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People and organizations
Governors General

Hnatyshyn, Ray, 1934-2002

  • 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.

Buchan, John (1st Baron Tweedsmuir), 1875-1940

  • Person
  • 1875-1940

Born in 1875, John Buchan was educated at Glasgow University and Brasenose College, Oxford, receiving a Master of Arts. In 1901, he was called to the bar and became a private secretary to the High Commissioner for South Africa. He returned to the United Kingdom in 1903 where he served as director of Nelson's, a publishing firm. During World War One Buchan worked for the London Times in France and then served on HQ staff until 1917 when he became Director of Information. During the 1920s he would serve as president of the Scottish Historical Society and trustee of the National Library of Scotland before entering politics and becoming Member of Parliament for Scottish Universities from 1927 to 1935. In 1935, Buchan was appointed Governor General of Canada and also accepted a peerage (Baron Tweedsmuir of Elsfield in the county of Oxford). When he died on February 11, 1940, he became the first Canadian Governor General to die in office since Confederation.

Buchan married Susan Charlotte Grosvenor (cousin of the Duke of Westminster), on July 15, 1907 and they had four children.

Gordon, John Campbell (Marquis of Aberdeen and Temair), 1847-1934

  • Person
  • 1847-1934

John Campbell Hamilton-Gordon (Lord Aberdeen) was born August 3, 1847 in Edinburgh. He studied at University of St. Andrews and University College, Oxford (from which he received a Bachelor of Arts). Upon the death of his eldest brother George in January 1870, he was made the 7th Earl of Aberdeen and subsequently entered the British House of Lords. From 1881 to 1885, he served as Lord High Commissioner to the Church of Scotland and then he was named Viceroy (Lord Lieutenant) of Ireland from February to July 1886. He then proceeded to become an alderman in Middlesex County Council (1889), establish an orchard in the northern Okanagan Valley of British Columbia in 1891, and then British Prime Minister Gladstone appointed him Governor General of Canada beginning September 1893 which continued until November 1898. During his time as Governor General, Lord and Lady Aberdeen travelled extensively through Canada and attempted to meet with as many people as possible regardless of their social or economic status, including many First Nations people and this resulted in him made an honorary chief of both the Six Nations and Blackfoot people. Lord and Lady Aberdeen returned to Britain in 1898 where he completed his second term as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from December 1905 to February 1915. He was made 1st Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair on January 4, 1916.

In November 1877, Lord Aberdeen married Ishbel-Maria Marjoribanks, who during their time in Canada would establish the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) and become one of the organizers of the National Council of Women in Canada.

Lord Aberdeen died on March 7, 1934.