == Electoral record ==