Fonds F 447 - Murray Koskie fonds

Murray James Koskie was born on November 5, 1929 in Sinnet, Saskatchewan to Frank and Mary Koskie. Raised on the family farm, Koskie attended Humboldt Collegiate and earned Bachelor of Education and Law degrees from the University of Saskatchewan.

Prior to his entry into provincial politics, Koskie worked as a mathematics and science teacher and school principal and practiced law in Humboldt, Regina and the Yukon.

Koskie ran unsuccessfully in the Regina South West constituency in the 1967 provincial general election. Koskie was first elected to the Saskatchewan Legislature in 1975 and served as a New Democratic Party (NDP) MLA for Quill Lakes constituency until 1995. Koskie served in the Allan Blakeney Government as Minister of Social Services (1979-1980); Minister of Consumer Affairs (1980-1981); and Minister of Consumer and Commercial Affairs (1981-1982). He was Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Computer Utility Corporation (1979-1982); Saskatchewan Securities Commission (1980-1982); Provincial Mediation Board (1980-1982); Office of the Rentalsman (1980-1982); and Rent Appeal Commission (1980-1982). He was a member of Treasury Board (1979-1982) and the Planning Committee (1980-1982).

After the NDP Government was defeated in 1982, Koskie served as Opposition whip and caucus critic for Justice and Rural Affairs until the NDP returned to power in 1991. Koskie served in the Roy Romanow Government from 1992 to 1993 as Minister of Highways and Transportation and Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Transportation Company; Saskatchewan Grain Car Corporation; and Highway Traffic Board.

Koskie resigned from Cabinet on June 4, 1993 and vacated his seat in the Legislature on March 10, 1995. After leaving politics, Koskie resided in Muenster until his death in Humboldt on March 14, 2004.

Koskie married Shirley Ann Hugill on June 24, 1961. They had three children: Maury, Douglas and Lisa.

Donald William Cody was born on March 28, 1936 in Pilger, Saskatchewan to Edward and Rosella (Wirtz) Cody. He worked as a telegraph operator and agent for Canadian Pacific Railways Co. before embarking on a career in insurance.

Cody worked as a claims adjuster for Saskatchewan Government Insurance in Regina from 1963 to 1967. He then worked at Co-op Insurance Services Ltd. as a claims examiner and Saskatchewan claims supervisor. He attended the Associateship Insurance Institute of Canada and was a member of the Saskatchewan Association of Insurance Adjustors and Insurance Institute of Canada.

Cody was first elected to the Saskatchewan Legislature in 1971 and served as a New Democratic Party (NDP) MLA for the Watrous constituency until 1975, when he was defeated in the provincial general election in the Qu'Appelle riding. Cody was re-elected in the Kinistino constituency in the 1978 general election and held the seat until 1982.

Cody served in the Allan Blakeney Government as Minister of Co-operation and Co-operative Development (1974-1975, 1979-1982); and Minister of Telephones (1978-1982). He was Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (1974-1975, 1978-1979); Saskatchewan Telecommunications (1978-1982); Saskatchewan Transportation Company (1978-1982); Office of the Rentalsman (1979-1980); Rental Appeal Commission (1979-1980); Provincial Mediation Board (1979-1980); Legislative Review Committee (1980-1982); Saskatchewan Government Printing Company (1980-1982); and Saskatchewan Forest Products Corporation (1980-1982).

Cody lost his seat in the 1982 provincial general election to Bernard Boutin (Progressive Conservative). After leaving provincial politics, Cody moved to Prince Albert and became owner of Buns Master Bakery. He served as mayor of Prince Albert from 1994 to 2003.

Cody currently (2006) continues to reside in Prince Albert.

Cody married Joan Eileen Germsheid on July 3, 1961. They have two children: Scott and Garnet.

Wesley Albert Robbins was born in Laura, Saskatchewan on August 14, 1916 to Norman and Charlotte Jane Robbins. He was raised on the family farm and received his primary and secondary education in the area. Robbins attended Teachers' College and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 1957.

Robbins was a teacher at Elk Valley School (1938-1940) and Jerome School (1940-1941) and an accountant at Federated Co-operatives Ltd in Saskatoon from 1941 to 1954. He was Secretary-Manager of the Co-operative Superannuation Society from 1954 to 1973. Robbins was involved with the Saskatoon Credit Union, serving as a director, president (1961-1963) and member of the credit and educational committees of the organization.

