Educator, community activist.
Born in Ukraine in 1899, as a orphan after the First World War she immigrated to Winnipeg in 1920 to live with an aunt, Joanna Westlake. She attended St. Mary's Academy to learn English. In 1923, she graduated with a BA degree from the University of Manitoba then taught at Stuartburn School (1923-1924) and served as Principal of Ethelbert School (1924-1925).
On 1 August 1925, she married physician Bronislaw Dyma (c1898-1966) at Winnipeg and they had two sons. She served as a trustee for the Winnipeg School Division (1932-1935) and President of the League of Women Voters. She was a Liberal-Progressive candidate in the 1936 provincial general election and was narrowly defeated. In 1945, she was a founding member and first national President of the Ukrainian Canadian Women's Committee. She served as President of the Ukrainian Catholic Women's League.
In recognition of her community service, she received a Shevchenko Medal (1962) and Canadian Centennial Medal (1967), and she was identified by the Nellie McClung Foundation as a Manitoba Woman Trailblazer (2021).
She died at Winnipeg on 12 October 1998.
Marriage registration [Mary Sawchak, Bronislaw Dyma], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“Three women given medal,” Winnipeg Free Press, 7 July 1962, page 12.
Obituary [Bronislaw Dyma], Winnipeg Free Press, 28 April 1966.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 17 October 1998, page 64.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 23 April 2024
Memorable Manitobans
This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.
Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:
Custom SearchBrowse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | ZBrowse deaths occurring in:
1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.caCriteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements
Help us keep
history alive!
