- PA 475
- Person
- 1934-2002
Ramon (Ray) John Hnatyshyn was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on March 16, 1934 to John and Helen Hnatyshyn. He attended Victoria Public School and Nutana Collegiate Institute in Saskatoon. Hnatyshyn earned Bachelor of Arts (1954) and Bachelor of Law (1956) degrees from the University of Saskatchewan. After being called to the Bar of Saskatchewan in 1957, Hnatyshyn practiced law in his father's law firm. He then moved to Ottawa, Ontario to serve as private secretary and executive assistant to the Honourable W.M. Aseltine, Leader of the Government in the Senate. In 1960, Hnatyshyn returned to Saskatoon and resumed practicing law. He also taught law at the College of Law, University of Saskatchewan and was appointed Queen's Counsel for Saskatchewan in 1973.
In 1974, Hnatyshyn was elected to the House of Commons as a Progessive Conservative Member of Parliament for Saskatchewan representing Saskatoon-Biggar. In 1979, he became MP for Saskatoon West and remained in the seat until 1988. He also served in the Joe Clark Government as Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources (1979-1980) and Minister of State for Science and Technology. After the defeat of the Progessive Conservative Government in 1980, Hnatyshyn served as Opposition Critic for Justice (1980-1984) and was appointed Opposition House Leader in April, 1984. Hnatyshyn served in the Brian Mulroney Government as Government House Leader (1984-1985); President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada (1985-1986) and Minister of Justice and Attorney General (1986-1988). After his defeat in the 1988 federal election, he returned to private law practice and was appointed Queen's Counsel for Canada.
In 1989, Hnatyshyn was appointed the 24th Governor General of Canada. His swearing-in was on January 29, 1990. Hnatyshyn's encouragement of the arts in Canada was one of the most import accomplishments of his term. He established the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement; the Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Arts; and the Governor General's Flight For Freedom Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literacy. He also founded the International Council for Canadian Studies, the Governor General Ramon John Hnatyshyn Education Fund, the Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Law, and the Governor General's International Award for Canadian Studies.
After Hnatyshyn's term as governor general ended in February 1995, he returned to private law practice as a senior partner in Gowling, Strathy and Henderson in Ottawa. He continued to support a wide range of charitable causes and be involved in activities relating to his Ukrainian heritage. In 2002 he was installed as Chancellor of Carleton University in Ottawa. Hnatyshyn died on December 18, 2002 in Ottawa. After his state funeral on December 23, 2002 at Ottawa's Christ Church Cathedral, Hnatyshyn was buried at Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa.
Hnatyshyn was the recipient of numerous awards and honours for his accomplishments, including the St. Volodymyr Medal Award from the World Congress of Ukrainians. He received honourary life memberships in the Law Society of Saskatchewan and Law Society of Upper Canada and was awarded numerous honorary military appointments and honourary degrees from institutions in Canada, the Ukraine and Korea.
Hnatyshyn married Karen Gerda Nygaard Andreasen on January 9, 1960. The Hnatyshyns had two sons: John and Carl.