Robbins was first elected to the Saskatchewan Legislature in 1964 and served as a Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) member for the Saskatoon City constituency until 1967. Robbins also served as a New Democratic Party (NDP) member for the Saskatoon Nutana Centre (1971-1975) and Saskatoon Nutana (1975-1982) constituencies.

Robbins served in the Allan Blakeney Government as Minister of Finance (1973-1975); Minister of Co-operation and Co-operative Development (1975, 1977-1979); Minister of Consumer Affairs (1975, 1979-1980); Minister of Health (1975-1977); Minister of Revenue (1977-1978); and Minister of Revenue, Supply and Services (1978-1982). He was Minister Responsible for numerous agencies, boards and commissions including Board of Revenue Commissioners; Public Service Superannuation Board; Saskatchewan Development Fund; Saskatchewan Government Insurance; and Saskatchewan Computer Utility Corporation.

Robbins did not run in the 1982 provincial general election. He returned to Saskatoon and retired shortly thereafter.

Wes Robbins died in Saskatoon on March 12, 2008.

Robbins married Marion Nichol on June 14, 1946. They had three children: Barbara, James and Janis.

Herman Harold Rolfes was born on July 13, 1936 at Humboldt, Saskatchewan to Joseph and Josephine (Heckmann) Rolfes. He attended St. Peter's College in Muenster and Teacher's College in Saskatoon. Rolfes earned Bachelor of Arts (1960), Bachelor of Education (1964) and Master of Education degrees (1971) from the University of Saskatchewan.

Prior to his entry into provincial politics, Rolfes worked as a teacher, elementary school principal and high school guidance counselor in Saskatoon. He also served as president of the Saskatoon Elementary Teachers' Association.

Rolfes was first elected to the Saskatchewan Legislature in 1971 and served as a New Democratic Party (NDP) MLA for the Saskatoon Nutana South constituency until 1975. He was MLA for Saskatoon Buena Vista from 1975 to 1982. Rolfes held several Cabinet portfolios in the Allan Blakeney Government: Minister of Social Services (1975-1979); Minister of Continuing Education (1978-1979); Minister of Health (1979-1982); and Minister of Culture and Youth (1980).

Rolfes was Minister Responsible for Core Services Administration (1975-1978); Human Resources Development Agency (1976-1977); Saskatchewan Science Council (1978-1979); SaskMedia Authority (1978-1979); Saskatchewan Educational Communication Corporation (1978-1979); Universities' Commission (1978-1979); Saskatchewan Archives Board (1978-1979); Cancer Commission (1979-1982); Alcoholism Commission of Saskatchewan (1979-1982); and Saskatchewan Medical Care Insurance Commission (1979-1982). Rolfes was a member of the Planning Committee (1975-1979); Treasury Board (1979-1982) and Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (1980-1982).

Rolfes was defeated in the 1982 general election by Robert Myers (Progessive Conservative). He regained his seat in 1986 and served as MLA for the Saskatoon South (1986-1991) and Saskatoon Nutana (1991-1995) constituencies. Rolfes was elected Speaker of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly on December 2, 1991 and held the position until his retirement from politics in 1995.

After his retirement, Rolfes served on the University of Saskatchewan board of governors (1997 to 2003) and was a member of the Canadian Millennium Scholarship Foundation (1999).

Rolfes is currently (2006) retired and continues to reside in Saskatoon.

Rolfes married Myrna Hopfner on April 4, 1961. They have two children: Debora and Brian.

Born August 28, 1944 on a farm near Caron, Saskatchewan, Edward Blain 'Ned' Shillington received his early education at Grayburn Public School. He attended St. Louis High School in Moose Jaw, and graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with Bachelor degrees in Arts and Law in 1967. Shillington articled in Regina and practiced law in Moosomin from 1968-1971 prior to entering politics.

After a failed attempt to win a seat for the New Democratic Party in Moosomin in 1970, Shillington was appointed Executive Assistant to the Attorney-General in 1971, and served in this position until 1975.

First elected to the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly as a New Democratic Party member for Regina Centre Constituency in 1975, Shillington later served as MLA for the Regina Churchill-Downs and Regina Northeast Constituency until his retirement in July 1999.

