Locomotive engineer, community activist.
Born near Veregin, Saskatchewan on 21 December 1925 to Martha Osachoff (1888-1970) and Wasyl Fred Konkin (1887-1962), he attended school in Veregin and Calgary, Alberta. He began his working life as a farmer, purchasing land on the Assiniboine River, behind his parents’ farm outside of Veregin. In 1947, he began a 43-year career working as a fireman and locomotive engineer for the Canadian National Railway and VIA Rail. In 1948, he met Phyllis Rezansoff at Kamsack, Saskatchewan; they married in 1949 and went on to have two children. He and his wife moved to Winnipeg in 1951, initially living in the city’s North End.
During his career at CNR, he served as Local Chairman of Division 583 for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers for over six years. He was later elected the General Chairman of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers for the CNR’s Prairie Region West and served from 1983 through 1986, a position with responsibilities for union members working from Thunder Bay to Canada’s west coast.
Joe enjoyed his work with the railway and reluctantly retired from the job in 1990. Having always shown an affinity for gadgets and technology, he was actively involved in Winnipeg’s Amateur Radio Emergency Service ham radio organization during his retirement, and assisted the group in its Y2K transition. He served on the East Kildonan-Transcona Residents Advisory Group from 1997 through 1999, and on the East Kildonan-Transcona Library Advisory Committee from 1999 until shortly before his passing.
He volunteered many hours at Manitoba Marathons, Terry Fox Runs, the 1997 flood, and other events where he could provide support. In 2002, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal for his community activities. He enjoyed travelling, fishing, and camping, and was a member of the CN Nitehawks Curling Club for many years, serving on its executive and for a time as club president. He also curled with the Maple Leaf Curling Club and others, sometimes curling in three different leagues at once.
He died at Winnipeg on 20 July 2005.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 22 July 2005.
Obituary [Paul Rezansoff], Regina Leader-Post, 5 May 2015.
Joseph William Konkin, Konkin Family Tree, Ancestry.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 11 November 2022
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