He has held numerous Cabinet portfolios in the Blakeney and Romanow Governments: Minister of Co-operation and Co-operative Development (1975-1977), Minister of Consumer Affairs (1975-1976), Minister of Government Services (1976-1978), Minister of Culture and Youth (1977-1980), Minister of Education (1978-1979), Associate Minister of Finance (1992,1995), Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Property Management Corporation (1992), Associate Minister of Finance (1992, 1995), Minister of Labour (1992-1995), Minister of Justice and Attorney General (1995), Minister of Intergovernmental Relations (1995-1996), Provincial Secretary (1995-1998), and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs (1996-1997).

After leaving politics Shillington worked as a consultant on legislative process for PriceWaterhouseCoopers in Regina. In June 2000 he became Vice-President of Points West Consulting Inc. responsible for the Alberta Region. He held that position until May 31, 2002, when he became an investment manager of a privately owned investment fund.

Shillington married Sonia (Koroscil) in 1970; they have two children, Ryan and Tara. The Shillingtons currently (2010) reside in Calgary, Alberta where Shillington is a private securities investor.

Walter Edmund Smishek was born on July 21, 1925 in Sokal, Poland to Andrew Joseph and Mary (Homeniuk) Smishek. He moved to Saskatchewan with his family in 1930 and was raised on the family farm near Hafford.

Smishek worked with a grocery wholesale firm for five years before becoming a representative for the Saskatchewan Joint Board of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union in 1949. He held the position until 1960 and again from 1964 to 1971. From 1960 to 1964 he was executive secretary to the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour.

Smishek was first elected to the Saskatchewan Legislature in 1964 and served as a Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) Member of the Legislative Assembly (M.L.A.) for Regina East (1964-1967) and as a New Democratic Party (NDP) M.L.A. for Regina North East (1967-1982). Smishek served in the Allan Blakeney Government as Minister of Public Health (1971-1974); Minister of Health (1974-1975); Minister of Finance (1975-1979); Minister of Municipal Affairs (Urban) (1979-1980); and Minister of Urban Affairs (1980-1982). He was Minister Responsible for numerous agencies, boards and commissions.

Smishek lost his seat in the 1982 provincial general election to Russell Sutor of the Progressive Conservative party. After leaving provincial politics, Smishek worked for the federal department of Indian and Northern Affairs until his retirement. Smishek continued to live in Regina until his death on December 22, 2014.

Smishek married Ruth Bernice Schuck on August 20, 1955. They had three children: Mark, Kelly, and Erica.

Edward Charles Whelan was born on August 6, 1919 at Amherstburg, Ontario to Charles Bernard and Frances Kelly Whelan. He received his secondary education at General Amherst High School and the Toronto Technical School.

Whelan apprenticed in the construction and automobile industries in Ontario and completed a business management course before moving to Regina, Saskatchewan in 1946. He was employed with the Co-operative Union of Saskatchewan until 1950, when he joined the Department of the Attorney General. Whelan was chairman of the Provincial Mediation Board from 1956 to 1960. He then became a realtor and operated his own agency. Whelan was director of the Sherwood Co-op Association Ltd., director and vice-president of the Sherwood Credit Union, secretary to the Regina Labour Council (1948) and member of the Regina Community Planning Commission (1960).

Whelan was first elected to the Saskatchewan Legislature in 1960 and served as a Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) MLA for the Regina City (1960-1964) and Regina North (1964-1967) constituencies. He served as a New Democratic Party (NDP) MLA for Regina North West (1967-1979).

Whelan served in the Allan Blakeney Government as Minister of Mineral Resources (1975-1976); and Minister of Consumer Affairs (1976-1979). He was Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Mining Development Corporation (1975-1976); Saskatchewan Government Insurance Office (1975-1979); Saskatchewan Minerals (1975-1979); Office of the Rentalsman (1976-1979); Rent Appeal Commission (1976-1979); and Provincial Mediation Board (1977-1979).

Whelan resigned from Cabinet and vacated his seat in the Legislative Assembly on June 19, 1979. John Solomon (NDP) was elected MLA for Regina North West in a 1979 by-election. After leaving political life, Whelan and his wife published books on former Saskatchewan politicians Tommy Douglas and Jack Corman.

Ed Whelan died in Regina on December 11, 2007.

Whelan married Elizabeth Pemrose Henry on November 27, 1948. They had three children: Gaile, Sheila and Timothy.

Born in the Vonda-Alvena area of Saskatchewan on April 22, 1943, Edwin Laurence Tchorzewski attended rural schools at Fosston, Kelvington and Hudson Bay. He graduated from Hudson Bay Comprehensive High School and the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science/History and a Teachers Certificate (1969).

Tchorzewski taught at St. Augustine's Separate School in Humboldt from 1965 until entering political life in 1971. Growing up in a Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) household, Tchorzewski became involved in party politics while at university. First elected to the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly at the age of twenty-eight in the General Election of June 1971 as the New Democratic Party (NDP) member for Humboldt constituency, Tchorzewski served as a MLA until defeated in the 1982 General Election. Re-elected in 1985 in a by-election for the constituency of Regina North East, he continued to represent this area and Regina Dewdney constituency following the General Elections of 1986, 1991, and 1995.

Between 1972 and 1982, Tchorzewski served in the cabinet of Allan E. Blakeney in the following portfolios: Minister of Culture and Youth (1972-1977); Minister of Consumer Affairs (1972-1975); Provincial Secretary (1972-1975); Minister of Continuing Education (1975-1976); Minister of Education (1975-1977); Minister of Health (1977-1979); and Minister of Finance (1979-1982).

During the period 1985-1991, Tchorzewski served as Opposition Environment Critic and was named Deputy Leader of the NDP in 1989. Tchorzewski also served as a cabinet minister with the Roy Romanow government between 1991-1995, holding the following portfolios: Minister of Crown Investments (1995); Minister of Finance and Deputy Premier (1991-1993); Provincial Secretary (1993-1995); Minister of Education, Training & Employment (1993); Associate Minister of Finance (1995); and Minister of Municipal Government (1995). Tchorzewski resigned his seat in the Legislature on January 18, 1999 and retired from public life.

Following his resignation Tchorzewski worked as a consultant for Rawlco Communications, and as an advisor to the Lorne Calvert government. In January, 2005 he became provincial secretary and chief executive officer for the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party.

In private pursuits Tchorzewski played and coached various sports, held an active role in church activities with the Knights of Columbus, and maintained his interest in education as a member of the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation.

Ed Tchorzewski married Shirley Stasiuk in 1966 in Preeceville, Saskatchewan. They had four children, son Dion; daughters Raquel, Shalra and Shaundra.

Tchorzewski died in Regina on June 6, 2008.

Elwood Lorrie Cowley was born on August 2, 1944 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to William and Edwina (Call) Cowley. He was raised in Kinley, and received his elementary and secondary education at Kinley and Perdue Schools. Cowley earned Bachelor of Education (1965) and Bachelor of Arts (1967) degrees from the University of Saskatchewan.

Cowley's interest in provincial politics began while he was attending university. He served two terms as president of the University of Saskatchewan Campus New Democrats (1963-1965), and president of the Saskatchewan Young New Democrats(1965). In 1970, Cowley was an organizer for Roy Romanow's leadership campaign and at the leadership convention was elected provincial treasurer of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party (NDP).

Prior to his election to the Saskatchewan Legislature, Cowley was a teacher at Assiniboia Composite High School (1965) and Thom Collegiate in Regina (1967-1972). He was active in the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation.

Cowley was first elected to the Saskatchewan Legislature in the 1971 general election and served as a NDP MLA for the Biggar constituency until 1982. Cowley served in the Allan Blakeney Government as Minister of Finance (1972-1973, 1975); Minister of Mineral Resources (1973-1975, 1980-1982); Provincial Secretary (1975-1982); and Minister of Economic Development 1979-1982). He was Minister Responsible for Government Finance Office (1974-1977); Saskatchewan Oil and Gas Corporation (1974-1978, 1980-1982); Municipal Financing Corporation (1975); Board of Revenue Commissioners (1975); Saskatchewan Computer Utility Corporation (1975); Treasury Board (1974-1975); Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (1975-1978); Liquor Board (1978-1982); Liquor Licensing Commission (1978-1982); Crown Investments Corporation (1978-1982); and Saskatchewan Mining Development Corporation (1978-1982).

After losing the riding of Biggar in the 1982 provincial general election to Harry Baker (Progressive Conservative), Cowley returned to teaching and worked as an investment broker in Saskatoon. In 1989, he established his own consulting company, Cowley Consulting Ltd. In 1990, Cowley was a member of the Royal Commission on Electoral Reform and Party Financing (Lortie Commission).

Cowley currently (2009) resides in Saskatoon.

Cowley married Delores Major on June 26, 1965. They have three children: Sherry, Carla and Scott.